#3218· Baureihe 515
DB Class ETA 150
🇩🇪 Germany ·built by Siemens-Schuckert· from 1955· class of German battery-electric railcars
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 89-32 Lauterecken-Grumbach-2: Benedictus· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. 515-800-79-01: Benedikt Dohmen , Archiv-Nr. 79/01· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3. 1981-04-16 ETA 150 Jülich: KlausMiniwolf· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 4. 1988-04-05 07-47-00 Di N4212 Huchem-Stammeln Ueg ETA S-Holz Kp10: KlausMiniwolf· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. 1991-12-02 ETA 150 Düren: KlausMiniwolf· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 6. Aachen ETA 150 Hbf 1982: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 7. Aachen ETA 150 Hbf 1989: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 8. Akku-Triebwagen der Baureihe 515 verlässt den Adolfsecker Tunnel bei Adolfseck: Joachim Seyferth· CC BY 4.0
- 9. Akkuzug DB Baureihe 815: Frank Nowotny· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 10. Ameln ETA 150: Günter Tscharn· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The accumulator cars of Class ETA 150 (Class 515 from 1968) were German railcars used extensively by Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) for 40 years. They ran on both main and branch lines. By comparison with the Uerdingen railbus, the railcars were quieter (despite the typical whine of their DC motors), rode more smoothly on the rails owing to the weight of the batteries, and were pollution-free (no smoke or fumes).
base stats
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 71 years ago, in 1955.
- 26.8 m long: about 6 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 40 years (1955–1995).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1955
- in service from
- 1955
- retired
- 1995
- status
- retired
- number built
- 232
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- battery
- origin
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- builders
- Siemens-Schuckert, Waggonfabrik Josef Rathgeber, Orenstein & Koppel, MAN SE, Wegmann & Co.
- top speed
- 100 km/h
- power
- —
- length
- 26.8 m
- Dutch name
- Baureihe 515
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q458977, Wikipedia: DB Class ETA 150 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.