Germany's Forgotten High-Speed Train? - ICE 2 Full Review

[@tDASH97]

Bielefeld had to render first, hence the 20 minute delay.

[@VegaYTshipedits]

What are you talking about, Bielefeld obviously doesn’t Exist😂

[@tDASH97]

@ it does in the matrix. that's why it needed to render first

[@VegaYTshipedits]

@@tDASH97 yeah. Good point😂

[@maxart3392]

Sehen wir uns nicht in dieser Welt, dann sehen wir uns in Bielefeld.

[@F4b1813]

@@tDASH97you mean the city created to fool us that Bielefeld exists needed to be rendered

[@bestrazer]

1:44 small correction: that's an IC2

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yes, indeed it is. Not sure how I didn’t catch that. :P - Ive even done a video on the IC2

[@ft4709]

Whilst those wind restrictions do apply, they’re not that big of a deal anymore (and they’re just as much of an issue with modern day ICE 3 or T as well). The biggest issue with the ICE 2, and part of the reason why it will soon vanish from revenue service, is its aluminium body shell as well as the decision to go with a single power head per unit. With two trains coupled engine to engine the two pantographs end up being too close to one another and might oscillate the catenary. Therefore, ICE 2 trains are limited to just 160 or 200 kph in certain configurations. Personally, I think from a passenger perspective, compared to the ICE 1, the ICE 2 is worse in almost every way. Its dining car is pretty generic, the seats are terrible (imo the worst of the fleet) and the coupling system is unreliable. The only thing they managed to improve is its ride comfort thanks to a different suspension system. I won’t be mad once the ICE 4 takes over.

[@peterw.8434]

I can’t agree with your thoughts on the Comfort of the seats. I always pick ICE 2 over ICE 4 trains on the Berlin - Cologne route, as the seats offer way more legroom (check out the detailed Layout arrangements by deutsche Bahn, you’ll see that ICE 2 2nd class seats have more legroom then ICE 4 1st class). Maybe that’s just me at 1,90m tall, but 1m legroom is just a big plus for me. Also, the seats on the 2 seat pairs do recline A LOT, way more then the newer models. Generally, i think ICE 4 seats are ok for working or trips up to 2-3 hours, but for longer rides or sleeping the ICE 2 models just work way better in my opinion.

[@ft4709]

@@peterw.8434 As most things are I guess this is just a matter of opinion. If you enjoy the ICE 2 that's great. I do want to point out though that I was strictly talking about the seat itself. Legroom is indeed far worse on the ICE 4 but at least my back doesn't hurt after a few minutes already (again, I know there are people who have issues with the ICE 4 seats as well, this is just my opinion). As a shorter person myself I guess reduced legroom isn't that big of a deal for me personally, but I can see why someone would disagree with me there. Besides, the ICE 1 is still better than both imo.

[@amtorraziert]

Correction: Beilefeld doesnt exist, you actually just imagined it

[@drdewott9154]

Yeah. I'm pretty sure he actually pulled into Osnabrück, not Bielefeld

[@gerohubner5101]

You're absolutely right, "Beilefeld" doesn't exist at all. But it sounds surprisingly similar to Bielefeld, a city of 330,000 inhabitants in East Westphalia.

[@107bande]

​@@gerohubner5101there is also no "Bielefeld"

[@nanderv]

@@gerohubner5101 AI video generation is getting scary, it just dreamed up footage of the train entering a city that doesn't exist.

[@gerohubner5101]

​@@nandervYou're a bit mistaken. According to the comment above, it must have been IA vedio ganeretion that draemed up a trian entering onti Beilefeld. Thit's at!

[@VegaYTshipedits]

Finally!! An video by my favorite Train reviewer about the ICE2!!

[@Simon-Andersen]

thank you!

[@robertheinrich2994]

I have to say, that the glass doors in the ICE make the train more open and elegant. and the interior design is nice too. quite a nice train.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I totally agree!

[@reinerjung1613]

Thanks for the video. The disliked IC2 is also called carpet RE (RE for Regional Express the local train brand of DB) as they use similar double-decker cars than regional trains (most likely you already knew this, but maybe other viewers don't know). They also feel a lot like regional trains. They stop often and most critical, they have no dining car. ICs should have one.

[@gerohubner5101]

The term RE is NOT AT ALL a "brand of DB" (which is a mere holding company), but a train category in regional transport, which is defined and managed by the federal states, not DB Regio AG. Many RE trains are operated by railway companies other than DB Regio AG.

[@reinerjung1613]

@@gerohubner5101 your absolut right.

[@1dree1]

I assume the reason for the ICE2 to be overlooked is that it was almost always restricted to two lines: Berlin - NRW (Köln/Köln oder Düsseldorf/Bonn) and München - Hamburg/Bremen. That led to many parts of the country never seeing these units on a regular basis. Ok, you could say: They headed for all of the four biggest cities, but still it's mostly only two lines. For exampe you didn't see them in the south west, not in Frankfurt, Stuttgart ...the north east, the east except of Berlin. I'd say the ICE 1 and 3 were more common. Fun fact, little dive into the past: With the original interior before the redesign the ICE2 had power sockets in second class which was a new feature in 1995 - at least they had like two sockets :) located at the seats with the big table in the middle, not each seat had one. This led to a friend and me having a reservation on different seats, heading to the table and asking people if they would swap, so we could play a game on the notebook for hours. :-D haha too eager to play

[@gentuxable]

ICE 1 also did quite a lot of local duties in Switzerland, I often took it from Bern to Olten or Basel to Zurich with the GA you can just get on them with a regular ticket or pass like any other train (unlike in Germany where you need to pay a fee for ICE) while ICE 2 was not certified for Swiss rail.

[@dsdonovan]

Sometimes I think that Simon should go into comedy with his subtle comments...

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Thank you for this excellent video. I have travelled on ICE2s several times from Bonn to Berlin.. I like them very much, and the “party trick” of the splitting and joining of the two units at Hamm is great to see ! I also think they ride better than the newer ICE4s !

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thanks! You're not the only one who likes them more than the 4s :D

[@demil3618]

What was that at 09:44 ? THere's a class 120 (which the ICE power car is based on) in old intercity livery!. Didn't know this one still existed.

[@SimonPilkington-g3i]

That was indeed a Class 120 locomotive. There are still a few that exist and were not cut up. I think they are beautiful locomotives.

[@MrDonRazzi]

120 144 to be exact. The loco is owned by the SEL - a private railway company.

[@yannnique17]

No matter how much money they paid you, you can't make me belive that Bielefeld exists.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I'm still not sure myself even after seeing something with my own eyes :P

[@SilentdragonDe]

Unfortunately, I personally found the seats on the ICE2 (specifically in 1st class) extremely uncomfortable. IDK who they are made for, but I must assume that this person does not have a back. I could only either ignore the backrest completely, or sit in an uncomfortably slouched position that would have made my back hurt in just a few minutes. That is the reason why I try to avoid the ICE2 where possible, and the fact that the coupling of two trains makes delays more likely because if one half of the train is late, the other one will be too.

[@Simon-Andersen]

It really comes down to preference and the differences in our bodies. I don’t mind them, and I also find the ICE4 okay, which seems to be a bit controversial at times

[@TheRandCrews]

everytime i see a picture of the ICE 2 i keep thinking it’s an EMU version of the ICE 1 because it always shows the cab car first. Missed opportunity? but ICE 3 was built several years after so it’s a big jump anyways.

[@Uwe_Ludolf]

ICE2 is great, much more legroom than in ICE4. Because it has a power car instead of drive boogies all over the train there is no engine noise.

[@alltrains_hd1610]

From a passengers perspective it‘s also worth mentioning that the ICE 2 is the only ICE train that has air suspension making the ride a lot smoother than on the other trains. That’s one of the reasons I love riding it as it is much more comfortable. However as some already mentioned, I think the seats are one of the weaker within the ICE family. All in all I think it’s sad that they’re leaving us soon they’re definitely better than the new ICE 4

[@1dree1]

I was already wondering that this wasn't mentioned before :) as it's kind of the hidden key feature of the ICE2. Thanks for adding this.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I definitely should have mentioned it in the video, but I don’t actually recall coming across it during my research. Thanks for sharing!

[@somerandomdude3810]

I frequented this route often from Berlin to Cologne (not a lot since the whole covid thing) and am sad to see the ICE 2's go as they were the main/only workhorse dor this route. Side note: Some ICE 2 have their top speeds limited to 250 km/h and when the trains are coupled powercar to powercar they can only go 160 km/h (200km/h when the overhead wires are strenghtend)

[@sihocolus]

1:42 that's a IC2 not an IC1. the IC1 is a Single decker Train with a mmz and bpmmz (and their Variants) and mostly a DB BR 101 Loco. This Drivable Abortion in the Video is just a Regio Train advertised as InterCity train. Both IC2 and Dosto Regio Trains look the Same, and mostly have the Same length, so why the hell should we pay more? The funny thing is the Regio Dostos are even used as S-Bahn Trains - you know, those suburban trains, similar to Subway trains but mostly over the ground. And DB is using them as S-bahn. It's the Same red color, same interior, but with the Addition of the Green S logo on the sides. At this Point DB can add their short ICE Trains (2, T) as S-bahn as well. Considering the Brits already did something like that with the Class 395 Javelin, I wouldnt disagree 😂

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thanks! Yes indeed, just mispoke, or perhaps a little too used to saying IC1 now we got these in Denmark :P

[@UHarshanBlackBoy1995]

Nice! This train is so cute and nice!

[@steffenreimann2854]

The ICE 2 combines the space of an ICE 1 with air suspension. This combination makes it to the most comfortable ICE in my opinion.

[@apexcryptlord]

As I drove the ICE 2 (402) as a train driver, Im very glad that these are gone soon. They are very prone to failure and are a worse ICE 1 (401) version.

[@guapo2984]

hi, bei 1:42 sprichst du von ICE1 und zeigst aber einen IC2, etwas verwirrend

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yes, just a tiny mistake in my voiceover :P

[@br232fan]

So in my opinion the ICE 2 is a relief for the ICE lines that are split. All ICEs that travel on the lines with the split concept are more relevant to me than the ICEs that travel on long-distance routes without the split concept.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Those services are however becoming less common, which is probably good with DB reliablity atm . I know for instance a few short ICE runs from Hannover to Bremen that used to be a split from a longer journey.

[@johanplane7067]

Dear Simon, I wouldn't describe McDonalds as essential! A coffee machine is, but not a hamburger IMHO.

[@Simon-Andersen]

McDonald's actually has quite good coffee these days, at least the ones with espresso machines. :P But I agree, the comment in my video is just a bit of my dry Danish humour I like to sprinkle into my videos. :-)

[@RobbertsTravelGuides]

i think the ICE2 is a pretty decent train, like you said its overshadowed by its bigger sister

[@DenSoesygeHaj]

The ice 2s are really the german version of ic4, getting retired before their predecessors.

[@INTERCITY-125]

Oh no I can't believe people are forgetting about this train it's like it had been retired already or people are treating it like it never existed that's to depressing

[@johannessamuelsson6578]

Wait, does the ICE 2 have the same motors (9:00) as the Taurus EuroSprinter? Of course, both Siemens systems from about the same time period.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Not excatly the same but its indeed from the same time period so they are similar.

[@Uaaas-22]

I remember one time riding the ice 2 from Ingolstadt to Kassel and i needed to go to the toilet but every toilet except 3 were closed.

[@gentuxable]

8:06 they say putting those decorations on which is a sticker, makes them get less graffiti and if it does it can be peeled off and replaced. Otherwise it would look like a dutch train toilet quite quickly.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thats actually smart

[@ThorstenSkinnie]

The ICE2 cars are way more comfy thanks to air suspension... too bad their light Aluminium construction limits their usable life due to cracks...

[@aviano72]

As per usual your DB travel is delayed 😆

[@minicooper321]

Is it better in the UK?

[@srikanthshastry4546]

You are lucky you actually made it to your destination. In the south especially towards Switzerland via Basel SBB passengers are not this lucky. Expect delays up to 120 min and terminations prematurely at Bassel Bad. The line between Offenburg - Freiburg - Bassel is one of the most congested routes and an International one (with regional, long distance (international), and freight (international) all running less than a minute behind each other without ETCS, which just mad and a disaster waiting to happen. Here's the dumbest part they plan on adapting ETCS and line quadrupling by 2040!

[@markmbalagtas2230]

Essentials.... McDonald's and a bakery next to the toilets 😅

[@aleksandrgreen1369]

first comment yay! great video very informative

[@leduc6919]

I NEVER understood why people hate the IC2 ;-;

[@jakobwinder3687]

Terrible seats, bad acceleration, no overhead luggage racks, no dining car. It's not a bad train, but it's not worth the big difference in price between regional and long distance trains.

[@Leo_owo]

@@jakobwinder3687Bad acceleration?? 😂😂😂

[@to_loww]

It is basically identical to an RE, only more expensive.

[@cellobs1178]

also especially in the early days, the wheels were coned in a way that lead to an increased hunting oscillation, which made the trains sway and people on the upper floor started becoming seasick. Plus they had a pretty tough start with a lot of technical difficulties

[@MattiBlume]

The most hate goes towards the Twindexx IC2s. The Kiss IC2s are actually quite ok (apart from the missing luggage room).

[@SchwarzeSonne130]

I doubt that they will be retired in 2027 especially since the ICE5 Delay now.

[@christophsaviation2045]

They will, because with the Renovation project of the German network progressing, these trains will be incapable of operating on more and more lines. They are not equipped with ETCS and are thus already useless between Stuttgart and Munich, Mannheim and Frankfurt, Erfurt and Leipzig, Erfurt and Nuremberg and can only be used on a few select lines. Until the end of the decade, the line between Berlin and Hannover and a couple of other rail lines will be renovated and be equipped with ETCS. At that point, the ICE2 trains will have to be replaced anyway.

[@SchwarzeSonne130]

@christophsaviation2045 You are forgetting one thing while all of that The infamous delays of construction in germany due to bureaucracy.

[@christophsaviation2045]

​@@SchwarzeSonne130 Well the first of the line renovations on the Riedbahn between Mannheim and Frankfurt has been finished bang on time. There is (at the moment) political will behind this project. And, as I said, even if it is delayed in the end, as soon as just one part of the line is equipped with ETCS and the old LZB is removed, the ICE 2 will not be usable anymore. With the recently finished deliveries of the ICE 4, the ongoing deliveries of the ICE 3neo and the soon-to-come ICE-L, there's enough rolling stock available. The DB is rather reliable and quick when it comes to putting out of service older rolling stock. After they decided to kill the IC 1 (which is very sad but also very understandable) they were incredibly fast to remove the ARkimmbz cars from service and replace the IC 1 on all lines where it is possible by any chance. The only remaining IC 1 operate on diesel lines and to Amsterdam/Copenhagen and will find their end in the ICE L.

[@jantjarks7946]

DB - Delayed Bahn 😉

[@NinjaBlue9151]

Thanks for visiting Hannover i wish i could meet you there 😢

[@danielbum912]

Both ways to Cologne are slow. One is just further :)

[@Simon-Andersen]

Another way to put it :P

[@merlinsmodellbahn1789]

1:42 That is a IC2 Not a IC1, the IC2 has Double-decker Wagons and the IC1 not

[@Simon-Andersen]

I know, just a tiny mistake in my voiceover :P

[@trulsdirio]

You drove by our house lol

[@Diclonius02]

You make all those preparations and then just call an ic2 casually an ic1 😅

[@Simon-Andersen]

Simply just mispoke xd Happens from time to time xd

[@Airbus33O-743L]

The train is delayed because it’s deutsche Bahn

[@srikanthshastry4546]

The original IC are now dead, They the price with the Class 101 Abtranz locs. DB killed them and scrapped the locomotives and the coaches instead of reusing them or selling them(FlixTrain or RegioJet). All when there is a serious shortage of coaches and locomotives. It burns me every time when I see them eating dust at Basel Bad Bahnhof at least around 35 coaches. I hate this! The German tax payer should me more concerned about this! The IC2s worst than Regio trains. The use mostly the same rolling stock as Regio (except the ICs that use Stadler KISS) and are much delayed and sometimes takes the same or even more time

[@maxart3392]

The train is OK, but the delays in Germany are getting worse and worse.