ICE - InterCity Express High-Speed Rail Network, Germany

Current and Historic News Trends

Roger Bazeley, M.S.T.M.; M.S.I.D.; C.T.S.M., MTI 296F - HSR Management

ICE – The Network & Services

ICE – The System Ownership Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) Date Opened 1992 Maximum Line Speed 280km/h Gauge 1,435mm Voltage 15kV Current ac overhead Fleet Total 154 units

Although Deutsche Bundesbahn raised speeds and passenger standards with Class 103 hauled InterCity services from 1971, even with extensive track upgrading, 200km/h (124mph) would be the ceiling for reducing journey times. Domestic airline competition and high-speed developments in Japan and France encouraged an assessment of long-term strategy for rail travel in Germany.

ICE – Infrastructure - Lines

"ICE rolling stock has extended operations to other EC countries and has been modified for export."

All lines are 1,435mm (4ft 8½in) gauge and electrified at 15kV ac 16.7Hz. NBS line speeds vary, some 250km/h (155mph) with 280km/h (174mph) allowed for later running. Later lines are passed for service speeds of 300km/hour (186mph). The lines have hosted world rail speed records, including that of the ICE-V in 1988 and a Siemens production OBB Class 1216 locomotive in September 2006.

Dedicated rescue trains are stationed to deal with NBS incidents. Environmental considerations have affected the routing, construction and construction times of the lines. To concentrate adverse visual and noise aspects into already affected areas, NBS frequently accompany alignments of autobahns.

ICE – Lines, Reference: Railway-Technology.com Hanover-Würzburg: 327km (203 miles), the first and longest NBS. With

the later NürnbergMünchen upgrades, this creates a largely high speed route for Hamburg-München services.

Stuttgart-Mannheim: 100km (62 miles). Mannheim’s approaches and a terminus layout at Stuttgart restrict acceleration of end-to-end timings for through services.

Hanover-Berlin: 185km (115 miles) of new build, via Wolfsburg rather than the 'classic' route through Magdeburg. A symbolic piece of engineering following Berlin's restoration as national capital, this and the earlier Hanover-Würzburg NBS enabled accelerated services to the south, albeit at much greater route length.

Köln (Cologne)-Frankfurt am Main: 177km (110 miles). Severe gradients assume ICE3 capability or better. Shorter than the sinuous Rhine route via Koblenz that it partly replaces, this NBS also links Köln/Bonn and Frankfurt Main's airports. Some services have code shares with airlines offering through flight connections. The new Köln/Bonn Airport link and station was part of the overall project but is not on a high-speed section.

Nürnberg-Ingolstadt: 89km (55 miles). Almost entirely built with slab track, this is a shorter route than existing lines and offers reduced timings in conjunction with the 200km/h upgrade of Ingolstadt-München. From December 2006 the line featured the first Regional Express services (operated by DB Regio) operating at up to 200km/h. Using Class 101 former IC coaches, it cuts 48 minutes off the previous fastest Nürnberg-München RE timings.

ICE – Lines, Newer Lines & Expansions DB launched new direct services from Thuringia/ Saxony to Frankfurt Airport

and to Mainz/ Wiesbaden; from Bonn/ Koblenz to Stuttgart and from Karlsruhe/ Stuttgart to Dresden.

The extension of the Dresden-Leipzig-Frankfurt ICE line to Wiesbaden via Frankfurt Airport and Mainz is underway. Direct services to Frankfurt Airport from various German regions and additional IC services are also in the pipeline.

Zublin International carried out the construction of several sections of the New ICE railway line Cologne-Rhine/Main. Zublin's contract included redevelopment of the German motorway interchange and construction of two ICE railway tunnels crossing underneath the site.

The two ICE tunnels, 1,900m and 1,640m long, accommodate up to four tracks

each. These tunnels were dug using open-cut tunnelling, cut-and-cover construction and mining techniques. The project also includes two bridges 420m and 750m long and installation of non-ballasted track.

ICE – Lines, Newer Lines & Expansions

“Auf Wiedersehen jet”: London to Frankfurt by train

After Paris and Brussels, direct high-speed rail service to Germany expected to run from 2013

"DB is committed to introducing high speed passenger rail services between London and Germany, enhancing connectivity between these two countries. "Work has already commenced with safety, infrastructure and regulatory bodies across Europe in order to meet all the requirements necessary to operate these trains.” *(New EU rules allow anyone (ICE) with relevant licenses to operate an international train service within the EU.)

Dan Milmo, transport correspondent guardian.co.uk, Sunday 19 September 2010 22.46 BST

ICE – Lines, Newer Lines & Expansions

Auf Wiedersehen jet: London to Frankfurt by train

For decades, three hours has been seen as the magic number, the journey time at which train travel becomes faster than flying on a centre-to-centre basis. (Security and Traffic Congestion add 2-3 Hrs.)

As air travel gets slower, rail gets faster. New high-speed lines have made rail a serious player on routes such as Paris-Amsterdam (3 hrs 20 minutes), Paris-Frankfurt (3 hrs 55 minutes), Barcelona-Madrid (2 hrs 40 minutes) and Milan-Rome (3 hrs).

Reliability: European high-speed trains typically achieve punctuality of 90-95% on time or within 15 minutes, whereas European airlines struggle to reach 63-68%. And with WiFi and power sockets for laptops, a train journey is often more productive. (Fares- 39e-49e-69e

Mark Smith, ”The Man in Seat Sixty-One, Website guardian.co.uk, Sunday 19 September 2010 22.46 BST

ICE – Lines, Expansions and Disputes High-speed rail bridge opens between Germany and

France: London to Frankfurt by train – BBC News 12/10/2010

Germany and France have opened a new bridge outside the French border city of Strasbourg as part of an ambitious high-speed rail network strategy to span the EU ( Three years construction cost 63m euros/$84m.

Denmark-Germany Bridge by 2015 German and Danish ministers of transport are in favor of

building a tunnel or suspension bridge across the Fehmarn strait between Denmark and Germany.

(Proposal: four-lane highway and double-track railway to be financed by tolls and loans. (18 klm long and cost estimate of 96bn euros.)

ICE – Lines, Expansions and Disputes Channel tunnel row threatens to derail high-speed

London-Frankfurt link January, 23, 2011 guardian.co.uk

High-speed London to Frankfurt service planned for 2013 is at risk because of a row between Siemens and Alstom over train safety. Plans to transport one million passengers a year between the UK and Germany by train are under threat in a row over Channel tunnel safety that has strained Anglo-French relations. The dispute is rooted in the decision by Eurostar, the French-controlled cross-Channel operator, to buy new trains manufactured by German engineering group Siemens, shunning a rival bid from French group Alstom. The French government has backed Alstom's argument that the Siemens trains breach safety guidelines because their motors are concealed under carriages and distributed along the train.

ICE – Lines, Expansions and Disputes London to Frankfurt high-speed rail link back on track

March, 20, 2011 guardian.co.uk European Railways Agency is expected to endorse new trains

manufactured by Siemens, the German industrial group, which beat France's Alstom to a coveted Eurostar rolling stock order.

Sources close to the process said the ERA is likely to recommend that so-called "distributed power" trains can be used in the tunnel, clearing the way for the ICE carriages. “The report will not raise objections to DB's proposal to couple two separate trains – a proposal that raised safety concerns in some quarters.” As a consequence, the IGC is under pressure to allow the ICE trains to operate through the tunnel.

DB plans to run 200mph trains from London to Frankfurt, Cologne, Amsterdam and Rotterdam from December 2013, expanding the rail market between Britain and the continent by 10% by carrying 1 million passengers a year.

ICE – Rolling Stock-Train Sets ICE 1 (Class 401) Max speed 280km/h (174mph) introduced 1991. Two power

cars plus 10–14 coaches with distinctive taller 'Bord Restaurant'. Wheel modifications were made following the Eschede disaster in June 1998.

ICE 2 (Class 402) introduced 1995. Max speed 280km/h (174mph). One power car plus seven coaches including driving trailer. Two such formations allow for splitting services for separate destinations after joint running over core routes.

ICE 3 (Class 403) introduced 1998. Max speed 330km/h (205mph). Eight coach multiple unit. This is part of the Siemens Velar family that has attracted export orders from Spain, Russia and China. Improvements introduced on ICE3 include bogie skirts and fairings to screen brake discs and axle boxes aimed at a 10% reduction in rolling resistance.

ICE 3M (Class 406) Four voltage version for international operation. The units bought by NS link Amsterdam with Köln, Frankfurt Main and Basel.

ICE-T (Classes 411 and 415) introduced 1998. Max speed 230km/h (143mph). Seven and five coaches respectively. Visually similar to ICE3, but with less sharply raked ends. The T2 series has increased seating capacity and reduced catering provision. Tilt capability lends itself to demanding conventional routes such Stuttgart–Zurich and parts of the former DDR.

ICE – Rolling Stock-Train Sets

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ICE-2

ICE-3

ICE-T

ICE – Rolling Stock-Train Sets

ICE-1

ICE-2

ICE-3

ICE-T

ICE –Train Sets, Interiors

ICE-1

ICE-2

ICE-3

ICE-T

Ice/DB Interiors: Seating 1st & 2nd Class,

Bar Area, Restaurant, European Cuisine, etc.

ICE - High-Speed Customer Services The newer ICE 3 trains operate Paris-Frankfurt, Brussels-Cologne-Frankfurt, Amsterdam-

Cologne-Frankfurt & Cologne-Munich.

What are ICE3s like inside?  Most seating is in open-plan saloons as shown in the photos above, but there are a handful of 6-seater compartments in both classes 

Exterior displays next to the carriage door show the train number, its destination, calling points and car number.  Information displays inside each carriage also show the train's destination, carriage number, calling points, the next station stop and (from time to time) the train's speed. 

Catering:  ICE3 trains have a bistro car with a cafe-bar area and small 12-seat restaurant area.  Breakfast in the restaurant costs either 7.90 euros, 9.90 euros or 14.90 euros, depending on what breakfast menu you select.  A 3-course meal with a beer costs about 28 euros.  Treat yourself!  In ICE 1st class, orders are taken by a member of staff and drinks and food are served at your seat, all using proper china & glassware.

Children:  All ICE trains have baby-changing facilities, and you can ask for seats in special parent-and-child compartments.

WiFi:  A few ICE routes have WiFi on board, but not all.  Power sockets for laptops & mobiles:  On ICE3, there are sockets between every pair of

seats in both classes. Station first class lounges:  If you have a first class ticket, you can use the DB Lounges at

the following stations, usually open from 07:00-21:00:  Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt Main Airport, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne, Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart.

Viewing screen:  ICE 3 & ICE-TD trains have a seating area at each end of the train (one end 1st class, the other 2nd class) with a glass screen behind the driving cab, giving you a view along the track ahead or behind the train. 

ICE – Stations-Infrastructure

ICE-High-Speed Rail’s Weak Links are Security and Safety Keeping trains safe and keeping trains moving has been a

balancing act in Germany .“The Deutsche Bahn high-speed rail in Germany has opted to not conduct passenger/baggage screenings. In Europe, rail security theater carries no political reward, but, should the U.S. ever adopt high-speed rail, it'd be a different story. “ Miller-McCune May 4, 2011

“When Deutsche Bahn renovated the 160-mile stretch in 2004 to allow the current speeds, it wiped out the market for business flights, just as a good high-speed rail corridor in California could end shuttle-flight service from San Diego (or even San Francisco) to Los Angeles.”

“Germany is interesting because its lack of dedicated high-speed corridors makes total security impossible. Fast trains are so well integrated into the national rail network that you don’t always know when you’ve wandered onto one. A scanner line for high-speed rail would mean a scanner line for the whole train station, which is hugely impractical. So Germany doesn’t bother.” Miller-McCune , May 4, 2011

ICE-High-Speed Rail’s Weak Links are Security and Safety- “the accident” It had never happened before. In seven years of service, no one

had ever been killed on an ICE. The super-fast, state-of-the-art Inter City Express trains of Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) had covered hundreds of thousands of kilometres over a network of lines connecting important centres in Germany and Austria. Many thousands of passengers had reached their destinations safely.

5:47 a.m. June 3, 1998 near a small town in Lower Saxony ICE884 Left Hanover Station speeding toward Hamburg’s Eschede Station and within 20 minutes of departure a shudder and tug and the first three cars derailed, multiple other cars were severely damaged with some buried under a collapsed cement bridge decking resulting in 101 passengers killed and a further 88 injured becoming the worst accident since 1947 on the German Railway system.

The derailment was attributed to equipment failure: broken tire and a flange caught in a guide from the first car's rear bogie.

German Rail’s Weak Links: Security/Safety- Eschede 1998 ICE

Eschede ICE Derailment – 1998 101 Fatalities – 88 Injured

Equipment Failure-Derailment

ICE-High-Speed Rail’s Weak Links Security/Safety - Lindenberg 2010 The destroyed and

derailed Frankfurt-Paris Inter-City Express (ICE) high-speed train of German railway operator Deutsche Bahn AG is seen after a crash with a garbage truck in Lindenberg near Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, August 17, 2010.

Nine passengers were left slightly hurt, one passenger remains seriously injured, and the truck driver escaped unharmed.

ICE-High-Speed Rail’s Weak LinksSecurity/Safety - Lindenberg 2010

German Rail’s Weak Links Security/Safety - Magdeburg 2011

Magdeburg – 2011 Passenger/Freight Crash

(10 Fatalities)

Same Track – Head-on Crash

Shared Right-a-way Issues

Environmental News “German rail to run on wind, hydro,

and solar power” The Daily Star – Erik Kirschbaum Germany’s Deutsche Bahn wants to run the national railway on

renewable energy sources to support customer demands. “It’s what customer’s want and we’re making it happen”, Hans-Juergen

Witachke, Chief executive of Deutsche Bahn Energie. Target: power trains from renewable sources from 20 percent to 28

percent in 2014 and become carbon free by 2050. Contributing cause: Berlin government reversed it’s course on nuclear

power by shutting down 8 nuclear plants and proposing to close the other 9 by 2022.

Trains and railways currently use a staggering amount of electricity: 12 terawatt hours annually. (Equal to Berlin and its 3.2 million residents)

Railways alone use 2 percent of Germany’s total electricity. ICE train traveling from Frankfurt to Berlin uses up 4,800 kw/h equal to a Family of four yearly consumption. (08/23/2011, The Daily Star) (WWW.reuters.com/assets) Erik Kirschbaum, August 22, 2011

SUMMARY: ICE/German RailNews Trends and Concerns

System Expansion and Improvements to Service and Infrastructure.

Expansion of Network to major EU urban areas outside of Germany.

ICE-High-Speed Rail’s Weak Links are Security and Safety

Environmental News: “German rail to run on wind, hydro, and solar power”