To Sylt on the “GDR ICE”

All aboard, please! With plenty of charm and a touch of GDR nostalgia, we set off on Friday for a short trip from Dresden via Hamburg to Sylt—and back again. The passengers rode in a restored train officially named the SVT Görlitz. It was the Deutsche Reichsbahn’s prestigious international train in the GDR. SVT stands for “Schnellverkehrstriebwagen” (high-speed railcar).

With a loud whistle, the train pulled out of Dresden at 8:22 a.m.—accompanied by the sparkling eyes of onlookers on the platform. After a stop in Hamburg, the historic train finally reached its destination around 12:32 p.m. There, passengers were able to explore the island of Sylt and get a taste of the northern air before it was time to head home again at 2:59 p.m. 

An ambitious project by rail enthusiasts

The former flagship vehicle for international long-distance travel dates back to 1968 and underwent extensive restoration work for more than five years. The cost of the project was reported to be approximately seven million euros. Behind the project are railroad enthusiasts who have joined forces in the non-profit limited liability company (GmbH) SVT Görlitz, founded in 2019, as Mario Lieb of the company reports. The train was built at Waggonbau Görlitz—with a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour.

The train is scheduled to make regular special trips. Under the slogan “Welcome aboard—where history picks up speed!”, it will travel to various locations across Germany this winter. The next trip is planned for mid-November, with a journey from Dresden to Usedom.