Deutsche Bahn (DB) celebrated a milestone with the completion of its ICE 4 fleet, marking the culmination of a billion-euro project delivered on schedule. The 137th and final train (7-car variant), christened "Spree" at a ceremony in Berlin Central Station.
Since 2016, Siemens Mobility has delivered 137 ICE 4 trains in three configurations, totaling over 1,500 carriages with around 105,000 seats - five times more than in a medium-haul aircraft. These trains run on particularly popular routes, for example from Hamburg via North Rhine-Westphalia and via the Cologne-Rhine/Main high-speed line to southern Germany, marking the completion of the largest procurement program in DB's history.
Deutsche Bahn's €6 billion investment in the ICE 4 fleet underlines its commitment to improving passenger services and promoting sustainable travel. "Siemens and DB have delivered on time. The expansion of the fleet is a key lever for achieving the goals of our Strong Rail strategy: Our aim is to double the transport performance in long-distance passenger rail transport," said Richard Lutz, adding that a new ICE train will enter service every three weeks in 2024.
Known for its increased seating capacity and energy efficiency, the ICE 4 plays a key role in DB's fleet modernization. With around 25% more seats than its predecessors and 30% less energy consumption, each ICE 4 train will replace an estimated 20,000 cars on the road and save up to 400,000 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime.
