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Overview | |||||
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Service type | Trans Europ Express (TEE) | ||||
Status | Discontinued | ||||
Locale | Germany France | ||||
First service | 2 June 1980 | ||||
Last service | 27 May 1983 | ||||
Former operator(s) | Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) SNCF | ||||
Route | |||||
Start | Dortmund Hbf | ||||
Stops | 12 | ||||
End | Strasbourg-Ville | ||||
Service frequency | Daily, Monday to Friday | ||||
Train number(s) | TEE 8, 9 | ||||
On-board services | |||||
Class(es) | First class only | ||||
Catering facilities | Restaurant car | ||||
Technical | |||||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||||
Electrification | 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz (Germany) | ||||
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The Albert Schweitzer was a short-lived express train that linked Dortmund Hbf in Dortmund, Germany, with Strasbourg-Ville in Strasbourg, France. Introduced in 1980, [1] it was operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and the SNCF.
The train was named after Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965), a German and then French theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary, who was born in the province of Alsace-Lorraine and educated partly in Strasbourg.
The Albert Schweitzer was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE) and operated on Mondays to Fridays only. It was intended mainly to provide transport between Bonn, then the capital of West Germany, and the European Parliament in Strasbourg. It was discontinued in 1983. [2]
The southbound train (TEE 9) was scheduled to depart from Dortmund at 6:35 and arrive in Strasbourg at 11:48. The northbound train (TEE 8) was scheduled to leave Strasbourg at 16:43 and reach Dortmund at 21:52.
The train's coaches were all from German Federal Railways (DB) and included a separate restaurant car, operated by the German Sleeper and Dining Car Company (in German: Deutsche Schlafwagen- und Speisewagen-Gesellschaft, or DSG). [1] Throughout its route, the train was hauled by electric locomotives, [1] from DB within Germany and from SNCF within France.
In June 2001, a EuroCity service was introduced with the name Albert Schweitzer, linking Frankfurt with Lyon via Strasbourg. [3] In late 2002, the route was altered at its east end to originate and terminate in Stuttgart instead of Frankfurt. The EC Albert Schweitzer was still serving this route, Stuttgart – Strasbourg – Lyon (and vice versa), in summer 2003, [4] but in September 2003 SNCF discontinued use of train names generally, [5] and this EC service became unnamed.
The Bavaria was an express train that linked München Hbf in Munich, Germany, with Zürich HB in Zurich, Switzerland. Introduced in the 1950s, it ran through to Geneva until 1969, when it was cut back to Zurich. The train was named on the basis that Bavaria is the Latin equivalent to the German word Bayern, the official name of the federal state of Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital. It was operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn / Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS). The route also included a single stop in Austria, at Bregenz. The 24 km (15 mi) section between Lindau, Germany, and St. Margrethen, Switzerland, is located mostly in Austria, but Swiss locomotives hauled the train over this section, most of which is part of the Vorarlberg line of Austrian Federal Railways.
The Arbalète was an express train that linked Paris-Est in Paris, France, with Zürich HB in Zurich, Switzerland. Introduced in 1957, it was operated by the SNCF and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS).
The Iris is an express train that links Brussels Midi/Zuid in Brussels, Belgium, with Chur station in Chur, Switzerland.
The Helvetia was an express train that, for most of its existence, linked Hamburg-Altona station in Hamburg, Germany, with Zürich HB in Zurich, Switzerland. Introduced in 1952, it was operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn / Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS). The train's name, Helvetia, is the Latin word for "Switzerland".
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).
The Edelweiss was an international express train. For most of its existence, it linked the Netherlands with Switzerland, via Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Introduced in 1928, it was named after a mountain flower, the Edelweiss, which is associated with alpinism and the Alps, and regarded as a symbol of Switzerland.
Le Mistral, or the Mistral, was an express train between Paris and Nice in France. Introduced in 1950, it was operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF), and was regarded as the company's flagship train.
The word Rheinpfeil was used to name a number of express trains that ran in Germany between the 1950s and 1991. For much of that period, a train carrying the name Rheinpfeil also linked Germany with at least one neighbouring country.
The Prinz Eugen was an express train that linked northern Germany with Wien Westbf in Vienna, Austria. Introduced in 1971, it was operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn / Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).
The Roland was an express train that ran in Germany. For part of its existence, it was also an international train. Introduced in 1939, suspended during World War II, and reintroduced in 1952, it was operated in Germany by the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft (DRG), the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and the Deutsche Bahn (DB), respectively.
Le Capitole was an express train between Paris and Toulouse in France. Introduced in 1960, it was operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF). It was also the SNCF’s first foray into high-speed commercial service above 160 km/h (99 mph).
The Étoile du Nord was an international express train. It linked Paris Nord in Paris, France, with Brussels, Belgium, and, for most of its existence, also with Amsterdam CS in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its name meant literally "Star of the North", and alluded not only to its route heading north from Paris, but also to one of its original operators, the Chemin de Fer du Nord.
The word Mediolanum has been used to name three distinct international express trains that have run to and from Milano Centrale in Milan, Italy since 1957. The focus of these trains on the city now known as Milan reflects the fact that Mediolanum is the Latin word for ancient Milan.
Kléber was an express train that linked Strasbourg and Paris, France, between 1971 and 1988. It was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE) operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF).
Stanislas was an express train that linked Paris and Strasbourg in France. Introduced in 1971, it was operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF).
The Diamant was an express train operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB), using different routes over the years. The name Diamant, Flemish for diamond, refers to the city of Antwerp, which is the European centre of diamond trade and has a diamond district. The initial service started in 1962 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).
The Étendard was an express train that linked Paris and Bordeaux in France. Introduced in 1968, it was operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF), and was initially a Rapide.
The Jules Verne was an express train that linked Paris and Nantes in France. Operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF), it was the last new Trans Europ Express (TEE) to be introduced, in 1980.
The Paris–Ruhr was an express train that linked Paris in France, with Dortmund in Germany. The train was named after its two termini, Paris in the west and the Ruhr district in the east. For most of its life, it was a Trans Europ Express (TEE).