Germany’s FIRST High-Speed Train, is it still good?

[@captainquacksparrow192]

I was lucky enough to drive these trains myself for 6.5 years. Rarely has someone let me down and stayed put. Admittedly, the years have taken their toll on the machines, but they are still the most reliable horse in the DB stable. Greetings from a train driver from Germany.

[@danielf.7457]

Better than Br 412😢

[@leoborn4013]

@@danielf.7457Better than a V60 or Br218.

[@tramspected403]

Lucky bastard

[@avmz111]

The ICE 1 is like a good old friend who should never disappear 😊.

[@zoolkhan]

material fatigue will make them disappear either gracefully or forcefully - but disappear they will when maintenance cost become unsustainable.

[@randomguy2331main]

I think it already dissapeared bcz the derailment in eschede

[@KeVIn-pm7pu]

@@randomguy2331main no it didnt lmao they changed the train wheels.

[@KeVIn-pm7pu]

@@zoolkhan one day, before that the expansion of the railnetwork will make it necessary to keep the fleet because no other trains are available in short notice.

[@ICE_1germany]

Yessir:D

[@Scherrah1010]

The ICE 1 was THE milestone for high-spped rail service in Germany and I totally agree with you that they still live up to their quality, despite being almost 40 years old. Switzerland took some of these into their inventory where they serve long-distance-hauls between Hamburg/Berlin and Interlaken-Ost, as well as Berlin-Basel SBB. The main reason for that decision is their reliability. I wouldn‘t be too surprised if Switzerland would extend their lifespan even past 2030! Although the ride isn‘t as smooth as in a modertn ICE3 (neo)/ICE 4 set, they still can compete easily with other HSR sets worldwide. Interestingly when the USA ditched the ICE in favor for the Bombardier Acela, many Americans considered that decision a bad one as the Bombardier trainsets often tend to fail service. Yet Amtrak sticks to their decision and a recent upgrade even was made in favor for Bombardier instead of Siemens (although the Velaro D (which represent the ICE 3) was never officially tested in the USA). To this very date the USA still lack a reliable HSR throughout the country and it‘ll take for sure another 30-50 years until the USA will be up to code in that. Currently only west and east coast are benefitting from recently initialized projects for next-gen HSR services with completion of the lines mid 2030 to 2040. As you mentioned the ICE 5, yes, the DB are indeed investigating in a replacement for the Velaro D as these trains are also almost 30 years in operation. Siemens and Talgo have both shown concepts already, both looking sleek and modern, while the Talgo has the more aerodynamic design IMHO. You‘ll find videos about future ICE train generations here on KZbin as well. One word about punctuality: Yes, it is known that long-distance trains of DB are commonly known for their (sometimes heavy) delays and DB still struggles to have them on schedule by now. But it must be also noted that DB has no „Taktfahrplan“ unlike Switzerland, meaning that even the slightest delay can lead to even bigger delays the longer the train is operating. DB is currently undergoing major schedule redesign to overcome this problem but it‘ll take some time, like all good things do. I still have the dream where trains in Germany run as punctual as in Switzerland but with a network that complex and sensitive to delays, this will be no easy task at all.

[@Lolwutfordawin]

Big problem with delays snowballing is key routes being at or even over capacity, with no near term upgrades in sight. Will take many decades until the past 30 years of cost cutting/self sabotage can be undone. "Deutschlandtakt nicht vor 2070" ...

[@Mark-jt7ww]

Jo, SBB never bought ICE 1, they just connect DB ICE 1 to Swiss Hubs

[@Mark-jt7ww]

Also nobody wants to replace ICE Velaro D, they are not 30 Years old, what are you talking about.

[@Mark-jt7ww]

Also the Problem is not the schedules but the infrastructure and the capacity of it.

[@Mark-jt7ww]

Also is the suspension not as good as the suspension in the ICE4 which was build on the premise of low cost. Therefore the train does not use airsprung swervedampener. The suspension is the same in the iCE4 and the second class coaches in the ICE1, but worse in the ICE 4 compared to the suspension in first class coaches of ICE 1. Also u mentioned that Talgo did pitch their idea for the ICE 5. In reality only Alstom and Siemens have presented ideas, Talgo is only delivering right now the ICE L.

[@turtlemaster7099]

I personally like the ICE 1 the most. It is the most cozy i think and it has the most leg room. The leg room in second Class is as good as it is in in First Class of newer ICE trains.

[@EinChris75]

Can confirm. ICE1 is more spacious than all newer trains.

[@wteff8586]

They're also clearly the prettiest generation of ICE trains

[@EinChris75]

@@wteff8586 from the exterior view and the raw technical specs, the ICE 3 is quite a bit more modern. Like power train not power car, max 330 speed, look through cockpit for the first passengers. But it's not as comfy as a gen 1.

[@007Marke]

Absolutely agreed.. ICE 1 and IC 1 are easily best, especially the seats in ICE 4 are TERRIBLE

[@christianbayerstein5243]

that is also the reason why it cannot be used in many European countries, die cars are too wide for France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Therefore the ICE3 had to be more narrow.@@EinChris75

[@alby6523]

My god, your pronunciation of German words is spectacular. I always read how people adore when you speak their language "correctly" and now I can definitely say the same :D Love your videos. I commute by train quite frequently and your videos made me appreciate my long rides a lot more, even with Deutsche Bahn and all its shenanigans.

[@UnnormaI]

He did a full review of the ICE 3 in german.

[@xuus]

agreed, also the pronounciation of the russian words was very good!

[@Jasinglismen]

if DB has a lot of shenanigans, then try the trains in czechia lmao

[@xAciasx]

Old ICE 1 trains used to have screens in the back of the seat in front, even in second class. Every seat also had headphone sockets with 8 programms, 7 and 8 were reserved for the screen entertainement. Seating space was also very high compared to later models.

[@reinhardheim6008]

You forgot to mention the high ceilings and upper level windows in the restaurant car which is the special touch of the ICE1 train and no other ICE will ever have anymore.

[@koiyujo1543]

it be cool if they brought that back in the ICE 5 that will come up in the years

[@markoobid2005]

@@koiyujo1543 if they want to use it internationally - then no!

[@ft4709]

@@markoobid2005 Luckily, the ICE 5 will be domestic only.

[@OnceLivedEgeus]

ICE 2 also has high ceiling right?

[@reinhardheim6008]

@@OnceLivedEgeus No, sorry. ICE1 has the high ceiling as it is a so called "BordRestaurant" car - class WSmz 804.0. The ICE2 had originally just a "BordBistro" car - class WRmbsz 807.0 - with standard height which was updated to a "BordRestaurant" during the latest redesign.

[@tonybkent]

I remember travelling on one of these in August 1992 when I was Inter-Railing and being really impressed with the ICE. I didn't realise they were so new at the time, until watching this video

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Wow, yeah they would be only a year! :)

[@vinniechudam1835]

1998: I was 20yrs old and booked a 2nd class Eurail pass for Germany. Basically I could travel anywhere on the DB network for 7 days in a month. I slept at Frankfurt airport on the terminal seats a few occasions. I also managed to catch the sleeper train from Brussels to Berlin, and slept in a couchette. These ICE1 trains whisked me the length and breadth of Germany. I was amazed. Fastforward 25 years and I am now very much a First Class traveller by train. Thanks for sharing.

[@graflattenschuss8126]

6:35 you can actually see an "Feuewehr-Zug" (Firebrigade Train)

[@MaximusPrime_gg]

Even though it's 30 years old it still stands well to this day

[@ki_ba]

bcit is modernized and always "new". But the ICE 1 trains are also slowly being retired at the moment.

[@notroll1279]

I used those trains a lot for weekly commuting between Berlin and Düsseldorf in 2008. I liked the design but they were overdue for refurbishment and only had a single socket on tables for four and nothing for all the pairs of seats in between. As soon as they were updated, they were very usable and pleasant - showing that trains can be brilliant for a long time with good maintenance and occasional updates.

[@joshi_1202]

1:37 HLB not only operates routes to Hanau and Aschaffenburg from this station, but also Eltville, Siegen/Dillenburg, Kassel/Treysa and Nidda - more than Vias. They even used to have 2 more routes, which have recently been taken over by DB-owned operator Start.

[@unknown-wn2rh]

As far as I'm aware, the station featured in 1:13 isn't actually Frankfurth (am Main) Hbf, but much rather Nürnberg Hbf..

[@SuperalbsTravels]

You are right, but I didn't have any other footage, so shhhh! 😉

[@unknown-wn2rh]

I just get to visit Nürnberg Hbf quite often, as I live an about 40 minute train ride away. So when I saw the clip, I was just like, "Hold up.. This isn't Frankfurth.." Great video btw!

[@antonnurwald5700]

For a tiny, tiny moment, but yes.

[@coolmasterztv3088]

I love the way how these German trains are designed.

[@MrDj200]

As a german I expected this video to end horribly. So I'm quite surprised that it seemed like a good run. Though I am annoyed that my thought was "Oh, only 3 minutes late? That's on time!" :D To bad the rail connection to my city got literally washed away in 2021 and they're still not back in action

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Wow, two years out of service? What happened? :(

[@thisisanametoo]

@@SuperalbsTravels There was a huge flood in west germany, which washed away the tracks and destroyed multiple trains.

[@UnnormaI]

​@@SuperalbsTravelsThe Ahrtal flooding in 2021 washed away the Eifelbahn which conected Cologne with Trier. Service has been partially restored and it'll be electrified.

[@MrDj200]

@@SuperalbsTravels As others already said, there was a flood. The track is/was right next to the river "Volme" and that got so much water that it just took the railway embankment with it. The tracks were completely hovering in the air due to all the material being gone from under it. It's the RB52 that's been out of service specifically

[@cooltwittertag]

DB is the only operator i ever used where i arrived 12 minutes early, so they can have good days with their variability

[@maximusg88]

Just don't go outside of the Frankfurt station and you'll be fine :D

[@MrDamodee]

Why has frankfurt changed, went about 10 years ago

[@kinghans6266]

​@@MrDamodeeTherfore you have to ask what happened since 2015 mainly.

[@mta362]

​@@kinghans6266what happened

[@budgiefriend]

I'm intrigued.

[@UnnormaI]

​@@kinghans6266Nah, it was always like this.

[@patricklnz]

I’m very excited that you took a route that I also travel on quite regularly (Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe-Berlin). Whenever I can, I try to book a connection that's operated by an ICE 1. They are definitely the most comfortable ICE trains. Very happy that you enjoyed your journey. Tbh it even makes me a bit proud.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching! :)

[@CAESARbonds]

It felt like time travel riding this the first time. Digital displays showing your speed and position. They even had A phone booth connected to the mobile network. blasting with 280 km/h to your destination in no time. This was always an experience.

[@NorthSea_1981]

I was 10 years old, when the ICE was introduced in 1991. A lot of people here in Germany were immensely proud and looking forward to our domestic national high speed rail service at the time! I remember when the Hannover-Würzburg HSR line was built in the 80s. It cost billions and was quite a an achievement, with gigantic viaducts/bridges and countless tunnels, since the line goes through the super hilly central German uplands, often visible along closeby to the main Autobahn A7 route, with gigantic construction sites at the time… Before that, there were some upgraded main electrified trunk lines in Germany for fast intercity service, which had been upgraded up to 180-200km/h in the 70s along certain routes, but no proper high speed rail until THIS. At the time when the whole German HSR network was originally planned, it was also still a fully nationalized company (it‘s semi-privatized since the 90s, for better or worse). Germany being a pluricentric country with several regional hubs and having a relatively dense network is surely prone to failure when it gets to delays, especially regarding the huge amount of passenger and cargo traffic everywhere. After the 90s, with new international routes towards the East re-established, along with an overall massive increase of traffic, have caused quite a few challenges, not to mention the increasingly bad management of DB in recent years. DB was never perfect, but never this bad in past decades compared to now. Sometimes I think it might be better to put it back under whole national state control, with its own ministry, as was still the case in the 80s.

[@cooltwittertag]

the effects of forcing a profit incentive can be felt on a small level too. Its part of the reason why the BVG in Berlin is more reliable and trustworthy than the SBahn

[@olivermeineke9707]

Until 2019, politicians with their four-year terms never defined clear long-term goals and never adequately financed the expansion and maintenance of the rail network. As a result, the network is now outdated and overloaded. And politics is not improving: the old government wanted the fully integrated "Germany-Takt" timetable by 2030, the new government is postponing it to 2070 and is focusing on renovating heavily used corridors. Railroads require large long term investment - it seems like short sighted politics are unable to meet this requirement.

[@WKPExpressMovies]

7:00 Actually, the speed of the high speed railway Hannover-Würzburg is limited to 250 km/h only in tunnels, outside even 280 km/h are allowed. If the train is delayed or not, doesn't matter. But due to the fact that this railway mostly consists of tunnels following close to each other, there are only a few parts between Hannover and Göttingen as well as between Fulda and Würzburg, where it makes sense to push the train to 280 km/h, in case of a delay. But that is the decision of the driver. I've already been on an ICE going 280 km/h there, even though running on time.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Cool, thanks! :)

[@Foxy_AR]

As someone who is from Fulda, I am happy that you actually mentioned our town 😅

[@no-damn-alias]

The ICE 1 is a great train although they start to show their age. When you sit on a window seat best in the middle of the car. Lean on the wall or stuck you hand between the wall and the seat and you can feel how the car is flexing especially when you're driving into a tunnel at high speeds due to the pressure differentials. Recently took an ICE from Berlin to Munich via Erfurt which was served by an ICE 1 . I was very happy about it not being an ICE 4 . Better seats, more space, faster and quieter. It was running late as a passenger needed medical attention so we were going 280km/h where possible. You could definetly feel the flex being more than in an ICE 3 although that was almost 10 years ago now and being way more than in an ICE 4 but that one's going slower as well. Yes the LDV will shorten these trains for two reasons. Some middle cars are simply too worn so they can't use them any longer. Also they want to protect the power units. They already had to do a full overhaul of the drive train and change the GTOs to IGBT. So they want to baby the trains. How I know DB these trains will run beyond 2030 and only the ICE 5 will replace them. All other trains will simply extend the ICE network as many IC lines will be converted to ICE so people have to pay a higher fare.

[@EnjoyFirefighting]

12:40 only 2 minutes behind schedule ... keep in mind: after travelling all across the country, on a route which is by far neither the shortest nor quickest between Munich and Berlin, but obviously covering and serving numerous large cities along its route.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

It's quite impressive really!

[@Kuatier]

Damn thanks for uploading. Must be older footage, since in 2:34 you can see a special "Metropolitan" trainset, which left service IIRC two yeras ago.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Correct, it was filmed in 2020.

[@tjaardb.kaffee1488]

Love your videos, as well as the ICE:D I am always impressed by your attention to details and your pronounciation of German words! Little correction though, Germanys busiest station is Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, Frankfurt Hbf is 'just' the second busiest. Keep up your phenomenal videos!

[@mysteriousm.9158]

I am a train driver from DB Fernverkehr and I love the Br401. Although it is over 30 years old it is still such a masterpiece.It's always a pleasure to drive one of them myself.♥️

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Agreed, you can't beat the classics sometimes, right? :)

[@mysteriousm.9158]

@@SuperalbsTravels I totally agree!:)

[@EpicThe112]

For your subscribers in the United States it should be familiar to them because 30 years ago DB Baureihe 401 ran between Washington Union Station in New Haven Connecticut both directions alongside the X2000 from Sweden. The high speed line is called Schnellfahrstrecke Hannover Würzburg which your train did the Fulda Hannover segement via Kassel Wilhelmshöhe. The reason why the route has 4 tracks on some parts it's designed to send freight trains during the evening

[@seewulf1993]

The ICE´s to Berlin usually use the Highspeed track just till Hildesheim as they run then via Braunschweig

[@Martin_Trainspotter]

I like all the ICE's to be honest. 😊 I also can't wait to see the new DB Talgo train sets in action. 😎

[@antonnurwald5700]

Ooooooh i love the first generation ICEs! The restaurant with the elevated roof is so classy!

[@Flo123XYZ]

Very nice Video! Greetings from Germany🇩🇪:)

[@LowaddictsSoundsystem]

Nice! We've a similar tram system here in The Netherlands called 'Randstad Rail'. Based around the city of The Hague and even uses the same types of trams(:

[@mariusbecker1159]

Its so cute how you spell german expressions! Im living in Göttingen, north of Kassel and did spend my childhood and youth in a village next to the High Speed Line. I went and am sometimes still seeing ICEs just 15 minutes away from our house there- too bad you didnt include Göttingen in your Presentation!

[@distinctdipole]

This was my first non-HST high speed train back in the mid/late 90s. Used to get it from Gottingen to Berlin with the friend I was living with. Very impressed when they were new and good to see they've stood the test of time.

[@fateofsouls214]

When did you take this trip? The at 2:33 train is one of the old Metropolitan trains (basically a luxury variant of the German intercity trains) that were decommissioned in 2021. Either this recording is from before the decommissioning or they were reactivated.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

It was filmed in 2020, I had just got off the Metropolitan ICE a few hours prior. :)

[@exilsaarlander9813]

Unfortunately those nice sets will most likely never see use again. However DB Gebrauchtzug currently (or at least) used to sell those carriages. So if anybody finds the right change, they might come back

[@officialflorint]

I'm originally from Kassel, nice that you mentioned the RegioTrams, I've been taking one to school and back every day from 1st grade until high school graduation haha

[@calvinallan2208]

0:45 Even in the dullest of weather...You mean typical German weather 😅😅

[@BritishRail60062]

This is my favorite train in Germany. I hope they will have a couple of them preserved as part of their heritage fleet in the future as I would like to ride one of these myself. Great video buddy and thanks for uploading.

[@koiyujo1543]

It's amazing the ICE 1 still is so great in terms of quality today despite it being over 30 years old!

[@alpzepta]

So good that it last longer than Shinkansen 300 and 400

[@olivermeineke9707]

The ICE 1s restaurant car is gorgeous. Btw.: Germanys first high speed train was the "Fliegender Hamburger" from 1932.

[@barbaralcharles]

What a great name for a train.

[@bernardmueller5676]

You CAN use the DB lounge if you have a first class ticket.

[@bjorn6530]

Only if you have a 1st class Flex-Ticket. Discounted tickets (Sparpreis, Supersparpreis) will not allow access. It was not mentioned directly, but a ticket only valid for a special train are always discounted. Gold or platin status as frequent travller will allow access, too.

[@aspiringtechnician9252]

I love the look of the ICE 1 and 2

[@LexusLFA554]

Based on the german train I would guess the Alex video will release soon? :) As a child I had a small model of this train, I still think it looks neat from the outside. Never had the chance to travel on one :( Love your german pronounciations, they are very good.

[@rezaalan3991]

Great trip, it's great to see ICE 1 still in service today and can be operated for extended time. And yeah another hit of Germany pronunciation

[@_Nork26]

1:13 was the Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof :)

[@SuperalbsTravels]

🤫🤫🤫

[@hanshartfiel6394]

Frankfurt am Main was not named after the river Main. The "am Main" is only there as there are two cities called Frankfurt the other one being on the river Oder. The am Main means on the Main.

[@drealcf7513]

Funny enough, the ICE 1 that was shipped to the US once i was able to be in the front car with the traindriver cause i'm a trainee at DB Fernverkehr and i was shown the interior of that kind of trains.

[@CFRTrainSpotter]

I took the ICE 1 from Ribnitz-Damgarten to Hamburg, and while it was only running on a high-speed stretch of track briefly, i must say that the ride was very enjoyable. They are the only ICE trains that still have compartiments, which is a big plus (sadly the trend is for train interiors to be more and more like airplanes). the restaurant car with the higher roof is also something worth noting. overall a very good train after more than 30 years in service.

[@markoobid2005]

Compartments are a big minus! Especially in Germany where there are many people travelling by train.

[@svr5423]

@@markoobid2005 In Germany people are travelling by car or airplane. Trains are full because they are not many of them. I always booked compartments when I travelled with ICE. Much quieter cabin.

[@markoobid2005]

@@svr5423 you serious? Not many of them when there are ICE trains in half-hourly departures? Compartments are outdated, uncomfortable for solo passengers (a majority) and reduce capacity. That means more people standing. Just compare the capacity of ICE 1 to one of ICE 4.

[@svr5423]

@@markoobid2005 Often you have only hourly (or 2 hourly for long distance) connections when here in Switzerland you can get a train every 15min including weekends. Night trains are missing as well in Germany. If you want to go home on Saturday or Sunday at 3am, you're mostly out of luck. The reason why people are standing is because they don't use enough wagons and the schedule it too scarce. That's why you need to make a reservation in a german long distance train and then kick the guy out of the chair that's trying to steal it. Locally, I often saw trains with one engine, a 1st class and a 2nd class wagon. Now everybody crammed into the 2nd class because you don't buy 1st class for just 15min. Besides the DB, there are local train operators with much more modern and comfortable wagons. And sometimes they would extend their trains out of goodwill, since the government didn't want to pay for it. And only few cities have ICE connections in the first place.

[@markoobid2005]

@@svr5423 how can you extend ICE train? Impossible. When 13 open space cars (as in ICE 4 XXL version) are not enough, then you know there is something wrong with the society - overpopulated. This is the main reason for full trains. People need to stop having children NOW. There is no room for compartments in modern world, they are uncomfortable because you are in a closed room with 5 strangers staring in your face and limiting your legroom. This is not only the violation of privacy, but also poses an increased risk of people meeting each other and getting into relationships, resulting in more children. and even more overpopulation. So only the airplane-style seats are contemporary. There you have enough legroom, personal table and electric outlet, and no one is looking at you.

[@ylilin]

I'd love to see a ICE 2, ICE T & ICE 3 (Classic) review. Especially with the upgrades all three have received by DB Systemtechnik in recent years.

[@legitscoper3259]

By your wording phrasing within the first 45 seconds alone, you got me to Subscribe. Greetings from a German Train driver.

[@ognjenstevanovic9858]

I'm glad you enjoyed. It's nice that it's 30 years old and still in great shape, it's sad that they want to replace it.

[@maxvandoorn3799]

0:31 kinda depends. Hamburg has more travelers per day than Frankfurt, it is surprisingly also not the station with the most trains (Hamburg again if you include S-Bahn, München if you exclude) but it can be argued that it is the most important one, as it is a major interchange hub in the middle of Germany. Hamburg and München most often are the end of the line, with just a selected few going further (Altona of course not counting). Frankfurt on the other hand has lines runing in all directions from it. When I visit both my grandparent oer train I most often have to change at either Köln of Frankfurt.

[@simonf8490]

As a little kid I went on the ICE1 once when they were new, I no longer live in Germany but been back for holidays. Last time, I took this service to Frankfurt looking forward to it. The first one broke down, the replacement caught on fire not long after resulting in everyone getting cramped onto an ancient IC service resulting in me almost missing my flight. The ICE1 however still feels very modern and hopefully next time I'll have better luck.

[@HorizonSpottingGermany-kd6kh]

5:22 Pillow with İCE T inner pillow😂 they are larger than the "normal" ones.

[@k.r.99]

There's just something magnificent about it's shape and design. It just looks so smooth and seamless. My older brother had an electronic toy ICE with tracks as a kid. This only adds to the nostalgia. I personally have never been on one.

[@Paul-hq7gf]

1:34 if you filmed this on a tuesday or thursday then there's quite a big chance I was on that specific train. Nice vid as always!

[@Gokatgo]

9:59 lol I love that that you refuse to call them ICE's.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

They will never be a real ICE! 😂😂😂

[@MarioFanGamer659]

My first travel on an intercity train also happen to be on an ICE 1 which happened more than a year ago. Unlike your travel, though, I took an ICE Spriter which took the route further east, going through Erfurt and Halle instead of Kassel and Wolfsburg. A side effect is that most of my journey was on conventional tracks, though I didn't mind it too much in that I prefer rail over air travel. My return journey also ran through the same route, incidentally also ICE 1. The only things which went wrong there was that I got an ICE 1 twice, my first ride had broken reservations and display screens and that they were only relatively punctual (i.e. a couple minutes late) but otherwise was quite a smooth ride.

[@MikeS29]

I certainly laughed when you tried to put the beer glass in the dedicated detent. Those kinds of things drive me crazy 😅

[@finni3655]

2:30 that isn‘t actually a ICE, that’s a IC (Intercity) the version before the ICE.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

It's definitely an ICE, I went on it myself! kzbin.info/www/bejne/sH6vkHeMntyAjZI

[@finni3655]

Yeah, its more like a stereotype, some say it was worth to be a IC. 😂

[@torstenwinkler1157]

So cool to see my hometown of Braunschweig appear in one of your videos!! 😃👍

[@leduc6919]

German here. IMO the ICE 1,2 and original 3 still hold up amazingly well considering their age. We have regional trains that are 3 years old that feel FAR worse to ride on than the ICE 1. Sure, it's not perfect and there are things that the 2 and 3 and espeically 4, even if I don't like that one, improved upon, but it still holds up absolutely well.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

I agree!

[@mondexponent2126]

at 2:23 International routes : Switzerland , Austria , Belgium , France AND the Netherlands :D

[@Ruvi5000]

2:31 is actually a one off MET train, converted to ICE use and is actually not in use today anymore

[@SuperalbsTravels]

That's correct! :(

[@jemoeder5347]

I had the pleasure of traveling with one last summer, in second class. First leg of the journey, they radiate a sort of calmness that more modern ICE carriages, as well as more modern trains in general, miss.

[@TRANSPORTEXCELLENCE2011]

Nice 😊I took this train from Köln to Düsseldorf(on the 2 of November)😊😊

[@wilsondaily826]

Brunswick is not the 'historical' name, but rather the english transliteration of Braunschweig, as it has always been known to the Germans.

[@carlo26]

Quick tip for 1st clas seat service if no personel is around: in the iceportal, you can check on the menu tab to the right, you can order the Things you want directly to your seat via giving your coach No. and seat number. It is not available all the time, i even had it one time that it said it is available, but got an notification that due to understaffing my order can not be delivered to me directly. But mist times it is available

[@rgboss1337]

As a German i have to say that those trains are very confortable, quiet and for me who only uses trains to get to vecation so i don´t need to use seem on the daily basis, i only had good experiences with th ICE trains exept one time where the AC was broken in a carrage and my booked seat wasn´t available and i had to search a new seat and hope that nobody else comes and booked the seat.

[@baseballfan99]

I remember being very excited to see them back in 1994 but our regional pass did not allow free travel on it unlike EuroCity etc. My first trip on one was in 2001 and I was very impressed.

[@JLeman-me1xh]

Nice vid and good pronounciation of german Cities and words.

[@MicksA]

As an Australian I was excited to visit Germany for the first time last month, I heard a lot of good things about how state of the art their ICE system is, and all I can say is, France and Spain was FAR BETTER. The ICE system was slow and cancelling regularly. I then went to Japan, and that sh*ts on every railway system in the world.

[@Scherrah1010]

Umm, okay, so what does it have to do with a heavily overcrowded timetable and other local trains sharing the same tracks as the ICE with it‘s technics? The ICE 2 okay that was a fiasco as many of these trains had their technical problems but they‘re all ironed out by now yet the problem with bad track usage planning still exists. A problem DB is now addressing… finally! Japan has a way less complex track system and another timetable system (equal to the one in Switzerland!) which makes if of course easier to maintain punctuality…. Well DUH! No rocket science here! And Spain/France have their expertise in HS rail service since the early 80‘s so of course they do better than Germany. Also no big Brainer here and additional to that, both countries have separate tracks for HS services and commuter services whereas in Germany these often share the same tracks.

[@svr5423]

Fully agree. The ICE system in Germany is overhyped. Sure, the trains are nice when they actually go and are maintained. But due to the nonexistence of high speed track segments, they go the same speed as regular trains most of the time. Which means that door-to-door, it's comparable to travelling by car. And this is when there are no delays/cancellations which happen quite often for various reasons (bi-annual strikes, snow in winter, heat in summer,..). Japan is the gold standard for high speed railway. TGV is similar in speed, but the ride comfort is classes worse. Here in Switzerland, we also have a great railway system. You can even take one up to a glacier. But no high speed trains as there are no use for them due to the small size of the country.

[@Scherrah1010]

@@svr5423 I wouldn‘t say the ICE trains are overhyped. They get to speed once they have their HS track for themselves but Germany has not many tracks capable of handling speeds greater than 160-200kmph. However Germany is heavily expanding their HS rail network and then the ICE trains could definitely play their cards. A direct HS line from Munich to Berlin could result ina a 3 hour travel instead of the 5:45 travel today. But until that will happen, there will be passing some more years.

[@svenlakemeier]

@@Scherrah1010 Munich to Berlin is under 4 hours, with the new time table 3:46 from München HBF to Berlin HBF.

[@Scherrah1010]

@@svenlakemeier Okay, didn‘t know that. Last info I had was over 5hr travel time.

[@wy2679]

I have the ice 1 as a model railway from märklin 🙂

[@trailwayt9H337]

Thankyou sr. For introducing of this beautifull train and it's fecilitys ❤

[@arnomrnym6329]

@ 8:13 'That's what I call a realy, realy proper poured Weizenbier. 😁Zum Wohl 🍻 After 32 year in business, they still look better than everything the USA has to offer, not to mention the speed. 😉 Two days ago I saw a YT-Vid about the problems of the Acela trains from Alstom. Looks like they made a wrong decission back in '93! 😂 Thx for taking us with u on this trip. 👍🏾😎

[@1955DodgersBrooklyn]

1:52 Trenitalia as well these days :)

[@maestromecanico597]

I rode the ICE (and X2000) in Amtrak service 30 years ago. Instead they bought junk they are trying to replace. Yet the original ICE and X2000 will be in service to and through the end of this decade.

[@gelegenheits_spotter]

A very good video, as always :) But respect, you have really done very good and accurate research 👍👍

[@alpenroseable]

i very like your explanations around the journey and the train 10 out of 10 brilliant excellent

[@DerNoergler]

2:28 - this train looks more like a IC if i am not mistaken.

[@xBris]

Yep, that's definitely an IC, not an ICE.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

It's definitely an ICE, you can see the whole video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sH6vkHeMntyAjZI

[@DerNoergler]

Ah, yes, the "ICE" Metropolitan. Of course... @@SuperalbsTravels

[@letsplayfreakde1273]

​@@SuperalbsTravelscan you let me/us know on which lines they still operate those ?

[@captainbozo01]

@@letsplayfreakde1273 They aren't in service anymore, sadly.

[@no-damn-alias]

2:19 I don't want to be a know-it-all but you missed the Netherlands and if I'm not mistaken Denmark but correct me if I'm wrong. There certainly was a connection with the ICE TD but I don't know if DB still operates services to Denmark or if the DSB does that on its own now

[@SuperalbsTravels]

I did miss NL, thanks. DK no longer operates, it ceased many years ago, I think 2015.

[@no-damn-alias]

@@SuperalbsTravels ok thank you about the clarification about DK although it might return when the Femarnbelttunnel is finally finished

[@SuperalbsTravels]

@@no-damn-alias I expect it could at some point, but it will probably be with DB's Talgo trains.

[@TRANSPORTEXCELLENCE2011]

Congrats with 94000 subscribers 🎉🎉😊

[@FromtheWindowSeat]

Reallly enjoyed this one. Cheers! 🍻 It’s certainly an iconic train. 😎

[@pascalw.1027]

The ICE 1 is an extremely reliable train and also comfortable. It has those older seats with better padding and more legroom, so that the cabin feels spacious, unlike in the ICE 4, where it feels like you are sitting in an airplane. After the first generation ICE 3 that train together with the similar ICE 2 are my most favourite ❤️. They all have those smaller cabins also, which allow some privacy. Sadly the newer ones are just built to get as much people as possible into a train and are not about comfort. The new seats are also a huge downgrade compared to those in the ICE 1 and 2.

[@kobold2376]

there as new inside Design for ice 3 neo br 408 - i really like it because there is a lot of wood inside, i really would like you checking this out and give your comment keep up your good work!

[@devn3813]

I rode on many trains in Germany last may. They are pretty old overall, but still a century newer than anything the United States has.

[@mariokrings]

pretty old? 🤔

[@mycubehead]

Could you please visit Latvia. They are about to replace their old soviet trains which were made locally.

[@ajfrostx]

These are probably my favourite high speed trains.

[@Ilove80sever]

In Spain we have a similar case to these ICE 1 train, but we have AVE 100 series, to put on service in 1992 due to the opening of Madrid - Seville train line. They are still in service, it seems like they are good trains too. Quite older but reliable at the end. For 2024 talgo 106 series will be active trains, AVRIL.

[@uncipaws7643]

One thing I like to do is pluck the string at the side of the window. And yes if you book ahead you can sometimes get very reasonably priced first class tickets (Supersparpreis). You won't have lounge access though. ICE 1 is especially popular among those who like travelling in compartments (aren't they 5-seat in first class?)

[@BigPaul62]

As with our much loved HST 125's, this train proves that new isn't always best.

[@trainingtheworld5093]

I took ICE trains this year. They were expensive, late and absolutely full. My train from Berlin to Frankfurt had people without seat reservations sitting in reserved seats, standing in the isles. A filthy guy with a large dog tried to sit next to me I had to get staff to help. A group of guys got extremely drunk on another train in reserved 1st class they were extremely loud. Many staff didn’t do anything and the buffet car was too busy. Never again.

[@Risinghaze]

If you wanna look at a trainride, that is a bit... "slower" and older, maybe the HSB is something for you. Thats the "Harzer Schmalspurbahnen". They mainly run steam trains for tourists, BUT there most of the routes are build in the public transportation network and are used as "normal" trains. So, if you will, thats the last steam powered regional train in germany. They run, for example the "Harzer Querbahn". That goes from Wernigerode to Nordhausen. Sometimes they use there Dieselengines or just Dieselunits. But sometimes they are using the steam trains :)

[@novatraugott]

We have the ICE 1, the ICE 2, the ICE 3, the ICE 4, and the ICE T! But there´s no Velaro D´s or Neo´s running here! But not long ago, while I was at a skatepark, a red BR 101 came and stopped an ICE L right in front of us! I was so shocked! But I´ve seen ICE L´s every now and then! We have a TON of ICE 4 and not many ICE 3´s and ICE T´s!

[@olasola1013]

In service, there are: - 58 ICE 1s - 43 ICE 2s - 70 ICE Ts (59 7-car, 11 5-car) - 65 ICE 3s (both classes) - 17 ICE 3 Velaro Ds - 20 ICE 3neos (22 delivered, 90 ordered in total - 137 ICE 4s (37 7-car, 50 12-car, 50 13-car) - 0 ICE Ls (unknown amount delivered, 79 ordered in total) There’s also one ICE TD being used as a train laboratory

[@zoolkhan]

correction required 0:30 -> germanys busiest station is Hamburg HBF

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Thanks, I meant one of the biggest! 👍

[@christophermiel]

"we cross the river Main after which the city is named" Frankmain am Furt.

[@GeniusSL]

Had the ICE 1 a few times as a replacement for the ICE 4 earlier this year traveling from Leipzig to Frankfurt aM. I'd say I was lucky then, since they are way more comfortable than the ICE4.🥰

[@firepower01]

The front grill reminds me of my 2005 Saab 9-5.

[@David-281]

You know, before even watching… Yes! It is still good! :))) Still the favourite of many rail enthusiasts! :)) Mine is the ICE 3 though.

[@snoopdogg12-y3e]

I’m traveling on a ICE velaro d very soon from Germany to France and I’m gonna see a ICE 1 in Winter break