The German National Railways.

More and more streamlined trains and railcars continue to be introduced on the European railways. In Germany, the first express railcar operated by the German National Railways —the famous “Flying Hamburger”—last year completed its 1,000th run between the capital and Hamburg.

Although generally believed to be the fastest passenger service in Germany, the “Flying Hamburger” is actually beaten by another railcar service—the “Flying Cologner,“—operating between Berlin and Cologne. This car, diesel-electric, covers the Berlin—Hanover section of its daily run at a speed of 82 1/2 m.p.h. It is a streamlined double railcar, and is to all intents and purposes an enlargement of the original “Flying Hamburger.” There are to-day six long-distance services on the German National Railways of outstanding interest. These are respectively the Berlin-Hanover, Hamm-Hanover, Berlin-Hamburg, and Berlin-Cologne runs, averaging 72 1/2 m.p.h.; the Berlin-Frankfort 67 1/2 m.p.h. service; and the Berlin-Halle 66 m.p.h. run. The last-named is maintained by a steam-driven train, all the others being diesel-electric services.

The German National Railways have now been in operation for a little over eleven years, the Company being established under the Dawes’ Plan on October 11, 1924. The business of the Company is controlled by an elaborate organisation centred on the Berlin headquarters. In addition, there is a regional administrative headquarters, covering the former Bavarian lines. Next comes thirty divisional offices and what is known as a “central railway office”; 640 district offices and about 100 workshops of various kinds; 11,000 passenger stations; 1,400 goods stations; 3,300 track inspectors’ offices; and about 700 locomotive and car shops.

The Berlin headquarters is directly responsible to the administrative council, the government and the railway commission. It formulates general traffic, finance and staff policy, apportions capital expenditure, and handles all commercial and technical questions of prime importance. At the head of the administration is a president, assisted by a permanent vice-president. Seven departments constitute the administration. These are respectively (1) traffic and tariffs, (2) operating and civil engineering; (3) mechanical engineering, with control of workshops; (4) finance and legal; (5) staff; (6) administrative; and (7) purchases and stores.