EMERGENCY MEASURES TO MEET SHORTAGES OF TIES FOR THE REICHSBAHN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005800130009-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 16, 2008
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: January 25, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/06/16: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005800130009-8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
East Germany
This material contains information affecting the
National Defense of the United States within the
meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C.
Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revel-
ation of which in any manner to an unauthorized
person Is prohibited by law.
REPORT
Emergency Measures to Most Shortages DATE DISTR. 25 January 1955
of Ties for the Reichsbahn
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
3?
1. Because of the failure of Rumania to deliver even 4 tenth part of the
1,300,000 wooden railway ties which were scheduled for delivery in 1954
according to the trade agreement reached between East Germany and Ru-
mania, the Reichsbahn has allocated funds to build a plant near Ned- 25X1
letz, Mecklenburg, to produce reinforced-concrete railway ties. This
is a move of desperation on the part of the EHst German Ministry of
Transport, since the difference in cost between wooden and concrete
ties will amount to 70 DUE per tie. The wooden ties imported from
Rumania and those produced by East Germany cost an average of 18 DYE
each, while the concrete ties will be produced at a cost of 88 DYE each.
Whereas wooden railway ties weigh an average of 90 kilograms each, the
new concrete ties will each have a weight of approximately 250 kilograms.
What the technical complications arising from the increased weight on
the roadbeds will be is not knowne
2. It is contemplated that the new plant for the production of these rein-
forced concrete railway ties will have an annual capacity of 250,000
ties per year. At this rate of production, the requirements of the 1954
Reiohsbahn Plan will not be filled until 1959, since deliveries of the
wooden ties promised by Rumania for 1954 have actually amounted to less
than 100,000 ties.
Only railway lines running East and "Nest are !iavinf- trar.'1 repairs made
on them in East Germany. Princip s11~ aff cted are t'.e lines Frankfurt
Oder - Berlin - Belzig and Guesten - These two 25X1
lines. have been put into top-notch operating condition, but are still
operating under a speed limitation of 120 kilometers per hour. The
roadbed on the stretch is in the best condition of any 25X1
in East Germany, but express trains are not permitted to operate on it
since it is reserved for Soviet traffic and is called the "Kanonenbahn".
This appellation was first used in Wolcld War I, when the line was con-
structed fair direct and rapid shipment of ammunition to the West.
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Approved For Release 2008/06/16: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005800130009-8
 Approved For Release 2008/06/16: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005800130009-8
Approved For Release 2008/06/16: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005800130009-8