#5183

ICE 3

🇩🇪 Germany ·built by Siemens Mobility· from 2000· German high speed train

🚄 high-speed train electric ✓ in service

4 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. ICE 3 Oberhaider-Wald-Tunnel: Sebastian Terfloth User:Sese_Ingolstadt· CC BY-SA 3.0
2. DB ICE 3 4607 'Hannover' thv Ordermolenweg: Jan Derk Remmers· CC BY-SA 4.0
3. DB ICE 3 Velaro D - Meerbusch - 2019-04-26 - Nicky Boogaard: Nicky Boogaard· CC BY 2.0
4. Praest ICE-3NEO 8010 (53845722138): Rob Dammers· CC BY 2.0

what is it?

ICE 3 (standing for Intercity-Express) is a family of high-speed electric multiple unit trains operated by Deutsche Bahn. It currently includes classes 403, 407 and 408 which are additionally specified as ICE 3, New ICE 3 and ICE 3neo respectively and formerly the retired class 406 or ICE 3M. ICE 3 trains have a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) in Germany, 320 km/h (200 mph) when travelling on the French high-speed rail lines. Class 403 are theoretically permitted to go up to a maximum speed of 330 km/h (210 mph) when travelling on the high-speed route between Frankfurt and Cologne.

who runs it

DB Fernverkehr Nederlandse Spoorwegen Deutsche Bahn

base stats

speed 330 km/htop speed
power 8 MWpower output
weight 409 tin working order
built 50made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 26 years ago, in 2000.
Top speed is 2.5× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 7 minutes.
8 MW is about 94 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
Weighs about as much as 68 African elephants (~6 t each).
201 m long: about 45 cars parked nose to tail.
Still in service after 26 years.

high-speed train: Built for 200–350 km/h on dedicated lines, like the TGV, ICE or Shinkansen.

spec sheet

built: 2000
in service from: 2000
status: in service
number built: 50
kind: Electric multiple unit
traction: electric
origin: 🇩🇪 Germany
builders: Siemens Mobility, Adtranz, ALSTOM Transportation Germany, Siemens
designer: N+P Industrial Design, Siemens
operators: DB Fernverkehr, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Deutsche Bahn
top speed: 330 km/h
power: 8 MW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
electric system: Overhead line, 3, 3 (Class 406/407/408), 3 (Class 406/407/408), 3 (Class 406/407/408)
formation: 8 cars per trainset
length: 201 m
weight: 409 t

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

family

Sources: Wikidata Q532736, Wikipedia: ICE 3 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.