Expanded ICE maintenance facility inaugurated in Berlin
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has officially inaugurated the upgraded maintenance facility for the long-distance ICE trains in Berlin-Rummelsburg. Following an investment of 200 million euros, maintenance capacity was increased by 30 per cent. Additional jobs were created, too.
The main hall, which features five separate tracks for maintenance, was expanded by 200 metres so that in the future ICE trains of up to 400 metres can be serviced. This includes the XXL ICE 4. With the additional length, two shorter trains can be lined up in a row. DB expected that there will be an additional 120 jobs available through 2025 at the site, where currently around 850 are employed.
Staff at Berlin-Rummelsburg clean, check and repair some 75 trains on average every day. With the extra floor space, maintenance capacity has increased by 30 per cent. The facility can service all current ICE series (ICE 1 to 4). In order to also accommodate the new ICE L, the Rummelsburg site will undergo another expansion in the coming years. For this, DB will invest and additional 200 million euros.
“We are investing in new trains at a record level. In the next year alone we will receive an average of three new ICE trains – every month. With the extended vehicle hall in the ICE plant in Berlin, we are creating urgently needed workshop capacities for our growing long-distance transport fleet”, DB board member for long-distance passenger transport Michael Peterson said at the inauguration of the upgraded facility.
Further reading:
- DB enters ICE 3neo into service
- DB puts finishing touches on new high-speed line
- New German timetable: faster connections, additional capacity and new international destinations
- German long-distance timetable change brings higher ticket prices
- Deutsche Bahn unveils new low floor ICE-L
- DB to invest record amount in new trains and locomotives
“Optimal maintenance”, mantra…, regrettably is a symptom – of a railway currently not optimal.
(Broken rails, “voids” and “hung sleepers” is not optimal…)
At current traffic and speed, forces, by system have become too high, thus reducing margins for safety, and for payload, etc. – and not sustainable.
For added utilisation, at existing assets, now shifts, for added capacity, is needed.
(Current standard, high quality rails safely withstands 45 T axial load, when voids are outed, etc…)