August 31, 1993
As part of its national tour, the German ICE train stopped at Phoenix, Tempe, and Tucson. While the ICE train itself is designed for electrified corridors, its amenities are typical of today's new generation of trains.
From the September 1993 ARPA TIMETABLE:
Well, with the conclusion of the ICE Train display, ARPA is definitely "on the move." We have another event "under our belt" and the media and legislators are now paying attention when we speak.
The attendance and media coverage of the display speaks for itself.
Close to 200 invitees had breakfast and toured the trainset; and seventeen separate spots of news coverage really made a splash. Of course, if you have a gorgeous trainset to show off, it's not tremendously difficult to spark people's curiosity. "Could Phoenix really have a train like this?" "Can it really be rolling by Superbowl '96?" Yes, yes, yes.
As a rider to El Paso, I was impressed. This train had everything from comfort to beauty to utility to entertainment to great food to speed; it was all there. Lots of heads were turning along the way to El Paso as this "futuristic" looking trainset zipped by.
On board I watched a movie on the LCD TV screen installed in the seatbacks, and visited with friends in comfortable seats. If I had work to do, there were work tables available, along with a conference room, fax, phones, and travel center computer.
Although the beautiful dining car was not serving during this leg of the tour, the bistro car was open and serving great food. After dinner, as the scenery rolled by, I was disappointed to find that we were nearing El Paso, and the ride would soon end... I was ready for Orlando aboard this beautiful trainset.
With seventeen media reports -- radio, TV, and newspaper -- the ICE train was exceptionally well covered throughout Arizona. The ICE trainset was powered by F69PH's 450 and 451, formerly of Amtrak service. Most of the pictures I saw of the trainset seemed to be of the F69PH's which were at the "front" of the train, and not of an ICE power unit, which could be seen from the "back." Like the Turboliner trains, the ICE looks the same coming and going.
I spoke with one of the German crew; he noted that there is a basic difference between the Swedish X-2000 trainset and the ICE: The X-2000 tilts to increase speed through turns, while the ICE is designed for high-speed running on straighter track. The track between Washington and New York would thus favor the ICE technology, while New York to Boston (especially from New Haven northward) would gain the most from the X2000.
Regarding use of the existing ICE network, I inquired about the possibility of running through trains from London to German cities via the "Chunnel." He noted that in addition to the TGV - ICE rivalry, the French railway system uses a different catenary voltage. Thus the engines would need some sort of dual-voltage system. Apparently, however, through trains are being studied as part of an all-encompassing European high-speed train system.