ICE 2
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The ICE 2 is the second series of German high-speed trains and one of six in the
Intercity-Express Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE () and running under this Train categories in Europe, category) is a high-speed rail in Germany, high-speed rail system in Germany. It also serves destinations in Austria, France, Belgium, Switzerland an ...
family since 1995. The ICE 2 (half-) trains are even closer to a conventional
push–pull train Push–pull is a configuration for locomotive-hauled trains, allowing them to be driven from either end of the train, whether having a locomotive at each end or not. A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected vi ...
than the ICE 1, because each train consists of only one
locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...
(Class 402, called ''powerhead''), six passenger cars (Classes 805 to 807) and a cab car (Class 808). The maximum speed is , but this is limited to when the cab car is leading the train and even further down to when two units are coupled at the powerheads due to the forces on the overhead line by their respective pantographs.


History

On September 25, 2014, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. of Japan announced that it had received a contract from DB to supply new IGBT (insulated-gate bipolar transistor) power modules to replace the old GTO (Gate turn-off thyristor) power modules in the drives of 46 ICE 2 trainsets. Mitsubishi said that the modern smaller and lighter IGBT power modules will reduce power consumption and extend the life of the ICE 2 trains. The contract for $22 million was expected to be completed by 2019. While it was still planned in 2022 that all 44 ICE 2 multiple units would still be in service in 2029, Deutsche Bahn announced in 2024 to gradually phase out all ICE 2 trainsets by 2027.


Differences from ICE 1


Powerhead

Except for the automatic Scharfenberg coupling, ICE 2 powerheads are very similar to those of the ICE 1 and can actually be used in ICE 1 trains if the necessity arises.


Half-trains

Usually two ICE 2 half-trains are coupled to form a block train of similar dimensions to the original ICE 1 for serving the main routes, and separated again to operate on routes with less traffic or to provide the passengers two different destinations. Until the class 808 cab cars were cleared for passenger service, two ICE 2 half-trains had been solidly coupled to form a permanent block train.


Coaches

The passenger cars are very different from the ICE 1 cars, despite their similar exterior. The weight has been significantly reduced and the passenger compartments have been removed in favor of a seating arrangement similar to an airliner (due to reduced seat pitch). Also, the train has been equipped with air suspension to circumvent the wheel noise problems of the ICE 1, which led to the installation of rubber-buffered wheel rims on the ICE 1 units and therefore the Eschede train disaster. ICE 2 trains have no service car as the class 803 on ICE 1 trains, on the other hand the class 808 cab car is unique to the ICE 2.


Routes

ICE 2 trains mainly run on the main east–west line, starting in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
with two coupled trainsets. In Hamm the train is then separated into two half-trains. One half-train goes through the
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to
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and Cologne/Bonn Airport station, while the other half-train continues through
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and
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
to
Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
. In the opposite direction, both half-trains are coupled again at Hamm. Some trains also serve the
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
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line with halves continuing to
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and
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
respectively.


Eurotrain

Eurotrain was a joint venture formed by
Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
and GEC-Alsthom (today
Alstom Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
) in 1996 to market high-speed rail technology in Asia. In 1997, it was one of two competitors to supply the core system of
Taiwan High Speed Rail Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is a high-speed railway network in Taiwan, which consists of a single line that runs approximately along the western coast of the island, from the capital Taipei in the north to the southern city of Kaohsiung. Its c ...
(THSR), and was awarded the status of preferred bidder by concessionaire THSRC. In early 1998, the two companies created a demonstration train by combining cars of three existing French and German high-speed trains: ICE 2 powerheads 402 042 and 402 046, were joined at both ends to the articulated double-deck intermediate cars of TGV Duplex trainset #224. On 4 May 1998, the ''Eurotrain'' demonstration train made a presentation run on the Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway in Germany, achieving a maximum speed of . In December 2000, THSRC decided to award the contract to the rival Taiwan Shinkansen Consortium, leading to a legal battle ending in damage payments for Eurotrain in 2004.


See also

* List of high-speed trains


References


External links


ICE 2 on bahn.de
(German) {{German EMUs Electric multiple units of Germany Electric multiple units with locomotive-like power cars Deutsche Bahn locomotives Intercity Express Train-related introductions in 1995 Passenger trains running at least at 250 km/h in commercial operations 15 kV AC multiple units