German rail operator Deutsche Bahn, which has recently faced criticism for falling behind on maintenance and technology, said Wednesday it’s committing €19 billion to a major modernization which will see upgraded signaling and other technology, as well as hundreds of new railcars.
Included in the mix are more of Germany’s relatively high-speed ICE, or Inter-City Express trains, both expanding the fleet and replacing the older ICE1 and ICE2 vehicles. The new trains will be split between the latest ICE4 models and an upgraded version of ICE3, seen in the photo above.
There will also be new cars for regional rail lines, including a model that will debut in Bavaria next year that has dedicated family areas and office cabins. The ICE trains, while operating faster than the regional lines, do not have dedicated lines throughout the country as France’s TGVs have. ICE3 can operate up to 300 km/h, just 20 km/h below the TGVs, but only over short stretches, while ICE4 trains top out at 250 km/h
