traffic
Expansion of the ICE fleet: DB orders 43 more trains
Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn, at the presentation of the ICE 3neo in Berlin. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Deutsche Bahn has ordered more than 40 additional ICE 3 trains from train builder Siemens. Above all, they should bring improvements in comfort for the passengers.
Deutsche Bahn is expanding its long-distance fleet and has ordered 43 ICE trains from Siemens for 1.5 billion euros.
“More rail is the key to many things that we as a society have set ourselves: to achieve our climate goals, to enable modern mobility and to keep our country connected everywhere,” said rail boss Richard Lutz at the presentation of the new ICE 3 Neo train type on Tuesday in Berlin.
First assignments between NRW and Munich
With the order, the group will expand its ICE 3 inventory. As early as July 2020, Deutsche Bahn ordered 30 trains of the new type for one billion euros from the Munich technology group Siemens. The first of the 73 vehicles that have now been ordered should be on the road from the end of the year – initially between North Rhine-Westphalia and Munich. The last ICE 3 Neo is to be delivered by 2029.
“These trains provide 32,000 additional seats,” emphasized Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing with regard to the seating capacity in long-distance traffic. With the new models, the railway follows on from the older ICE 3 series, which runs on the Velaro platform from Siemens and has been on the road in Germany for many years. The ICE 3 achieves top speeds of 320 kilometers per hour on the planned routes, while the ICE 4 reaches up to 265 kilometers per hour.
The new models should bring some improvements for the passengers: Frequency-permeable panes should significantly improve mobile phone reception. A lift will make it easier for wheelchair users to get in and out. The trains will also be equipped with eight bicycle parking spaces and redesigned luggage racks with more storage space.
Need for expansion of rails
The trains are built in the Siemens factory in Krefeld. Deliveries come from Nuremberg and Austria, among others. According to Siemens boss Roland Busch, the ICE 3 Neo will mean thousands of jobs in Germany. “At Siemens there are around 1,500 colleagues. Additional jobs come from around 230 suppliers, mostly from Germany.»
In order for the new train to be able to extend its speed, however, the infrastructure must be upgraded. There is a need for expansion, especially on the east-west corridor, said Lutz. The CEO referred to the planned expansion of the high-speed routes between Hanover and Bielefeld and Hanover and Berlin.
Mobility also in rural areas
The ICE 4 remains an important part of the long-distance transport fleet, he emphasized. The latest series has been in regular operation since 2017. Deutsche Bahn has ordered a total of 137 trains from Siemens, which should be delivered by 2024.
“Due to our settlement structure, it’s right not to rely exclusively on high-speed routes and the connection of very few megacities in Germany,” said Lutz. A maximum speed of 320 kilometers per hour is not required everywhere for the mobility of people in more rural regions and in larger areas.
According to the railway boss, there are already considerations regarding an even newer type of train. “That will then be the train that will be integrated into the fleet in the late 20s and early 30s.”