On 14 September, Deutsche Bahn (DB) Chairman and CEO Dr Rüdiger Grube and German Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Alexander Dobrindt unveiled DB’s new ICE 4 intercity train.
“The ICE 4 represents the start of a new era, and will serve as the mainstay of DB’s future intercity services. Between now and 2030 we intend to expand intercity routes by 25 per cent, offering connections between ever more cities and regions. Our new flagship train will make a lasting contribution to the sustainability of DB Group”, said Dr Grube, who was accompanied by DB Management Board Member for Traffic and Transport Berthold Huber, DB Fernverkehr AG Management Board Chairwoman Birgit Bohle, and Siemens AG Management Board Member Dr Roland Busch.
Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said: “25 years ago, the ICE ushered in a new era of mobility and has since become an export success story. Now, with free Wi-Fi in all classes of travel, the ICE 4 represents the most up-to-date, customer-friendly high speed train on the market, and is another demonstration of railways’ ability to lead on innovation. The ICE 4 is a major step towards the ’digital railway’, and is a modern means of transport fit for the gigabit society.”
Birgit Bohle added that “The ICE 4 sets new standards as regards the passenger experience: ergonomic seats, plenty of space for luggage, a stylish dining area, and an innovative lighting concept together offer a high level of comfort. And for the first time on an ICE, passengers can travel with bicycles. The revamped family and nursery areas further facilitate travel for families.”
Dr Roland Busch commented that “The ICE 4 is the new benchmark for rail travel in Germany, and represents a distillation of our engineers’ talent and energy. The train offers a range of technical innovations: it has a totally new propulsion system, consumes markedly less energy, and offers improved passenger comfort. Not only that, we and Deutsche Bahn worked hard to ensure that it was delivered on time.”
The 12-car ICE 4 is 346 metres long and has a top speed of 250 kilometres per hour. It can seat up to 830, with 205 in first class and 625 in standard. Its low weight and optimised aerodynamic design reduce energy consumption per seat by 22 per cent compared to the ICE 1, whilst the innovative propulsion system and power cars enable flexible train formation.
DB has placed a firm order for 130 of the 300 trains foreseen by the framework contract concluded in May 2011. At around 5.3 billion Euros, the train represents DB’s biggest-ever investment in rolling stock.
(Source: Deutsche Bahn)
