At least 444 seats and with a speed of up to 265 kilometers per hour: the ICE 4 is considered the “backbone of long-distance transport” by Deutsche Bahn. It has been in operation since 2017. A few weeks ago, the manufacturer Siemens Mobility delivered the last of the 137 trains ordered to the federal company. German Railways President Richard Lutz and Federal Transport Minister Volker Vissing (FDP) christened it “Spree” on Tuesday, March 19, in Berlin. “It marks the completion of the largest program to date for the modernization of Deutsche Bahn’s vehicle fleet,” the minister said at the event at Berlin’s main train station.

Experts confirm that the group is making good progress in expanding its long-haul fleet. With the delivery of the last ICE 4 ordered, Deutsche Bahn’s number of ICE trains has increased from approximately 270 to more than 400. By 2030, this number is expected to increase to more than 450 vehicles. The average age of long-distance trains is expected to decrease over the same period, from the current 18 to 12 years. Apart from ICE 4, the delivery of ICE 3 Neo, a new version of ICE 3, has started more than a year ago. 90 of these trains are expected to be in operation by 2028.

Vehicle delays

This means that German Railways is on the right track when it comes to fleet renewal, says Detlef Neuss, president of the Pro Bahn Passenger Association. “Whether it is enough will be seen later.” Greater reliability in long-distance transport also depends on how prone the newly added vehicles are.

The railway seems to have got the train problems under control now. “Vehicle malfunctions affecting accuracy have decreased by more than 40 percent compared to 2017,” the company said. Like its predecessors, the ICE 4 suffered from problems in the early years: uncomfortable seats, problems with WiFi, and in 2019 the railway stopped deliveries for months due to faulty welds. Trains that were supposed to make traffic more reliable were now causing delays.

But the train is now an “anchor of stability in daily rail traffic in Germany,” long-distance transport director Michael Petersen said on Tuesday (March 19th) in Berlin. “Passenger feedback on the ICE 4 is the best of all the series we have on Deutsche Bahn.”

But the increase in vehicles did not change the main problem of the German Railways, namely the high level of inconsistency. On the contrary: since ICE 4 came into operation in 2017, consistency in long-distance transport has deteriorated significantly. However, this is not because of the trains. “80 percent of delays last year were due to infrastructure disruptions,” says Passengers Union president Neuss. “Railways, signals not working, that’s actually the main reason for the delays at DB AG.”

General renewal of the infrastructure

German Railways wants to tackle the issue in the coming years with a general renewal of the infrastructure. 40 busy routes are to be radically modernized and upgraded by 2030. This initially means additional restrictions for passengers, as routes will not run for several months during the works.

German Railways estimates that the financial requirements for the network will be 45 billion euros by 2027. Federal Transport Minister Vissing had promised around 40 billion euros, but with budget cuts last year, these plans are no longer considered secure.

If there is less money, Deutsche Bahn will have to make significant cuts in infrastructure renewal. Delays would remain high. “We are in ongoing discussions with our owner, the federal government, which is clearly committed to the railroads,” the company said recently. Despite the economic uncertainty, however, the continued growth of the fleet is not in doubt.

Source: DW