German railways have unveiled a new generation of high-speed trains that will cut down travel time between Frankfurt and Cologne by one hour.

The head of state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn, Hartmut Mehdorn, said the service's debut on the line on 1 August would mark the opening of a "new era" for the company with the fastest rail travel ever available in Germany.

Mrs Schroeder-Koepf, wife of the German Chancellor. takes a look around

Trains on the line will travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).

They will also shorten by one hour the travel time between Frankfurt, the German business capital and seat of the European Central Bank, and Brussels, home of the European Commission.

"This is a real alternative to cars and planes," Mr Mehdorn told reporters.

The new track will allow travellers on the InterCity Express (ICE) high-speed trains to travel between the two western cities in just 76 minutes.

It cost around 6bn euros and took six years to complete, far exceeding original estimates.

Transport Minister Kurt Bodewig and 700 invited guests were the first to test the service on Thursday.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was to meet them at the station in Cologne.