GERMANY: DB and manufacturer Talgo ceremonially launched the ICE L inter-city trainset at Berlin Ostbahnhof on October 17. The fleet’s entry into revenue service is due with the December timetable change.
The unveiling was attended by Evelyn Palla, CEO of DB AG; Michael Peterson, DB Board Member for Long-Distance Passenger Transport; Patrick Schnieder, Federal Minister of Transport; and Carlos de Palacio y Oriol, Executive Chairman of Talgo.
A framework contract was signed between Talgo and DB in February 2019 for up to 100 Talgo 230 trainsets. Each push-pull set was planned to be formed of a Talgo electric locomotive, a driving trailer car and a rake of hauled coaches using Talgo’s patented articulation system.
The trains are branded by Talgo as ECx, but were rebranded to ICE L in 2021, ‘L’ referring to the low floor accessibility of the coaches.
The contract initially included a firm order for 23 trainsets, and the first was expected to enter traffic in 2023. DB confirmed an option for a further 56 trainsets in May 2023, bringing the order to 79 trains with a total value of €1∙4bn.
According to Spanish media reports, negotiations have been held between the parties to reduce the number of trains to be supplied from 79 to 60 because of production delays.
High speed, low floor
DB says the 230 km/h trainsets are ‘the first high speed trains with stepless entry in Germany’.
The ICE L will be the first to align with the ‘charter for satisfied customers on rails’ standards being implemented by DB and the government. The standard 17-car formation will be 236 m long and have capacity for 562 seated passengers.
They feature windows designed to mitigate mobile signal attenuation, an interior design with new colours and materials and various enhancements to seats and lighting compared to current DB inter-city trains.
The seat design has been developed based on trials involving 1 600 participants, leading to improvements in comfort and ergonomics. All seats have power outlets, and airline seats have folding tables and tablet holders. Reservation displays with coloured LED lights provide at-a-glance information about seat availability. There are 46 seats in dedicated family areas, the largest family area in the ICE fleet, according to DB. In addition, there are nine seats in a toddler compartment.
In accessibility terms, the ICE L offers step-free entry, a wider door, and electrically height-adjustable tables at the wheelchair spaces.
The floor height of the trailers is 760 mm above top of rail, and the only raised area in the saloons is over the conventional bogies in the end vehicles of each set. This design is expected to deliver level boarding, as the standard platform height in Germany is also 760 mm.
Welcoming the arrival of the fleet, newly appointed DB Chief Executive Evelyn Palla said, ‘we want to inspire people with our trains. With the new ICE L, we are clearly committed to greater comfort and reliability for our passengers. Every new train contributes to stable operations. That’s why we have consistently modernised our fleet in recent years and acquired many new high-speed trains.’
‘Today a new chapter begins in our relationship with DB’, added Oriol. ‘I can assure you that we will prioritise all our energy and resources to be a close, efficient, loyal and reliable partner. All of this to ensure that the operation of the ICE L trains built by Talgo is a success in the immediate future. These are low-floor trains that allow step-free access along the entire length of the train. This cleverly meets the new requirements for sustainable mobility.’
DB Fernverkehr previously operated a fleet of Talgo overnight trains between 1994 and 2009.
