Train to Berlin

It's funny how sometimes things just work out, and my train trip Berlin did just that. So, being the el-cheap-o I am, I mean, frugal traveller, I had purchased a 29 Euro Train ticket to Berlin, it was quite cheap, thus, avoided the ICE trains (inter-city express trains); it was also cheap because it arrived in Berlin at 23:59 (and took 9 1/2 hrs). Still, not too bad to save 30 or 40 Euros.
But then my train was 5 minutes late to arrive in Koblenz.... this stressed me. I knew I had 11 minutes to make my transfer in Frankfurt, 5 minutes late meant only 6 minutes to make the transfer. Then we were set back another 15 minutes. At this point I am thinking, well I'm just missing my train, and I'm ALREADY arriving at 23:59, how is this going to work. My worried mind, filled with thoughts of not getting to Berlin this evening.
But then, arriving in Frankfurt, I also discovered that TONS of trains had been delayed, and apparently our 20 minute delay was a minor inconvenience, there were trains going to Interlaken and Paris and Amsterdam that were 40 minute + late.
So basically, looking at the long line-up at the info desk I had small hopes for catching a train anytime soon. Well the line-up moved fast, and the guy was super nice, and wrote the loveliest words possible on my ticket "valid on all ICE" and then gave it the DB stamp. My 3 trains and 8 hours swiftly turned into a single 4 hr 20 minute highspeed train, bringing me to arrive in Berlin Hbf just after 9 o'clock.