“Heat wave: DB takes positive stock”

ICE 3 with reflection of the sun//Copyright: Deutsche Bahn AG

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Even at extreme temperatures, DB was reliably on the move – only 0.18 percent heat-related failures

Despite sometimes extreme temperatures, DB trains have been running reliably in recent weeks. Only 0.18 percent of long-distance trains were unable to complete their journey as planned due to heat.

“We are better prepared for the extreme temperatures than ever before,” says DB Board Member for Passenger Transport Berthold Huber. “The investments in new trains are now paying off. The long-distance fleet now includes more than 100 vehicles of the latest generations such as the ICE 4, the ICE 3 class 407 and the Intercity 2, whose air-conditioning systems are designed for temperatures of up to 45 degrees. By the end of the year, we will already be offering 13,000 additional seats in new trains.”

In recent weeks, the load factor of the trains was naturally further down on the previous year’s figures due to corona. Huber: “In normal times this is no reason to be happy, but now it creates additional stability for the air conditioning and ventilation systems in our trains and, above all, space for safe travel by rail. We can currently distribute fewer passengers to more seats”.

DB will remain on an investment course in the coming years. Around 6.5 billion euros will be invested in new long-distance trains by the end of 2024. This will make the vehicle fleet significantly younger: the average age of the trains will drop from 21 years today to 14 years. It was only at the end of July that DB announced another billion-euro order for 30 new high-speed trains.