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DB 406 007 ICE 15 (Brussel Zuid-Köln Hbf) Aachen Hbf, 21-12-2010. Delay: 127 minutes. © Eddy Konijnendijk.

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DB 406 003 ICE 15 (Brussel Zuid-Frankfurt/Main Hbf) Aachen Hbf, 12-12-2012. © Eddy Konijnendijk.

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406 504-1 heads ICE 14 (Frankfurt-Bruxelles), arriving at Aachen Hbf on 11 June 2003. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

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406 513-2 heads ICE 14 (Frankfurt-Bruxelles) passing Aachen Rothe Erde on 13 February 2003. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

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A multiple system ICE 3 (class 406) approaches the new Buschtunnel in the south of Aachen (on Aachen-Liège) as ICE 14 (Frankfurt-Bruxelles) on 16 June 2008. As it is running under 3 kV DC, the pantographs on the third and the sixth car are raised. Note that the signal that the train is about to pass is equipped both with a crocodile of the Belgian train protection system and with the German Indusi. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz (christoph.schmitz2@post.rwth-aachen.de)

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Multiple system ICE 3 trainset "Montabaur" (class 406) passes Aachen Rothe Erde as ICE 14 (Frankfurt-Bruxelles) on 14 February 2003. Note that the distant signal shows Vr2 (expect slow), I guess the train had to run around DFG 46316 (which passed short before) between Rothe Erde and Aachen Hbf. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

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ICE trainset 4601 pauses at Aachen Hbf between test runs on the LGV 3 (new high-speed line between Aachen and Liège) on 9 March 2009. Photo by Christoph Schmitz (christoph.schmitz2@post.rwth-aachen.de)

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ICE 10 International for Brussels Midi at Aachen HBf at November 10 2004 Photo by Boris Boulanger

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Aachen Hbf ICE3 ICE10 Frankfurt(Main)Hbf - Bruxelles Midi 2004.06.16, 19h51 Photo by Rafal Tomasik, www page : http://www.tgv.w.pl

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The Buschtunnel in the south of Aachen (located on the line Aachen-Liège, which is part of the line Cologne-Bruxelles) seen from the western side on 23 November 2007. The old tube on the left is currently the oldest operational railway tunnel in Germany, it was built between 1838 and 1843. The new tube on the right was excavated during the last two years. The old tube used to be double-tracked, but after several renovations (with additional layers of brickwork applied several times) it is very short of space for that. So the new tube, which seems to be about the same size, is single-tracked with enough space to meet current safety requirements. Later the old tube might be renovated to become a second single-tracked tube, but the funding for this is not yet assured, so the line will probably be single-tracked here for a while. At present the traffic is low enough to allow this, due to the construction works this section of the line is already single-tracked anyway. In the picture the inaugural train, formed by a class 406 EMU, is about to enter the new tube. In the course of the startup of a new electronic signalbox at Aachen, the new tube will be taken into service on the following weekend, too. So there was no need to equip the new track with old signals or the old tracks with new signals. Near the tunnel a second track branches off (visible next to the old distant signal), it will be continued later when the old tracks are removed. So for some time the line will remain single-tracked up to the Hammerbrücke on the Belgian side, where a junction is present. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz (christoph.schmitz2@post.rwth-aachen.de)

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An ICE3 bound for Bruxelles is seen here at Aachen Hbf on the 23rd April 2003. Photo from James & Martin's Picture Collection Copyright 'Jampics' m.hawkes7@ntlworld.com

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While 1602 waits at Aachen Hbf with D 411 (Oostende-Cologne) on 9 December 2002, it meets it's successor, a multiple system ICE 3 (class 406), which is about to depart for a test run in Belgium as E 16014. Three ICE's per day and direction between Frankfurt and Bruxelles will replace the loco-hauled trains to Oostende from 15 December on. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz