The German operator Deutsche Bahn has announced this Wednesday the largest contract in the history of Talgo by ordering 56 trains in a contract valued at 1,400 million euros. The order is part of a plan to modernize the high-speed fleet in the InterCity Express (ICE), a network that connects the main German cities.
Talgo was already building 23 trains for Deutsche Bahn, commissioned in 2019 and which will come into operation from autumn 2024. Now it will add another 56, up to 79. Both signed a macro contract in 2019 for a maximum of 100 units .
With 256 meters and a maximum commercial speed of 230 km/h, the trains have 562 seats, 85 of them in first class, a cafeteria car and another exclusively for people with reduced mobility. As a differential point, it is also noted that they have a new type of window designed "to improve mobile telephone and data coverage on board the train," the statement stated.
"They are state-of-the-art trains, with more space and a high level of comfort, made up of a locomotive that gives traction to the composition of 17 passenger cars," it is specified. The last wagon has a driver's cab to make operations more flexible. The locomotive, multi-system and interoperable, can be used in international services.
The trains will be fully accessible by having a low floor and platform level in all cars. It is "a characteristic that only the Spanish company has within the world railway industry," says Talgo in a statement. "The highlight of these trains is getting on and off at platform level, which is a significant increase in comfort for all passengers," said Michael Peterson of Deutsche Bahn.
"The new contract is great news for Talgo professionals and for the Spanish railway industry and its technologies", said Carlos Palacio Oriol, president of Talgo.
