▁high - speed ▁line ) ▁available ▁for ▁I CE ▁trains ▁running ▁between ▁Berlin ▁and ▁Hamburg , ▁while ▁fre ight ▁traffic ▁would ▁remain ▁on ▁the ▁Berlin – H amb urg ▁line . ▁A ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁report ▁on ▁this ▁option ▁put ▁its ▁cost ▁at ▁less ▁than ▁DM ▁one ▁billion ▁( about ▁€ ▁half ▁a ▁billion ). ▁ ▁Up grade ▁for ▁ 2 3 0 ▁km / h ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁the ▁short est ▁travel ▁time ▁between ▁Hamburg ▁and ▁Berlin ▁was ▁two ▁hours ▁and ▁eight ▁minutes . ▁After ▁the ▁can cell ing ▁of ▁the ▁Trans rap id ▁project ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁made ▁a ▁grant ▁of ▁DM ▁one ▁billion ▁( about ▁€ 5 1 1 ▁million ) ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁upgrade ▁that ▁would ▁raise ▁spe eds ▁on ▁ 2 6 3   km ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁line ▁from ▁ 1 6 0 ▁to ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 3 0   km / h . ▁The ▁additional ▁ 3 0   km / h ▁in ▁comparison ▁to ▁the ▁normal ▁limit ▁on ▁upgrad ed ▁conventional ▁lines ▁was ▁necessary ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁achieve ▁a ▁total ▁journey ▁time ▁of ▁ 9 0 ▁minutes . ▁The ▁line ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁existing ▁railway ▁line ▁in ▁Germany ▁to ▁be ▁operated ▁at ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 0   km / h . ▁Platform ▁bar riers ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁Germany . ▁ ▁Lar ge - scale ▁construction ▁began ▁in ▁ 2 0 0