Status: 11/15/2022 1:29 p.m
At the beginning of the 2030s there should be a new ICE generation: at least 300 kilometers per hour, with 950 seats each. Deutsche Bahn has now commissioned Siemens and Alstom to develop concepts.
Deutsche Bahn has Siemens and Alstom vying for a concept for the next generation of their ICE high-speed trains. The two train manufacturers should initially create drafts of what the new vehicle could look like and what it could do, independently and in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn experts, the network operator said.
In a further tender, the specific development, construction and approval of the new trains will probably be awarded from the second half of 2023. This tender should be “open to other manufacturers,” according to the railway.
Up to 400 meters long, 950 seats
It is planned that the new ICE generation will be used from the early 2030s. The new vehicles are intended to replace older ICE 3 trains and expand the express train fleet, also with a view to the rapidly growing number of passengers. “The DB relies on single-deck trains with a maximum length of 400 meters and a speed of at least 300 km/h with around 950 seats,” it said.
The previous fleets were each built under the leadership of Siemens, but the French Alstom was also involved in the construction to a varying extent. “This gives us the opportunity to continue our long-standing partnership with Deutsche Bahn,” said Albrecht Neumann, who is responsible for rail vehicles at Siemens’ train division.
“New standards also in energy efficiency”
But Alstom is also optimistic: “In Germany we have enormous development expertise, also and especially in the high-speed sector, and we know the German market very well,” said Germany boss Müslüm Yakisan.
He had brought up double-decker trains for the next ICE generation, which Alstom has in its range, but not Siemens. However, the railway continues to rely on single-deck trains. But that is not a disadvantage for Alstom, said a spokesman. The trains should “set new standards in terms of energy efficiency and technical availability,” said Deutsche Bahn.