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Contents
- In real life
- DBSetXL 0.82
In real life
ICE stands for Intercity-Express and forms the premium offering of the German railways since 1991. With these trains the era of high-speed travel at more than 200 kph started, which required newly built tracks and completely new rolling stock. Plans for these were underway already in the 1980s with the Bundesbahn at the time, the first dedicated high-speed lines (Hanover-Würzburg and Mannheim-Stuttgart) were opened for regular service in 1991 together with the first ICE trains. At that time, Germany had been reunified, requiring a new network topology with new lines and connections. By the late 1990s and the opening of the high-speed line between Berlin and Hanover the ICE trains have secured the premium spot concerning passenger services in Germany, relegating Intercity services in the process.
Today, ICE trains run all across Germany and make up three quarts of the total long-distance passenger transportation. They also act as ambassadors for railway travel, there's hardly anyone in Germany who would not know what an ICE train is. By now, there are a variety of different types being all called ICE, with some of them being radically different. There are types that are capable of running at more than 300 kph, others may only reach 230 kph but use tilting technology to increase speeds on older tracks.
DBSetXL 0.82
DBSetXL contains three versions of ICE trains, ICE 1, ICE 3 und the ICE TD, which has been retired already.
The ICE 1 was the first ICE in regular service starting in 1991. It reaches a top speed of 280 kph and is mainly running on the main North-South lines between Hamburg and Frankfurt (and further to Stuttgart or Switzerland) or between Hamburg and Munich (via Berlin and Erfurt or via Hanover and Würzburg). It also runs between Berlin and Frankfurt.
The ICE 3 is the fastest train in service in Germany and can reach up to 300 kph. It is mainly used on lines using these high-speed tracks to make use of the top speed. That is mainly between Cologne and Frankfurt as well as between Berlin and Munich. Some ICE 3 variants also support multiple electric systems and can therefore go to Paris as well.
The ICE TD was the (ultimately failed) attempt to provide services at 200 kph on non-electrified lines. Numerous technical problems caused the trains to be standing around for years. Later on the ran between Hamburg and Denmark, but by the end of the 2010s they had already been retired for good.