The German ICE High Speed Rail System: Overview and Issues and Concerns, Roger Bazeley

1. 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

2. ICE – The Network & Services

3. 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.

4. ICE – Infrastructure - Lines
 "ICE rolling stock  All lines are 1,435mm (4ft 8½in)
gauge and electrified at 15kV ac
has extended 16.7Hz. NBS line speeds vary, some
250km/h (155mph) with 280km/h
operations to other (174mph) allowed for later running.
Later lines are passed for service
EC countries and speeds of 300km/hour (186mph).
has been modified The lines have hosted world rail
speed records, including that of the
for export." 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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

9. ICE – Lines, Expansions and Disputes
 High-speed rail bridge  Denmark-
opens between Germany Germany Bridge
and France: London to by 2015
Frankfurt by train –  German and Danish
ministers of transport are in
BBC News 12/10/2010 favor of building a tunnel or
suspension bridge across
 Germany and France have the Fehmarn strait between
opened a new bridge Denmark and Germany.
outside the French border  (Proposal: four-lane
city of Strasbourg as part of highway and double-track
railway to be financed by
an ambitious high-speed tolls and loans. (18 klm long
rail network strategy to and cost estimate of 96bn
span the EU ( Three years euros.)
construction cost 63m
euros/$84m.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. ICE – Rolling Stock-Train Sets
ICE-1 ICE-3
ICE-2 ICE-T

14. ICE – Rolling Stock-Train Sets
ICE-1 ICE-3
ICE-2 ICE-T

15. ICE –Train Sets, Interiors
ICE-1 ICE-3
Ice/DB Interiors: Seating 1st & 2nd Class,
ICE-2 Bar Area, Restaurant, European Cuisine, etc.
ICE-T

16. 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.

17. ICE – Stations-Infrastructure

18. 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

19. 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.

20. German Rail’s Weak Links:
Security/Safety- Eschede 1998 ICE
Eschede ICE Derailment – 1998
101 Fatalities – 88 Injured
Equipment Failure-Derailment

21. 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.

22. ICE-High-Speed Rail’s Weak Links
Security/Safety - Lindenberg 2010

23. German Rail’s Weak Links
Security/Safety - Magdeburg 2011
Same Track – Head-on Crash
Shared Right-a-way Issues
Magdeburg – 2011
Passenger/Freight Crash
(10 Fatalities)

24. 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

25. SUMMARY: ICE/German Rail
News 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”