▁Har bour ▁bridge ▁to ▁Er icus ▁j unction ▁( origin ally ▁built ▁for ▁the ▁former ▁Hamburg ▁fre ight ▁station ). ▁From ▁ 2 9 ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁the ▁Fl ieg ender ▁Hamb urger ▁Inter city ▁Express ▁( ICE ) ▁train ▁took ▁two ▁hours ▁and ▁ 1 5 ▁minutes ▁between ▁Hamburg ▁and ▁Berlin . ▁ ▁Up ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁DM ▁ 4 . 5 ▁billion ▁( appro xim ately ▁€ 2 . 3 ▁billion ) ▁had ▁been ▁inv ested ▁in ▁the ▁upgrade ▁of ▁the ▁line . ▁ ▁The ▁upgrade ▁was ▁initially ▁designed ▁only ▁to ▁raise ▁the ▁maximum ▁speed ▁to ▁ 1 6 0   km / h , ▁with ▁an ▁option ▁for ▁a ▁further ▁upgrade ▁to ▁ 2 0 0   km / h . ▁Consider ations ▁for ▁the ▁further ▁upgrade ▁was ▁sh el ved ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁planned ▁Trans rap id ▁magnetic ▁lev itation ▁project . ▁During ▁the ▁planning ▁carried ▁out ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁it ▁was ▁en vis aged ▁that ▁a ▁line ▁could ▁be ▁built ▁with ▁an ▁invest ment ▁of ▁from ▁ 3 . 9 ▁to ▁ 4 . 5 ▁billion ▁eu ros ▁that ▁would ▁allow ▁a ▁journey ▁time ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁ 6 0 ▁minutes ▁( non - stop ) ▁at ▁a ▁maximum ▁speed ▁of ▁ 4 0 0   km / h . ▁The ▁opening ▁would ▁take ▁place ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁This ▁project ▁was ▁cancel led ▁by ▁Hart mut