ICE test train reaches speeds of up to 405.0 km/h

This article communicates what this is about very poorly, so I'm not surprised a lot of people are asking "what is so special about this train?".

The answer is: Nothing. Many ICE trains have the capability to go that fast* - and some already surpassed these speeds on test tracks decades ago. It's really nothing special to make a train go these speeds.

What this test was supposed to show is that the real track (not a test track) between Erfurt and Leipzig/Halle can now support trains going that fast. Having compatible tracks is the real challenge (and cost sink) for high speed transport, not the trains themselves. Creating high speed track that is safe and usable in year-round conditions while being affordable to build and maintain is surprisingly hard.

* ICE-3s reached up to 368 km/h in tests, though ICE-4s are designed for more economical speeds in the 200-300 range and currently limited to 265km/h in software for safe operation.

Isn't it also true that that area around Leipzig has been a thorn in the side of DB since the fall of the wall? I think I remember reading somewhere that the infrastructure in that area isn't ideal for high volume and speed of trains (due to stretches that only have a single track and a lack of guarded/signaled level crossings IIRC)

I feel like the article is fairly clear

> DB und Siemens Mobility haben bei Testfahrten einen neuen Geschwindigkeitsrekord für die Strecke Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle erreicht

> Der ICE-S der DB Systemtechnik wird hauptsächlich für Test- und Messfahrten eingesetzt. Er dient dazu, neue Strecken zu testen, die Infrastruktur zu untersuchen und verschiedene Hochgeschwindigkeitsprüfungen durchzuführen

The latter paragraph explicitly states the point of this specific train is to test new routes and to analyze the infrastructure.

I think, like usual, it's a case of people reading the title and then going off to write a comment.

> I think, like usual, it's a case of people reading the title and then going off to write a comment.

Yes, that's poor communication. You need to read the last half of the article to really understand what the news is about. The title should be "405,0 km/h auf Schnellfahrstrecke Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle in Testfahrt erreicht". Note that this omits mentioning a specific train.

Also, the passenger miles per unit of energy drops geometrically, as speed increase linearly. Most of the loss is aerodynamic, so you either need a hyperloop tunnel or wings to take you into the literal stratosphere, to avoid high fuel burn at high speeds, so even if you could run the train at 400 km/hr along the whole track, it would be unlikely that any operator would do so, on a recurring basis.

I don't think cost is too much of a concern for ICEs. They are already a higher-priced option that competes with plane travel for many destinations.

You can take RE trains at virtually no cost between any two cities you can dream of, yet people en-masse still happily fork over a hundred bucks to save 3-4 hours with an ICE train.

The Wikipedia page has a reasonably concise overview of the project.

From a passenger perspective, a reduction of about an hour from the scheduled journey time for the long distance connections is pretty good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erfurt%E2%80%93Leipzig/Halle_h...

https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schnellfahrstrecke_Eltersdor...

> "geometrically"

It's only quadratic. Aerodynamic drag force ∝ v^2, so aerodynamic power dissipation ∝ v^3—but travel time ∝ v^{-1}, so that cancels out back to ∝ v^2 energy per km.

(I don't know if this was your intent or the opposite, but "geometric" is a synonym for "exponential", which this isn't).

There is a distinct difference in quality of ride in ICE trains when compared to RE trains:

- For some reason, the luggage compartments in many regional RE commuter trains are an example of drug induced circus design. People can not fit larger commuter bags in there

- The seating is less comfortable

- ICE trains have priority in terms of railway usage

- The passenger group is more friendly and respectful on the ICE trains

- Great restaurant service

- ICE are faster. I can travel in 1h from Frankfurt to Cologne.

If you need the configuration for work (speed of travel, working space), then ICEs are clearly superior and worth the cost. I cringe every time I have to get into RE trains. Not because I can not handle it, I am well travelled, but because I know what I can in the other trains.

(Full Disclaimer: I spend a lot of money for the BC100 every year. It is an essential component of my life).

Germans typically expect you to read full article before commenting. So for them it's not bad communication at all

It may not be just 3-4 hours difference, it could be a very significant difference in convenience. For Berlin to Munich, I'm pretty sure there's no single RE alternative, so you're probably transferring 3 or 4 times as well.

I'm sure in some cases, an RE is a bit more competitive with an ICE, but in plenty of others you're asking for a pretty unpleasant time. (And this is from someone with a Deutschland card, making RE trains "free".)

TIL

> So in your example (1^2,2^2,3^2,…), the growth is quadratic (a type of polynomial growth), not exponential. The term "exponentially" is often misused in everyday language to mean "very fast," but mathematically, it specifically requires the exponent to be changing.

Possibly. But this is about the https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schnellfahrstrecke_Eltersdorf%... / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erfurt%E2%80%93Leipzig/Halle_h... built rather recently, opened in 2017 or so. Have a look at the pictures, some interesting stuff there, like switches able to be driven over at 200kph, or just the scale of the elevated tracks in the general landscape.

Also interesting is, at least parts of the so called 'Feste Fahrbahn'(ballastless tracks) are of 'System Bögl', the same company that has joint ventures in China, to test and build Maglevs there. Though rather slow, more light light rail with no more than 160kph, but with an option for freight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_System_Bögl

Pures Betongold! ...err... golden concrete...

That's interesting. Can you tell me anything else about Germans? I'm particularly interested in what their school system teaches about good writing and effective communication.

It's also worth noting that ICE train does not mean internal combustion engine train, which was my second read (my first read being some super-deportation-train probably doesn't need to be clarified as even as I imagined that I knew it couldn't be right). It means "Intercity train", which a quick lookup clarifies as an express train between two cities that's longer than a commuter train but with fewer stops than your typical regional train.

Makes sense I'm not familiar with the term, as the closest match in my area is Caltrain (express trains, at least), which is still probably just commuter rail. I guess it's what CAHSR is trying to be.

I realize a turbo deportation train is quite dystopic but accolades to the ICE Advanced Research Project Apparatus (IARPA) for this development. I hope this advanced deportation tech can be tech transferred into the civilian space because rail transport has lagged for 150 years or more.