Deutsche Bahn Train Hits 405 KM/H Without Falling To Bits

Deutsche Bahn (DB), in collaboration with Siemens Mobility, has pushed one of its Intercity Express (ICE) test trains to an impressive 405 km/h (251 mph) on the Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle high-speed line, a rare feat in German rail history.

France may still hold the steel-wheel train speed record with a TGV hitting 574.8 km/h in 2007, and the UK flirted with futuristic rail via its abandoned Hovertrain project in the early 1970s, but for Germany, this test is a much-needed injection of pride into a network that’s been losing its shine. Once a symbol of efficiency, Deutsche Bahn is now frequently criticized for unreliability, even lagging behind Britain’s troubled rail services, according to a Financial Times report.

Despite that, the successful test run on the decade-old Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle high-speed corridor was conducted without any modifications to the infrastructure. “It is confirmation that infrastructure investments are the foundation for reliable, sustainable, and efficient mobility and logistics over generations,” said Dr. Philipp Nagl, CEO of DB InfraGO AG.

Siemens Mobility’s Vice President of High Speed and Intercity Trains, Thomas Graetz, said the aim was to explore acoustic dynamics, aerodynamics, and train behavior at ultra-high speeds, all critical data points for the next generation of high-speed rail. Whether 405 km/h is truly “extreme speed” is subjective, but for Germany’s conventional rail, it’s certainly uncommon.

In contrast, Japan is printing entire train stations with 3D printers in a single afternoon, and its bullet trains are preparing to eliminate human drivers. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn is still known for outdated IT systems, including a 2023 job posting that bafflingly referenced experience with Windows 3.11.

Though the test was hailed as a success, regular passenger services won’t be seeing such speeds anytime soon. The Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle line remains closed for scheduled maintenance until July 12, with trains currently diverted to a parallel route. But the symbolic victory could help rally support for desperately needed investment in Germany’s faltering railway system, assuming passengers don’t give up entirely and switch to cars.