The Goethe was an express train that, for most of its existence, linked Paris-Est in Paris, France, with Frankfurt Hbf in Frankfurt, Germany. Introduced in 1970, it was operated by the SNCF and the Deutsche Bundesbahn / Deutsche Bahn (DB).

Goethe
Class 181, multivoltage locomotive
Overview
Service typeTrans Europ Express (TEE)
(1970–1975 and 1979–1983)
InterCity (IC)
(1983–1987)
EuroCity (EC)
(1987–2007)
StatusReplaced by an ICE3
LocaleFrance
Germany
First service31 May 1970 (1970-05-31)
Last service10 June 2007 (2007-06-10)
Former operator(s)SNCF
Deutsche Bundesbahn /
Deutsche Bahn (DB)
Route
TerminiParis-Est/
Dortmund Hbf
Frankfurt Hbf
Service frequencyDaily
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrification15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
(Germany)
Route map
Paris Est
Metz-Ville
Saint-Avold
Forbach
Saarbrücken Hbf
Homburg (Saar) Hbf
Kaiserslautern Hbf
Neustadt (Weinstr) Hbf
Mannheim Hbf
Frankfurt Hbf
Fulda
Eisenach
Erfurt Hbf
Weimar
Leipzig Hbf
Dresden-Neustadt
Dresden Hbf
Bad Schandau
Děčín
Ústí nad Labem
Prague-Holešovice
Prague hl.n.

The train was named after the German author and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who lived in Frankfurt.

Initially, the Goethe was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE). It originally was scheduled to operate westbound in the morning and eastbound in the late afternoon and evening. However, at the start of the summer 1972 timetable period, on 28 May, the schedule was reversed, with the TEE Goethe now scheduled to leave Paris at 8:00 and Frankfurt at 16:15.[1] On 31 May 1975, it was discontinued, replaced by an unnamed two-class express train running on a similar schedule over the same route.[2]

On 27 May 1979, the name Goethe was revived for a different route, between Dortmund Hbf, Germany, and Frankfurt Hbf, again as a TEE.[3] This second TEE Goethe was discontinued on 29 May 1983, reclassified as IC Goethe, a two-class InterCity train.[4] The Goethe name continued in use for this route through 1 June 1985.[5]

During the same period, from 1975, the Paris–Frankfurt express/Schnellzug running on approximately the former Goethe schedule had continued to operate, without name, and was reclassified as an InterCity (IC 156/157) in June 1984.[6] Subsequently, on 2 June 1985, the name Goethe was restored to that train and itinerary.[5] On 31 May 1987, it was included in the then-new EuroCity (EC) network (with train nos. EC 56/57)[7] and from 1997 to 1999 it was extended to Prague It was replaced in June 2007 by an ICE3 service, unnamed and initially requiring a change of train in Saarbrücken.[8]

  • When this train was created as TEE, this train was composed only by SNCF material, the Mistral 56 coaches, a SNCF dining car with own electricity with integrated generating set, and Mistral 56 coaches where electricity powered with a red generating van, with powerful generating set( 600 V 3 phase ) source: les Trans Europ Express, Maurice Mertens.

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Summer services, 1972" (changes taking effect). Cooks Continental Timetable (May 1–27, 1972 edition), p. 466; also pp. 67, 465. London: Thomas Cook Publishing.
  2. ^ Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (June 1975 edition), pp. 6, 94. Peterborough, UK: Thomas Cook Publishing.
  3. ^ Thomas Cook International Timetable (May 27–June 30, 1979 edition), p. 6.
  4. ^ Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (May 29–June 30, 1983 edition), pp. 6, 161–162, 370, 376.
  5. ^ a b Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (May 1985 edition), pp. 370, 376, 476, 524. Thomas Cook Publishing.
  6. ^ Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (May 1–June 2, 1984 edition), pp. 161–162, 473.
  7. ^ Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (May 31–June 30, 1987 edition), pp. 472–473. Thomas Cook Publishing.
  8. ^ "Newslines: Summer international changes" (May 2007). Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable, p. 539; also pp. 65, 557, 590. Thomas Cook Publishing.

Bibliography

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  • Malaspina, Jean-Pierre; Mertens, Maurice (2007). TEE: la légende des Trans-Europ-Express [TEE: The Legend of the Trans Europ Express]. Auray: LR Presse. ISBN 978-29-03651-45-9. (in French)
  • Malaspina, Jean-Pierre; Mertens, Maurice (2008). TEE: la leggenda dei Trans-Europ-Express [TEE: The Legend of the Trans Europ Express]. Salò: ETR – Editrice Trasporti su Rotaie. ISBN 978-88-85068-31-5. (in Italian)
  • Mertens, Maurice; Malaspina, Jean-Pierre; von Mitzlaff, Berndt (2009). TEE - Die Geschichte des Trans-Europ-Express [TEE - The History of the Trans Europ Express]. Düsseldorf: Alba Publikation. ISBN 978-3-87094-199-4. (in German)