The ICE 4 will be the backbone of the Deutsche Bahn's future long-distance network. In May 2011, the German national railway company concluded a framework agreement with Siemens Mobility for up to 300 trainsets. It is the largest train contract that Siemens has ever won in its nearly 170 years of corporate history.
In the initial phase, 130 ICE4-type trains have been ordered, and beginning in 2017 they will replace the Intercity and Eurocity fleets put into operation between 1971 and 1991. At a later time, it is planned to replace ICE 1 and ICE 2 vehicles. The ICE 4 will then be responsible for roughly 70 percent of Deutsche Bahn's interurban transport revenue.
The ICE 4 sets new standards in intercity traffic. A unique train concept has been developed, that means it can be individually adapted to the requirements of various transport tasks. The modular drive concept is based on independent Powercars with identical traction technology, resulting in more flexibility than ever before. High operational availability is guaranteed by a large number of reliable systems with high redundancy.
