The TGV chugs along the same route. The <120 km/h section is relatively short, BTW, it is the Geislinger Steige climb between Stuttgart and Ulm, which was the world's first mountain railway in 1850 (though CSX's ex-B&O Mountain Subdivision from 1852 and Austria's Semmering railway from 1854 usually claim the title). The rest of the line is at least 160 km/h.

A high-speed line from Stuttgart to Ulm is long in planning, but as it is connected to the Stuttgart 21 project (the replacement of the current main station and access lines with an underground station and tunnels), the high-speed line is caught up in the S21 controversy. or Stuttgart 21, see the diaries Trainblogging: Stuttgart 21 - Part I and Part II by eopchepoque (and my comments therein) here on ET. Some update on the situation: after the massive protests and the public outcry after police violence, an old politician of the CDU who is also an altermondialist offered to be a mediator. After long talks, he said that the project should be completed but with significant changes, however, he said he doubts that the sides will accept a compromise, which was the case.

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}