2 , ▁while ▁DB ▁operated ▁Class ▁ 2 1 8 ▁locomot ives . ▁▁ ▁On ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁ 5 ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁a ▁train ▁driver ▁Harry ▁D eter ling ▁ran ▁at ▁full ▁speed ▁through ▁bar riers ▁ere cted ▁in ▁Sta aken ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁August ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Wall ▁to ▁escape ▁from ▁East ▁Germany . ▁The ▁same ▁night ▁the ▁rails ▁were ▁dis connected ▁there ▁by ▁border ▁gu ards . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁trans it ▁trains ▁between ▁Berlin ▁and ▁Hamburg ▁were ▁r er out ed ▁via ▁the ▁Berlin ▁outer ▁ring ▁and ▁entered ▁and ▁ex ited ▁West ▁Berlin ▁at ▁Gr ieb nitz see . ▁The ▁border ▁crossing ▁at ▁Al bre cht sh of ▁was ▁perman ently ▁closed . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁the ▁journey ▁time ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁cities ▁had ▁increased ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁six ▁hours ▁because ▁of ▁increased ▁border ▁controls , ▁det ours ▁and ▁single - track ▁operations . ▁An ▁agreement ▁between ▁DB ▁and ▁DR ▁limited ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁fre ight ▁trains ▁at ▁the ▁Inner ▁German ▁border ▁at ▁Bü chen : ▁ 2 4 ▁fre ight ▁and ▁five ▁passenger ▁trains ▁running ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁at ▁and ▁ 1 7 ▁fre ight ▁and ▁five ▁passenger ▁trains ▁running ▁to ▁the ▁west . ▁The ▁spare ▁capacity ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁in ▁the ▁Hamburg ▁area ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁Hamburg ▁S - B ahn . ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁division ▁of ▁Germany , ▁there ▁were ▁five ▁main ▁rail ▁axes ▁running ▁to ▁Hamburg