Deutsche Bahn New high-speed ICE to travel through the region soon
Berlin · When it comes to punctuality, Deutsche Bahn sometimes has its issues. Faster trains are now set to help tackle the problem. The ICE4 will soon be traveling at speeds of up to 265 kilometers per hour - including on the route between Cologne and Frankfurt.
Deutsche Bahn is upgrading the technology of the latest ICE models: From the beginning of August, the ICE4 will be able to reach speeds of up to 265 kilometers per hour (165 mph) for the first time, according to Deutsche Bahn sources. Previously, the highest speed was 250 kilometers per hour.
The new top speed is expected to improve punctuality. On the Cologne-Rhine/Main route, which runs from Cologne via Siegburg, Montabaur, Limburg and Frankfurt Airport to Frankfurt, the ICE4 will travel at the highest speed. Trains will also be able to travel at the new high speed on the Göttingen-Hanover and Munich-Berlin routes.
The ICE4 has been in regular service since 2017. Deutsche Bahn ordered a total of 137 trains from the German company Siemens. From that order, 75 have now been delivered. Deutsche Bahn stressed that another train is added every three weeks. The entire ICE4 fleet is to be delivered by 2024.
Even at 265 kilometers per hour, the latest ICE generation is still significantly slower than its predecessor, the ICE3. The latter can reach speeds of up to 330 kilometers per hour (205 mph). This Saturday (May 29) marks the 30th anniversary of Deutsche Bahn's Intercity Express high-speed trains. The ICE1 was officially inaugurated on May 29, 1991. A few days later, on June 2, the first trains began scheduled service.
