’ s ▁first ▁high - speed ▁dies el ▁train , ▁DR G ▁ 8 7 7 ▁Fl ieg ender ▁Hamb urger ▁(" F lying ▁Hamb urger "), ▁was ▁introduced ▁on ▁the ▁line . ▁With ▁a ▁travel ▁time ▁of ▁two ▁hours ▁and ▁ 1 8 ▁minutes ▁the ▁Fl ieg ender ▁Hamb urger ▁had ▁an ▁average ▁speed ▁of ▁ ▁for ▁the ▁, ▁between ▁Hamburg ▁Haupt bahn hof ▁and ▁Berlin ▁Lehr ter ▁station . ▁The ▁Fl ieg ender ▁Hamb urger ▁was ▁the ▁world ' s ▁fast est ▁scheduled ▁rail ▁service . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁trav ellers ▁still ▁travel led ▁in ▁ordinary ▁steam - h au led ▁express ▁trains ▁with ▁a ▁travel ▁time ▁of ▁three ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁to ▁four ▁hours . ▁With ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁military ▁prior ities ▁meant ▁that ▁high - speed ▁projects ▁were ▁abandoned . ▁ ▁The ▁speed ▁of ▁the ▁Fl ieg ender ▁Hamb urger ▁was ▁not ▁achieved ▁again ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁tim et able ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁the ▁normal ▁journey ▁time ▁of ▁trains ▁was ▁two ▁hours ▁and ▁eight ▁minutes , ▁with ▁some ▁Inter city ▁Express ▁trains ▁running ▁faster . ▁Since ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁upgrade ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁travel ▁time ▁has ▁been ▁reduced ▁to ▁about ▁one ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁hours . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁development ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁the ▁Berlin – H amb urg ▁line ▁was ▁affected ▁like ▁many ▁lines ▁in ▁by ▁the ▁division