ICE 4

ICE 4 is a brand name for long-distance Intercity-Express high-speed trains being procured for Deutsche Bahn. Procurement started around 2008 for replacements for locomotive-hauled InterCity and EuroCity train services, and was later expanded to include replacements for ICE 1 and ICE 2 high-speed trainsets. In 2011 Siemens Mobility was awarded the contract for 130 seven-car intercity train replacements, and 90 ten-car ICE train replacements, plus further options – the contract for the ten-car sets was modified in 2013 to expand the trainset length to twelve vehicles. The name ICx was used for the trains during the initial stages of the procurement; in late 2015 the trains were rebranded 'ICE 4', at the unveiling of the first train set, and given the class designation 412 by Deutsche Bahn. Two pre-production trainsets had been manufactured by 2016, and were used for testing later that year, prior to the introduction of the main series in late 2017.