ICE 3neo: Deutsche Bahn's speediest train makes first trip in Germany
The high-speed train took off for the first time with paying passengers on the Frankfurt-Cologne route.
The new express trains can reach a top speed of 320 kilometres per hour - up from the previous 300 km/hour - and will mainly travel on special “speedways”, initially between Dortmund, Cologne, Stuttgart and Munich.
Connections to Brussels and Amsterdam are set to follow in 2024. The trains will be featured on Deutsche Bahn’s new schedule set to come out on December 11th.
READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in December 2022
From the outside, the Siemens-built train looks nearly identical to the current ICE 3 model, but the main improvements can be seen from the inside, said DB in a statement.
Above all, the new trains boast better lighting, mobile radio-transparent windows and space for eight bicycles. In addition, a fast lifting platform has been built to make it easier for wheelchair users or people with disabilities to get on board.
Deutsche Bahn ordered a total of 73 ICE 3neo trains from manufacturer Siemens, four of which have already been delivered, it said.
The last train is to be delivered in 2029 at the latest, with the new line-up to cost Deutsche Bahn around €2.5 billion.
Trying to get up to speed
The trains are urgently needed, said DB passenger transport board member Michael Peterson. "Reliability is not good at Deutsche Bahn at the moment,” and will "remain the case for a certain period of time".
READ ALSO: 'A disaster': How did train travel in Germany get so bad?
The reason for this, he said, is that Deutsche Bahn is working at full speed to modernise its rail system, which has led to several delays, rerouted services and in some cases cancellations.
In addition to the ICE 3neo, a total of almost 140 somewhat slower ICE 4s are set to join the fleet.
According to Peterson, more than 450 ICE trains are set to join the network by the end of the decade - about 100 more than at present.
Vocabulary
maximum speed - (die) Höchstgeschwindigkeit
wheelchair user - (der) Rohlstuhlfahrer
equipped - ausgestattet
reliability - (die) Verlässlichkeit
We’re aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.
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The new express trains can reach a top speed of 320 kilometres per hour - up from the previous 300 km/hour - and will mainly travel on special “speedways”, initially between Dortmund, Cologne, Stuttgart and Munich.
Connections to Brussels and Amsterdam are set to follow in 2024. The trains will be featured on Deutsche Bahn’s new schedule set to come out on December 11th.
READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in December 2022
From the outside, the Siemens-built train looks nearly identical to the current ICE 3 model, but the main improvements can be seen from the inside, said DB in a statement.
Above all, the new trains boast better lighting, mobile radio-transparent windows and space for eight bicycles. In addition, a fast lifting platform has been built to make it easier for wheelchair users or people with disabilities to get on board.
Deutsche Bahn ordered a total of 73 ICE 3neo trains from manufacturer Siemens, four of which have already been delivered, it said.
The last train is to be delivered in 2029 at the latest, with the new line-up to cost Deutsche Bahn around €2.5 billion.
Trying to get up to speed
The trains are urgently needed, said DB passenger transport board member Michael Peterson. "Reliability is not good at Deutsche Bahn at the moment,” and will "remain the case for a certain period of time".
READ ALSO: 'A disaster': How did train travel in Germany get so bad?
The reason for this, he said, is that Deutsche Bahn is working at full speed to modernise its rail system, which has led to several delays, rerouted services and in some cases cancellations.
In addition to the ICE 3neo, a total of almost 140 somewhat slower ICE 4s are set to join the fleet.
According to Peterson, more than 450 ICE trains are set to join the network by the end of the decade - about 100 more than at present.
Vocabulary
maximum speed - (die) Höchstgeschwindigkeit
wheelchair user - (der) Rohlstuhlfahrer
equipped - ausgestattet
reliability - (die) Verlässlichkeit
We’re aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.
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