Overview
- DB will introduce the ICE L first on Berlin–Cologne from the December timetable change, with Berlin–Hamburg–Westerland following in May 2026 and further routes from July.
- Seventy-nine sets are on order from Talgo; the cars and control car are approved, while Talgo’s BR105 locomotive awaits German certification in 2026, so Siemens Vectron engines will initially provide traction.
- The design enables step‑free boarding at standard 76‑cm platforms and features 562 seats, the fleet’s largest family area, improved mobile reception via signal‑permeable windows, and power outlets at every seat.
- Top speed is 230 km/h, below other ICE models, and the short‑car Talgo configuration yields a roughly 250‑meter train length that experts say may constrain coupling and operational flexibility.
- The start comes more than a year later than planned because of supplier delays and approvals, and DB positions the model within a fleet renewal push as cross‑border authorizations for routes to Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Vienna remain pending.