Metropolitan (train)
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The ''Metropolitan'' (stylised as MetropolitaN) was a premium passenger train service between the cities of
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
and
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
in Germany. Meant as an alternative to air transport, the first-class-only trains were operated from 1 August 1999 until 11 December 2004 by the Metropolitan Express Train GmbH (MET GmbH) based in Bad Homburg, a wholly owned subsidiary of the
DB Fernverkehr DB Fernverkehr AG (German for "DB Long-Distance Traffic") is a semi-independent division of Deutsche Bahn that operates long-distance passenger trains in Germany. It was founded in 1999 in the second stage of the privatisation of Deutsche Bahn, ...
AG wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. Service was discontinued in December 2004 due to low usage and profitability; the trainsets were deployed in
InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...
and
Intercity Express The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...
traffic before being retired at the end of 2021, when they were offered for sale.


Operator

The operating company, Metropolitan Express Train GmbH, was established in December 1996 as a subsidiary of
DB Fernverkehr DB Fernverkehr AG (German for "DB Long-Distance Traffic") is a semi-independent division of Deutsche Bahn that operates long-distance passenger trains in Germany. It was founded in 1999 in the second stage of the privatisation of Deutsche Bahn, ...
(then named DB Reise&Touristik), itself a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. MET GmbH was the fourth company besides DB Reise&Touristik (the first three companies being
CityNightLine CityNightLine AG (timetable and platform sign abbreviation: CNL) was a Swiss night train service. CNL had right of passage grants in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark. It served stations in Belgium, France, Italy and ...
,
Thalys Thalys (French: ) is a French-Belgian high-speed train operator originally built around the LGV Nord high-speed line between Paris and Brussels. This track is shared with Eurostar trains that go from Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam to London via Li ...
, and
Cisalpino Cisalpino AG () was a railway company, referred to as CIS in timetables, operating international trains between Switzerland and Italy connecting Basel, Schaffhausen, Zürich, Geneva, Milan, Venice, Trieste, Livorno, and Florence. The company ...
) to operate long-distance trains in Germany after the . After the service was discontinued in December 2004, MET GmbH was dissolved and reacquired by DB Fernverkehr.


Rolling stock

Metropolitan Express Train GmbH ordered two specially-made trainsets of seven cars each from the manufacturer in November 1997. The interiors of the cars were produced by
Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau The Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau is a medium-sized furniture-manufacturing business in the Hellerau district of the German city of Dresden. The company archives are deemed a valuable cultural asset and were provided with legal protection. C ...
. An option was available for two additional trainsets with different interiors. From a technical perspective, the ''Metropolitan'' trainsets are conventional push-pull trains consisting of a locomotive, cars, and a control car. Both sets consist of seven cars, each long. The train's total length, including the Class 101 locomotive, is . The trainsets themselves are based on the
ICE 2 The ICE 2 is the second series of German high-speed trains and one of six in the Intercity-Express family since 1995. The ICE 2 (half-) trains are even closer to a conventional push–pull train than the ICE 1, because each train consists ...
's cars. Before the beginning of production, Deutsche Bahn AG's board of directors considered removing two ICE 2 trainsets from production and modifying them with a special interior for the ''Metropolitan''. Several cars were painted in ''Metropolitan'' colors and prepared for conversion. This plan was cancelled due to high costs and time constraints. The planned conversion of preexisting cars was also cancelled. The ''Metropolitan'' trains have an operational top speed of , though they were not used at speeds higher than until 2009 when both seven-car trains were merged into a single eleven-car trainset. This is the fastest top speed of any conventional locomotive-hauled train in Germany; only
Intercity Express The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...
trains have higher top speeds. The ''Metropolitan'' was presented at the 1999
ITB Berlin The ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin) is the world's largest tourism trade fair. The companies represented at the fair include hotels, tourist boards, tour operators, system providers, airlines and car rental companies. The ITB ...
trade show. The first trainset was delivered on 14 June 1999; the second was delivered on 12 July. Both trains were based at the depot in
Eidelstedt is a quarter of Hamburg, Germany, in the borough of Eimsbüttel. It is located on the northwestern boundaries of the borough and of the city. Geography Eidelstedt borders the quarters of Schnelsen, Niendorf, Stellingen, as well as Bahrenfel ...
.


Operational restrictions

The ''Metropolitan'' cars are slightly larger than standard
InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...
cars with an empty mass of 55 to 59 tonnes and a width of . Depending on the number of seats and interior layout, the cars weigh between 59 and 63 tonnes when fully loaded. Prior to 2010, they were operationally grouped with the
ICE 1 The ICE 1 is the first batch-produced German high-speed train and one of six in the Intercity Express family. Revenue service at speeds up to started in 1991. It was raised to in May 1995 and temporary reduced to again, as a result of ...
and
ICE 2 The ICE 2 is the second series of German high-speed trains and one of six in the Intercity-Express family since 1995. The ICE 2 (half-) trains are even closer to a conventional push–pull train than the ICE 1, because each train consists ...
trains as ''ICE-A'', and from 2011 to 2021, they were grouped as ''IC-A'' and operationally dispatched as ''ICE'', ''IC'', or ''MET'' by
DB Netz DB Netz AG is a major subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn that owns and operates a majority of the German railway system (2019: 33,291 km). It is one of the largest railway infrastructure manager by length and transport volume of its network. The ...
. These operational classifications permitted operation exclusively on lines approved for ICE 1 and ICE 2 trains. The trains are equipped to operate using 1 kV 16.7 Hz
head-end power In rail transport, head-end power (HEP), also known as electric train supply (ETS), is the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive (or a generator car) at the front or 'head' of a train, p ...
. The ''Metropolitan'' trainsets are not approved for operation on third-party networks. When the trainsets were operated using locomotives other than the four modified Class 101 locomotives, their speed was limited to .


Operations

The beginning of operations was preceded by investigations into ten routes where the train could compete with plane travel. The Cologne–Hamburg route received the highest value in the investigations, with the Frankfurt–Munich route placing second. ''Metropolitan'' service was originally scheduled to begin on 13 June 1999. Due to delays in train delivery and crew training, service did not begin until 1 August. Starting on 1 July 1999, test runs were conducted using the first of the two trainsets to collect operating experience. Between 1 August 1999 and the termination of service on 11 December 2004, ''Metropolitan'' trains traveled between
Köln Hauptbahnhof Köln Hauptbahnhof or Cologne Central Station is a railway station in Cologne, Germany. The station is an important local, national and international transport hub, with many ICE, Thalys and Intercity trains calling there, as well as regional Regi ...
and
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (abbrev. ''Hamburg Hbf'') is the main railway station of the city of Hamburg, Germany. Opened in 1906 to replace four separate terminal stations, today Hamburg Hauptbahnhof is operated by DB Station&Service AG. With an avera ...
, with stops at
Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station of Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. History The station was opened on 1 October 1891. It replaced the three following stations: *the ''Bergisch-Märkische s ...
and
Essen Hauptbahnhof Essen Hauptbahnhof (German for "Essen main station") is a railway station in the city of Essen in western Germany. It is situated south of the old town centre, next to the A 40 motorway. It was opened in 1862 by the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbah ...
. However, by the end of 1999, trains were occupied to only 20 percent capacity, below the break-even point of 53 percent. Two options were considered: an extension on the Hamburg-Berlin route and the removal of the requirement to reserve seats in advance; neither option was adopted.


Service categories

The ''Metropolitan'' was the only Deutsche Bahn service that was not divided into separate
travel class A travel class is a quality of accommodation on public transport. The accommodation could be a seat or a cabin for example. Higher travel classes are designed to be more comfortable and are typically more expensive. Airlines Traditionally ...
es. Instead, three categories of first-class service were provided: *Two ''Silence'' cars intended for resting passengers. A free pillow and blanket were provided, as well as earplugs and headphones. The use of phones and laptops was discouraged. These two cars were located at the end of the train. *Three ''Office'' cars intended for working travelers. Seats included in-seat power outlets and cell phone
repeater In telecommunications, a repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it. Repeaters are used to extend transmissions so that the signal can cover longer distances or be received on the other side of an obstruction. Some ...
s. This category contained a cocktail and espresso bar as well as four-seat tables for work interviews. *Two ''Club'' cars were available for passengers who did not want to work or sleep. Portable
DVD player A DVD player is a device that plays DVDs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. Some DVD players will also play audio CDs. DVD players are connected to a television to wa ...
s and films could be borrowed free of charge. This section also contained a cocktail and espresso bar and wireless repeaters, similar to the ''Office'' section. Car number 7 was designed to be
accessible Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i.e ...
.


''Traveller'' class

Starting on 1 September 2001, MET GmbH introduced a fourth travel category named ''Traveller'' in an attempt to increase train utilization, along with offering discounted prices for return tickets. The new class was less comfortable than the three existing categories and acted as a second class for the ''Metropolitan'' trains. Cars 1 and 5 (renumbered to cars 1 and 2) were re-equipped with four-abreast seating arrangements, replacing their original three-abreast seating. Each train received 145 new seats to replace the original 114. The original seats were removed and sold on
eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
by Deutsche Bahn AG. The total capacity of each train was increased by 8.8 percent from 351 to 382 seats. However, as the ''Traveller'' cars were taken from the ''Office'' and ''Silence'' categories, the capacity of those categories was reduced.


Decline and end


Poor utilization

During all five years of ''Metropolitan'' service, utilization was far below the trains' capacity and that of standard long-distance service. About two months after the beginning of operation, the trains had utilization rates of 50 to 60 percent on Monday mornings and Friday evenings, but were only filled to 30 percent capacity on average. In the first two years, average utilization increased to 35 to 40 percent, still below the break-even point. Only during
trade fair A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and c ...
days did utilization reach satisfactory levels. Passenger numbers decreased in the first quarter of 2003, when the ''Metropolitan'' service lost one fourth of its passengers, according to Deutsche Bahn, which blamed the rise of
low-cost airline A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (occasionally referred to as '' no-frills'', ''budget'' or '' discount carrier'' or ''airline'', and abbreviated as ''LCC'') is an airline that is operated with an especially high emphasis on minimizing op ...
s.


Discontinuation of service

At a financial press conference on 16 August 2004, Deutsche Bahn confirmed a report that ''Metropolitan'' service would be discontinued, but did not specify a date of discontinuation. The service was discontinued due to low utilization and lack of profitability. According to a report by the media, MET GmbH operated at a loss of €3.8 million in 2003 with a turnover of €21.3 million. The average occupancy of the trains was only 35 percent rather than the planned 50 percent. ''Metropolitan'' trains continued to run until the next regular timetable change on 11 December 2004. Service was replaced with
ICE Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
Sprinter trains.


Later use of trainsets

The two trainsets were initially intended to be parked, though DB Fernverkehr decided to reuse the trains in long-distance traffic. They were externally modified to prepare them for service, being repainted in the standard DB colors and fitted with features such as route sign holders. However, the interiors were unchanged. The two ''Traveller'' cars and three other cars were reassigned to second class, while two were assigned to first class. After the timetable change on 13 December 2009, the two seven-car trains were converted into one eleven-car train and one three-car train, though this was reverted in March 2011. The last ''Metropolitan'' train ran on 10 December 2021, and the train's control car was decorated with the ''Metropolitan'' logo. The use of the two trains ceased after the timetable change in December 2021; the trains were listed for sale.


See also

*
Rheingold (train) The ''Rheingold'' ('Rhinegold') was a named train that operated between Hook of Holland, near Rotterdam, and Geneva, Switzerland (or Basel before 1965), a distance of , until 1987. Another section of the train started in Amsterdam and was coupled ...
*
Train categories in Europe Railway companies in Europe assign their trains to different categories or train types depending on their role. Passenger trains may be broadly split into long-distance and local trains; the latter having average journey times of under an hour and ...


Notes


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metropolitan (Train) Named passenger trains of Germany Deutsche Bahn Railway companies of Germany German companies established in 1999 German companies disestablished in 2004 Railway companies established in 1999 Railway companies disestablished in 2004