Berlin, May 17, (dpa/GNA) - German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is expanding its high-speed ICE fleet with a €2-billion ($2.1-billion) order for 73 new trains.
Of these trains, 56 will be the ICE L model from the Spanish manufacturer Talgo, Deutsche Bahn said on Wednesday. The ICE L trains will initially run the route between Berlin and Amsterdam at a maximum speed of 230 kilometres per hour.
The 17 other trains are the ICE 3neo. It manages 300 kilometres per hour and is already used for connections between major German cities like Berlin and Munich. The ICE 3neo is built by Siemens Mobility.
The state-owned group presented the Talgo-made model for the first time in September last year and initially ordered 23 trains that should be on the rails from October 2024.
The additional order of 56 ICE L trains is expected to start entering service for the first time from 2026 onwards and, according to Deutsche Bahn, should be fully delivered by 2030.
The average age of the ICE fleet is set to drop from 18 years at present to 12 years by 2030.
“DB will undergo a comprehensive rejuvenation in the coming years,” said long-distance transport director Michael Peterson. “Already this year we will receive an average of three new ICE trains per month.”
GNA