Germany: Since announcing the tender last December, the national operator has not received any bid, as the T-Online news portal sites Deutsche Bahn’s spokesperson.
The firm part of the €1 bln tender included the supply of 33 trains. The vehicles of up to 400 m in length would accommodate 940 passengers seated and operate at a maximum speed of 300 km/h. The first two prototypes were planned to be delivered for testing in 2031, with the vehicles’ serial production to be launched in 2032. It was envisaged that the new fleet would replace the ageing ICE 1 and ICE 3 trains.
Siemens Mobility and Alstom could become potential bidders for this procurement. After previously winning a tender for consultancy contracts, both manufacturers together with the German operator developed initial concepts for the new-generation ICE 5 trainsets. In particular, Siemens Mobility’s offer concerned its new Velaro Novo platform with a design speed of 360 km/h (pictured).
