Train fleet revitalization - Passenger organization issues warning over potential chokepoints - Renewal of Railways' Fleet Sparks Concerns - Passengers' Association Alerts About Potential Bottlenecks
Hey there! Sit back and let's discuss Germany's long-distance train fleet being refurbished, shall we?
Old and Prone to Failure: Out with the Old, In with the Young
Deutscher Bahn is on a mission to revitalize its average long-distance train fleet from the present 18-year age to a sprightly 12 years by 2030. Say goodbye to ICE and IC trains that are past their prime!
But hold up a minute. The Passenger Association (Pro Bahn) sounds worried. Why? They fear too many old trains will be retired too slowly, resulting in less train options on certain routes.
New Kids on the Block: ICE 4 Trains Taking Over
The makeover of the train fleet at Deutsche Bahn is in full swing. Case in point: the ICE 4, the last of which was delivered by manufacturer Siemens Mobility in 2021. These are the first long-distance trains with bike storage compartments. They're equipped with at least 444 seats and a maximum speed of 265 kilometers per hour; the new backbone of the ICE fleet! Thanks to these additions, the number of ICE trains has surged from around 270 in 2017 to approximately 400 today.
ICE 3 Neo: A Refreshing Take on the Existing Series
Also in the pipeline is the ICE 3 Neo, an update of the current ICE-3 series. By 2028, 90 of these trains are expected to be operational, with 15 arriving this year followed by 16 more next year. These vehicles have frequency-transparent windows for better mobile phone reception and more.
Currently, the Neo is being utilized on high-speed routes between North Rhine-Westphalia and Munich via Frankfurt and Stuttgart, as well as on international connections from Frankfurt to Amsterdam and Brussels.
Delayed Delivery? ICE L: Talgo's Challenge
Unfortunately, there's a hiccup with another new order: the ICE L from Spanish manufacturer Talgo. Originally planned for delivery by autumn 2021, these trains are now not expected to hit the tracks until the second half of 2023 at the earliest. Four of the trains might not arrive until 2025, Deutsche Bahn announced. Visually, they resemble Intercity trains more than ICE trains.
The company maintains that its fleet strategy aims to rejuvenate and modernize its fleet to stabilize its operations. While they claim positive results, Pro Bahn is less convinced.
Overcrowded Trains and Passengers' Discontent
According to board member Lukas Iffländer of Pro Bahn, "the vehicle strategy appears highly chaotic to us." He points to the phasing out of older trains as a cause for concern. "On many connections, we will get fewer seats, at least temporarily, until the new trains eventually arrive," he said.
Specifically, the Ost-West connections Wiesbaden-Frankfurt-Leipzig-Dresden and Hamburg-NRW-Bonn-Frankfurt-Nuremberg-Wien are expected to see decreased train availability. "For us passengers, this means: it will be tight and crowded," said Iffländer.
Adiós, Old ICE Trains
In April of this year, 14 older ICE 3 trains of the 406 series were removed from service. An additional 10 trains of the 415 series, known as ICE T, are considered unreliable and maintenance-intensive and will be phased out by the end of the year.
Also, around three dozen ICE-2 trains, in use since 1996, are set to be gradually phased out of service by the end of 2027. Most recently, the Bahn sold 17 double-decker trains of the "Intercity 2 KISS" type to the Austrian Federal Railways. These trains were purchased to bridge delivery problems with other vehicles.
Fluctuating Fleet Numbers
It remains uncertain whether the phased-out trains can be swiftly replaced by the delayed new additions. Ifflaender notes that consequences are already visible, such as the cancellation of the early train from Leipzig at the timetable change.
Deutsche Bahn acknowledges that the ICE fleet numbers will fluctuate in the coming years due to phasing out of older trains and the arrival of new trains. However, in the long term, Deutsche Bahn assures us that the number will remain "at a comparable level with increasing seat numbers."
Skepticism Abounds
Ifflaender is also unsure about this. "Although seat capacity theoretically increases on paper until 2029, it actually decreases due to poor fleet availability", he stated.
While Deutsche Bahn is upgrading its fleet, the competitor Flixtrain recently announced a major train offensive: the company has ordered around 30 new high-speed trains with an option for an additional 35, as Flixtrain announced. These trains will be maintained by the Spanish manufacturer Talgo, but the delivery date remains unclear.
Stay tuned, folks! We'll keep you updated with the latest developments in the German rail scene.
The Passenger Association (Pro Bahn) suggests that the slow retirement of old trains might lead to reduced train options on certain routes, potentially causing capacity crunches among passengers.
In the financial aspects, the cost of vocational training for implementing the new ICE 4 and ICE 3 Neo trains, as well as the delayed delivery of the ICE L from Talgo, may impact both Deutsche Bahn's budget and the transportation industry.
