Restored GDR speed inspires thousands in Halberstadt

Restored GDR speed inspires thousands in Halberstadt

Halberstadt, Deutschland - On June 23, 2025, the eagerly awaited day of the Verkehrs Industrie Systeme GmbH (VIS) Day took place in Halberstadt. Here the restored GDR speed was presented for the first time after a three-year renovation of the public. This imposing train, which consists of two drive heads and two middle cars, attracted thousands of railway enthusiasts, which were enjoyed by the original colors and fabrics. Among the visitors were Angelika and Jürgen Apel, who were enthusiastic about the nostalgic atmosphere.

ilka Heider, one of the numerous visitors: inside, described the day as "nostalgic and magical". The VT 18.16 itself was first presented in 1963 at the Leipzig spring fair and reached speeds of up to 160 km/h. "The inspiration for this express train was found in the" Flying Hamburger "from 1931", explains Martin Schreiber from Vis. Historical train names such as "Berlinaren" or "Vindobona" ​​combined the GDR with destinations in Scandinavia, Austria and the Czech Republic.

lively story

Another highlight were the Rheingold cars at the entrance to the factory area, which were used as an Orient Express and attracted numerous curious people. The volunteer restorers, including Harald Bohm, received a lot of praise for their meticulous work. "The preservation of historical vehicles is essential to keep contemporary history alive," said Bohm in conversation.

The VT 18.16 was built in VEB Görlitz and made in series between 1965 and 1968, although only eight trivials were built instead of the planned 30. A copy of this series is now being restored under the project "A train for Central Germany" and could even be brought back to the rails for special tourist trips in 2023, as Mario Lieb, the head of a non -profit society, noted.

insights into the factory halls

The tours in the factory halls of the VIS offered those present an exciting look behind the scenes of the repair of rail vehicles. During these tours, the manual skill of the workers and the continued existence of a most important local tradition became clear. The history of the German Reichsbahn, which arose in the Soviet occupation zone after the Second World War, is not only preserved, but actively continued.

Against the background of the historical relevance of the German Reichsbahn and the challenges that the reconstruction of the rail network brought after 1945, the importance of such events is emphasized again. Access to historical trains not only opens doors at the past, but also arouses the interest of younger generations and promotes exchange about history. Visitors such as Max Schmidtchen and Fabian Radegast traveled from Lübbenau/Spreewald to see VT 18.16 and experience the fascination of railway history up close.

It looks like it is not only for the lovers of historical vehicles! The VT 18.16 could soon write history and enrich our landscape with the character of a nostalgic travel experience. So it is to be hoped that the next few months will be successful for the restored train and that he will soon be able to go back to the rails. Let's be looking forward to the developments - it is certain that the railway fans in Halberstadt and beyond are in the starting blocks.