Another glitch for new Berlin-Munich ICE train

The first regular service of a new high-speed train line between Berlin and Munich launched Sunday with a few embarrassing technical problems.

One train traveling from Munich to Berlin was delayed in Nuremberg for around 20 minutes, and then needed to be diverted to a slower track.

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said the train was moved to an older track so as not to delay the high-speed train on the new track behind it.

The train arrived in Berlin in six hours, instead of the scheduled four-and-half hours.

Meanwhile, the first ICE train from Berlin to Munich arrived one minute early, Deutsche Bahn said.

The 623-kilometer high-speed stretch between the German capital and the country's third-largest city has been in the works for more than two decades at a cost of nearly €10 billion ($12 billion). 

The ICE train travels at up to 300 kilometers per hour (185 miles per hour) and cuts the time between the two German metropolises from six to four hours. Deutsche Bahn expects 3.6 million passengers to travel on the line each year.

Deutsche Bahn experienced an embarrassment on Friday during a test run of the new line carrying journalists and VIP guests. The Munich-bound train experienced several technical difficulties, eventually arriving after a six-hour trip.

cw/cmk (AP, dpa)