Germany: The ICE-S test train has accelerated to such a speed during testing on the Leipzig–Erfurt line. The test train had the Velaro Novo, a promising platform tested throughout Germany since 2018, as one of its intermediate cars.
The design speed of the future Velaro Novo train is expected to be 360 km/h. Siemens declares that, in comparison with the previous generation models, the new platform will ensure a 15% reduction in train weight and 30% energy savings, provided by improved aerodynamics and lighter weight.
Testing of a Velaro Novo car from Siemens Mobility. Source: Bahnblogstelle
While the German manufacturer announced the Velaro Novo development in 2018, the prototype train has not yet been presented. Last May, Siemens Mobility was designated the preferred supplier of ten seven-car Velaro Novo trains for California’s Brightline West HSR line.
It is worth noting that the ICE-S train has not managed to beat the record set by its predecessor, the ICE/V experimental train, which ran up to 406.9 km/h in 1988.
