BERLIN'S NEW MAIN RAILWAY STATION, A DAZZLING CONSTRUCTION OF STEEL AND GLASS, WAS INAUGURATED ON FRIDAY IN A PARTY-LIKE CEREMONY ATTENDED BY CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, DPA REPORTED. THE NEW "HAUPTBAHNHOF," CLOSE TO THE CHANCELLERY BUILDING AND WITHIN SIGHT OF THE REICHSTAG'S GLASS CUPOLA, LOOKS CERTAIN TO PROVE A MAGNET FOR TOURISTS VISITING THE CAPITAL FOR THE WORLD CUP STARTING NEXT MONTH. OPERATOR DEUTSCHE BAHN (GERMAN RAILWAYS) PREDICTS AS MANY AS 300,000 PASSENGERS A DAY WILL USE THE STATION, WITH 1,500 LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRAINS ARRIVING AND DEPARTING DAILY. TWO GREAT EUROPEAN RAIL ROUTES - FROM PARIS TO MOSCOW, AND STOCKHOLM TO VIENNA - CROSS AT THE NEW TRANSPORT HUB, WHICH TOOK ALMOST EIGHT YEARS TO BUILD AT A COST OF 700 MILLION EUROS (885 MILLION DOLLARS). THE BUILDING ECLIPSES ALL THE OTHER BERLIN STATIONS, WITH ITS CATHEDRAL-LIKE ROOF OF GLASS AND SOLAR PANELS, 400-METRE-LONG GLASS CONCOURSE, 59 ESCALATORS AND 37 LIFTS. THE NORTH-SOUTH LINE RUNNING UNDERNEATH IT PASSES THROUGH A TUNNEL 3.6 KILOMETRES LONG, WHILE A 2.4-KILOMETRE ROAD TUNNEL TAKES CARS DIRECTLY INTO THE BUILDING'S UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT. THERE IS ALSO A SHOPPING CENTRE WITH 80 DIFFERENT STORES AND RESTAURANTS ON THREE OF THE FIVE LEVELS. THE NEW LANDMARK LIES IN WHAT USED TO BE THE BORDER ZONE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST BERLIN. DEUTSCHE BAHN CEO HARTMUT MEHDORN SAID IT SYMBOLIZED THAT GERMANY HAD FINALLY OVERCOME ITS LONG PARTITION. MEHDORN ALSO PRAISED HANY AZER, A NATIVE OF EGYPT WHO WAS THE PROJECT'S CHIEF ENGINEER. AFTER THE INAUGURATION SPEECHES MERKEL, MEHDORN AND TRANSPORT MINISTER WOLFGANG TIEFENSEE SYMBOLICALLY PRESSED A BUTTON TO OPEN THE NEW STATION. --MORE
