Expanding the Flagship Fleet: Deutsche Bahn Orders Additional ICE 4 Trains
New trains for growing number of long-distance passengers: Deutsche Bahn is expanding its fleet and has ordered an additional eighteen 7-car ICE 4 trainsets and 50 more power cars from Siemens Mobility. With these new power cars, 50 ICE 4 trainsets, previously ordered in a 12-car configuration, can be extended to 13 cars. This flexible configuration is made possible by the train’s innovative traction drive technology and its completely new train control system. Delivery of the ordered 7-car trainsets is expected to begin in the summer of 2023. Delivery of the 13-car trainsets will begin after delivery of the 50 12-car trains is completed in 2021. The order has a total value of around €610 million ($702.77 million). Bombardier Transportation will supply approximately one-third of the order.
“The ICE 4 is our absolute pride and joy. This new order shows that the power car principle we developed – a complete novelty in high-speed transport – offers Deutsche Bahn exactly the flexibility it needs to quickly respond to changing transport requirements. We can thus guarantee DB sustainable value development over the train’s entire lifecycle,” said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility.
The ICE 4 was designed as a trainset with the greatest possible adaptability. Twenty-four different trainset configurations can be ordered on the basis of five car types. The prerequisite for this freely configurable design is the power car that has all key traction components and traction power units located beneath the floor. The trainsets can be configured with power cars, a service car, middle cars and two end cars, as well as a restaurant car. A 12-car ICE 4 is driven by six power cars and a 13-car train by seven power cars, and can reach a top speed of 250 km/h. The option of increasing the top speed from 250 to 265 km/h is being considered. This design concept enables DB to flexibly adapt its trains to meet varying needs for passenger capacity and route topography.
All in all, DB will now be receiving 1,511 cars with which it can configure 50 12-car, 50 13-car and 37 7‑car trainsets. DB will keep the remaining two end cars in reserve. The ICE 4 train extended by one car has a length of around 374 meters and a total of 918 seats, 88 seats more than in the 12-car version. In the extended configuration, there are 205 seats in first class, 713 in second class and 22 in the restaurant car. The 12-car and 13-car trainsets will be operated in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The shorter 7-car trains are planned for use in Germany and Austria.