Diamant (train)

The Diamant was an express train operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB), using different routes over the years. The name Diamant, Dutch for diamond, refers to the city of Antwerp, which is the European centre of diamond trade[1] and has a diamond district. The initial service started in 1962[2] as a first-class-only FernTriebwagen linking the West-German capital Bonn with Antwerp, using a class DB Class VT 08 diesel multiple unit (DMU).

Diamant
Overview
Service typeFT
(1963–1965)
Trans Europ Express (TEE)
(1965–1976)
Trans Europ Express (TEE)
(1979–1981)
Intercity
(1988-1991)
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleGermany
Belgium
First service30 September 1962 (1962-09-30)
Last service1 June 1991 (1991-06-01)
Former operator(s)Deutsche Bundesbahn
Route
TerminiAntwerp
Bonn
Service frequencyDaily
On-board services
Class(es)1st class only (1962–1981);
1st and 2nd class (1988–1991)
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

Trans Europ Express

The Diamant was upgraded to Trans Europ Express (TEE) on 30 May 1965.[3] The VT 08 was replaced by DB Class VT 11.5 DMUs formerly used in the TEE Helvetia, after the latter was changed to an electric locomotive-hauled consist. The route in Germany was altered as well; the Diamant no longer stopped at Bonn and started/ended in Dortmund instead.[4]

In May 1966, only one year into the train's TEE era, its western terminus was changed from Antwerp to Brussels (South/Midi), disconnecting the "Diamond" (Diamant) from the place that had been the inspiration for its name.[5] Many alterations in the route followed during the electrification works along the route, sometimes reaching as far east as Hannover. On 29 May 1976, the Diamant was withdrawn.[6][7] The Diamant was reintroduced on 27 May 1979, again as a TEE but no longer an international service, instead taking over the Munich – Hamburg section of the Blauer Enzian.[8] It operated on Mondays to Fridays only.[9] After two years this second Diamant was withdrawn from service.

InterCity

The third Diamant was a two-class DB Intercity service linking Hamburg with Stuttgart via Cologne, from 29 May 1988 until 1 Juni 1991. Although normally a non-international service, the IC Diamant was extended to (and from) Innsbruck on Saturdays during some periods, including at least January through May 1991.[10]

References
  1. TEE, p. 20.
  2. La Légende des TEE, p. 241.
  3. TEE Züge in Deutschland, p. 112.
  4. Das grosse TEE Buch, p. 85
  5. La Légende des TEE, p. 179.
  6. La Légende des TEE, p. 240.
  7. Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (May 30–June 30, 1976 edition), p. 6. Peterborough, UK: Thomas Cook Publishing.
  8. La Légende des TEE, p. 382.
  9. Thomas Cook International Timetable (May 27–June 30, 1979 edition), pp. 6, 68. Thomas Cook Publishing.
  10. Thomas Cook European Timetable (April 1991 edition), pp. 386, 391, 419. Thomas Cook Publishing.

Works cited
  • Publicrelations UIC (1972). TEE (in Dutch). Paris: Union International des Chemins de Fer.
  • Hajt, Jörg (2001). Das grosse TEE Buch (in German). Bonn/Königswinter: Heel Verlag. ISBN 3-89365-948-X.
  • Goette, Peter (2008). TEE-Züge in Deutschland (in German). Freiburg: EK-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88255-698-8.
  • Mertens, Maurice; Malaspina, Jean-Pierre (2007). La Légende des Trans Europ Express (in French). Vannes: LR Presse. ISBN 978-29-036514-5-9.
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