European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 7, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ride the duly Tram it s free is photos by Lynda Sparks the rising Sun glimmers through the windows of the duty train As travellers begin to leave their berths. By Deedee Arrington Doke staff writer the Orient express it Ain t. It s often crowded. The snack Supply on Board could be described As limited. A traveler May end up sleeping in his or her clothes in a compartment with five companions who snore or insist that the window be kept shut in stifling 80-degree weather. Nor is this a trip one makes on the Spur of the moment not with All the paperwork required. But the Best travel Deal in Europe for those who hold military identification cards still May be the . Army duty train the two route rail transportation link Between West Berlin and West Germany. The Price is exactly right there s no charge for a ticket to ride on this overnight Jaunt whether travellers Are on official business or Are simply tourists in search of fun. There s a sense of adventure and mystery stirred by a trip on the duty train. Even in this age of soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev s glasnost policies a train ride through Barrier riddled East Germany is an unusual travel experience offering entree to a forbidden zone straight out of a spy thriller. Plus it s a Chance to ride a train that starred in a 1960s movie. Alternately known As Stop train 349 and incident at Marie born the Black and White movie featured late actor journalist Sean Flynn the son of Errol Flynn and dramatized what could happen if the soviets and East germans suspected that someone was on the train who should t be. Finally there Are the Crews friendlier than 99 percent of those serving Coffee Tea and magazines in the allegedly Friendly skies above. Some duty train aficionados won t travel any other Way. I think it s More educational for the children said Shirley o Neal of bad Wilbel a Mother of four who travels on the train with her family for occasional pleasure trips to West Berlin. They get More excited about Riding on the train. They just feel so restricted in a car the . Duty trains All of which offer sleeping accommodations run nightly 365 times a year. Two trains leave the divided City in the evening bound for Bremerhaven and Frankfurt West Berlin bound trains depart from those two cities at roughly the same times. All arrive at their destinations within an hour or so of 6a.m. For Security reasons neither the trains varying departure times nor the routes they will travel on a Given night Are announced ahead of time the . Trains nighttime Only travel to and from West Berlin is a Long standing practice according to capt. John r. Alvarado chief of the movements Branch that oversees duty train operation. When soviets gave us the Access route it was Given As a nighttime path Alvarado said. It s considered pretty much etched in  economically Alvarado added the nighttime travel is advantageous to the military in keeping hotel costs Down for travellers on temporary duty. Accommodations on the train Range from the Jam packed six to a compartment with berths stacked in threes to the just right number of two in a few vip suites joined to similar rooms by Semi private bathrooms. Those vip accommodations generally Are reserved for full colonels and above. They can be offered to other ranks based on their priority and who else is on the train that particular night Alvarado said but we really can t Promise anything unless they re o-6 or  while transportation officials do what they can to keep families and couples together on a trip separations occur when train loads warrant. Weekends for instance find passenger space in hot demand with average passenger loads of 250. Weeknight trips average about 150 passengers. Topping the priority list for accommodations on the train Are those carrying permanent change of station or temporary duty orders followed by passengers on emergency leave. Space available slots Are open first to Berlin assigned personnel and groups with reservations then to Berlin sponsored travellers and groups with reservations. Fifth on the priority list Are All other passengers with reservations. Would be travellers who show up at the train station without reservations take what s left. Once the paperwork s taken care on the night of continued on Page 6 4 stripes Magazine july 7, 1988