The first batch of 230km/h trains will seat 500 passengers and is due
to enter service from December 2016, allowing DB to phase out most of
its ageing locomotive-hauled intercity coaches. A second order for 90
trains, each accommodating 730 passengers and configured for operation
at higher speeds, will allow the replacement of the ICE1 and ICE 2
fleets in the middle of the next decade. Finally, the framework
contract includes options for a further 80 trains to be ordered by
2030.
to enter service from December 2016, allowing DB to phase out most of
its ageing locomotive-hauled intercity coaches. A second order for 90
trains, each accommodating 730 passengers and configured for operation
at higher speeds, will allow the replacement of the ICE1 and ICE 2
fleets in the middle of the next decade. Finally, the framework
contract includes options for a further 80 trains to be ordered by
2030.
DB CEO Dr Rüdiger Grube said the trains would become the backbone of
DB's long-distance fleet. Siemens CEO Dr Peter Löscher heralded the
deal as the largest single contract in the company's history.
German media reports at the start of this year suggested Siemens was
offering a price equivalent to Euros 40,000 per seat, compared with the
Euros 28,000 per seat sought by DB.
