▁Me hd orn ▁shortly ▁after ▁he ▁took ▁office ▁as ▁CE O ▁of ▁Deutsche ▁Bahn ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Al ready ▁before ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁Deutsche ▁Bahn ▁had ▁internally ▁prepared ▁an ▁alternative ▁scenario ▁in ▁case ▁in ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁Trans rap id ▁project . ▁With ▁a ▁top ▁speed ▁of ▁ 2 0 0   km / h , ▁a ▁travel ▁time ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁two ▁hours ▁would ▁be ▁possible , ▁with ▁an ▁increase ▁to ▁ 2 3 0   km / h , ▁ 9 0 ▁minutes ▁would ▁be ▁possible . ▁This ▁would ▁require ▁the ▁elim ination ▁of ▁nearly ▁ 7 0 ▁level ▁cross ings ▁at ▁an ▁estimated ▁cost ▁of ▁ 7 0 0 ▁million ▁DM ▁( about ▁€ 3 5 0 ▁million ). ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁the ▁upgrade ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁to ▁allow ▁ 2 3 0   km / h ▁operations ▁for ▁a ▁travel ▁time ▁of ▁ 9 0 ▁minutes ▁was ▁announced . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁I CE ▁service ▁on ▁the ▁line ▁was ▁increased ▁to ▁three ▁pairs ▁of ▁trains ▁per ▁day . ▁ ▁The ▁upgrade ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁line ▁to ▁a ▁high - speed ▁railway ▁was ▁not ▁without ▁controvers y . ▁A ▁report ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁proposed ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁route ▁via ▁U el zen ▁( H an over – H amb urg ▁line ) ▁and ▁St end al ▁( H an over – Ber lin