European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday. January 14, 198s the stars and stripes Page 17 British duty train linking East and West the Berliner hat been making its daily 135-mile Tun Between  and Berlin for More than 40 years. By Clive Freeman National geographic every Dav of the year with the exception of Christmas through cold War and detente a six Carriage British military train rumbles out of a West Berlin station on its daily run through East Germany the last remaining British military train still in regular service in the world it continues to operate even though on some Days Only a handful of passengers Are on Board. But this is a service unlikely Over to be threatened by closure Allied duty trains play much too important a political role Ever to get axed ensuring the rights of the Western allies Britain. France and the untied states to maintain a military rail link with Berlin the isolated Western outpost. The americans operate an overnight train to Frankfurt while the French run one to Strasbourg. The Berliner As the British train is popularly known has been making its daily 135-mile round trip journey to Braunschweig in West Germany and Back for More than -40 years. Only once Olnee aug. 2,1945. Has there been a serious breach in the service. That came during the Berlin blockade of 1948-49, when the russians sought to drive the Western allies out of the City and starve the berliners into submission the attempt tailed thanks to the Airlift Ever since the Bert Werhas been doing its Job of keeping open one of the Allied Access routes through East Germany holding automatic rifles and dressed in combat fatigues six Stern soldiers keep Vigil on Berlin s Charlottenburg station Al 7 30 each morning. Before allowing British servicemen and their wives and children to climb on the train they make a thorough search Lor bombs and Check the station platforms. Fifteen minutes before departure another precaution is taken army guards slam the doors shut and Chain them from the inside. We Don t take any chances says Peter Bates the Burly outgoing warrant officer responsible Tor the smooth management of the train Down to ensuring that the teacups Are not chipped in the sparkling Wood panelled Royal corps of transport dining car. In to i Germany where tens of thousands of Young people yearn to reach the West just one uninvited passenger would spark an East West Row and a direct confrontation with soviet officers. They keep a close watch on the train and scrutinize passenger lists when they make a 15-Mlnute Stop at Marl Enborn close to he West German Border. Besides the usual armed guard the train also carries a regular East German railway reach Spahn guard one o a team of live who do duty on the train and an East German Engineer. The East German guard travels in my Crew compartment says Bates and he is allowed to take a cup of co fee in the dining car. But he cannot go any farther Down the train without being escorted by one of my armed  the ea1 Carman guard wears the distinctive reach Spahn Black uniform with red shoulder tabs. He boards the train when it halts at Potsdam just outside Berlin and leaves it at Helmstedt the West German Border station. We Call him the Eastie Beattie " jokes Bates but he s really quite Nice. In fact he s the Only East German i know who travels every Day 1o the West without  As the train accelerates on leaving West Berlin passengers View the formidable fortifications and Walch Lowers As they enter the corridor at Grieb Nitzske. The Pink menu card in the dining car offers an old style English breakfast consisting of tried eggs and Bacon sausage baked Beans end tomatoes with a pot of Tea of course. Meanwhile the train Heads through the open Countryside and Woods. A soviet artillery Camp can be seen through the Trees at warder on the Havel River. A red army tank repair workshop hashes by farther on near the Elbe is a soviet engineers Barrack. Camouflaged military a shiites tanks and armoured personnel carriers Are hoisted like stage props onto freight trains at sidings. Some 330,000 soviet troops Are based in East Germany. They can hardly conceal their presence says maj. David Wood the train s commanding officer who wears the smart uniform of the Royal Irish rangers in fact i think we would be More concerned if we did t see them  the Irwin rarely Asti stopped on ils Dally run but on one memorable occasion it did happen. The commanding officer promptly Learned that soviet troops were responsible. When he stepped off the train to investigate he found himself surrounded by a dozen grim faced soviet officers. It was August 1960, and the red army was in route to Czechoslovakia to put Down Alexander Dubcek s dreams of socialism with a human  on this one of the world s More unusual train rides passengers Are charged no Tares. The Only Money needed is 5 Marks about $2 per person for the food provided one Way. On most Days from 40 to 60 passengers make the four and a half hour journey. Passengers Are wined and dined in style. On a recent return trip they were politely beckoned to take Tea and biscuits followed an hour later by the Call for dinner which included roast Lamb and mint sauce Rispole potatoes and Brussels spouts served with Berliner Claret or riesling. Just in Case anything untoward should happen on the trip the train carries enough rations to keep passengers and Crew fed Lor three Days. A russian speaking army interpreter is always on the train. His Job is to translate for the British and soviet officials during the inspection of documents at Marie born. We always Deal with the russians never with the East germans says warrant officer Roger Gibby the Welsh born interpreter. Sometimes when the Lorma lilies Are Over the Soviel officer will begin chatting about the weather his family or an item of sports news but we steer Clear of politics for obvious  when a soviet officer is Aboul to return Home at the end of his Lour of duly in East Germany he May ask his British counterpart ii he would like to Swap Caps or military insignia. The russians Are very  says warrant Olicer Bates. But it s Friendship with formality. Obviously you have to be careful of what you say for Security reasons. The soviets Are meticulous in their scrutiny of the train s documents. Ii the papers Are not 1qo percent Correct they can come Bach and delay the  curiously one of the More popular souvenir requests made by soviet officers is for mail order Cata logs. The reason is they present them to their wives who copy the patterns so they can make themselves look a Little bit More modern says Bates. British diplomats say that the train serves As an effective test of Soviel and East German willingness to respect the status quo. Any disruption they say. Would cause alarm Bells to ring in London Paris and Washington. Americans can Book Lor the British duly train by calling Berlin 030-819 6957. Route of the Berliner