Deutsche Bahn to launch new ICE L trains

Deutsche Bahn has announced that a new ICE train model will run on Germany’s rail network starting in December 2025. Here’s what passengers can expect:

Deutsche Bahn to launch new train model

Germany’s national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, has announced that a new model of trains will soon hit the tracks. The ICE L model was initially scheduled to launch in autumn 2024, but will be introduced this December.

Produced by the Spanish company Talgo, doorways to ICE trains will sit flush with the platform edge, making boarding and alighting more accessible. Deutsche Bahn said that the trains’ interior will “feel spacious” and have lighting which adapts according to the time of day.

Passengers travelling on ICE L trains will have better mobile coverage during their journeys. Fold-down tables will be bigger and kitted out with a mobile phone and tablet holder. One downside is that ICE L trains can only travel at a maximum speed of 230 kilometres per hour (km/h), slower than other ICE train models, which can reach up to 300km/h.

First ICE L trains will run between Berlin and Cologne

Starting in December, Deutsche Bahn will run four of the ICE L trains on the route between Berlin and Cologne. According to the dpa, the company has ordered a total of 79 trains from Talgo.

The ICE L model - the “L” meaning “Low Floor” - is set to replace some Intercity 1 trains, which were first produced in the 1970s and 1980s and modernised throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. 

In 2012 and 2014, Deutsche Bahn modernised Intercity 1 trains again, with new seats, tables and carpeting. The company currently runs 825 Intercity 1 passenger coaches, which can reach a maximum speed of 200 km/h.