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DB CLASS 218 locomotives.

cm39275

cm39275

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Myself and some work colleagues are heading out to Germany in the next couple of months and we where wondering, if anyone has any up to date or any idea where I can find information of which services are currently operated by DB class 218 Locomotives in Germany?
We have searched the forum for information and can only find post from previous year's.
 
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The exile

The exile

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cm39275 said:
Myself and some sork colleagues are heading out to Germany in the next couple of months and we where wondering, if anyone has any up to date or any idea where I can find information of which services are currently operated by DB class 218 Locomotives in Germany?
We have searched the forum for information and can only find post from previous year's.
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RE2 Northbound from Regensburg for a start. Various workings on the Munich - Muehldorf - Simbach line (but I haven’t actually seen diagrams since v160.de stopped producing them about 25 years ago!). Workings in the north (Westerland and Luebeck) are very much on borrowed time (think we’re talking weeks now, rather than months)
 
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mrlegohead said:
The last IC services I can see on ÖBB Scotty are 10th July. After that they are ICEs - I wonder if they will be ICE-Ls, which will still need diesel locos to haul them.
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DB are taking delivery of 21 new ETH fitted electro-diesel Vectrons for hauling ICE-L beyond the wires.
 
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Richard Scott

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The exile said:
RE2 Northbound from Regensburg for a start. Various workings on the Munich - Muehldorf - Simbach line (but I haven’t actually seen diagrams since v160.de stopped producing them about 25 years ago!).
Click to expand...
Hopefully here for RE2 https://www.55p.cz/munchen_re2_2026/
Here for Westerland https://www.55p.cz/niebull_218_2026/
As for Munich to Muehldorf, think rostered 245 but 218s can substitute.
Hope links work.
As stated above Westerland probably unlikely to last much longer.
 
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LUYMun

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According to the "Dreisheibe 101" Facebook group posted by a German Facebook admin, the original plan to replace the 218, 101 and IC1 stock on the Westerland and Oberstdorf routes have been postponed to December 2026 due to no Talgo sets being available. For the Allgau services to/from Oberstdorf, these will see the 248.5 Class being introduced on the non-electrified run between Ulm and Oberstdorf, replacing the 218s.

Update: above gen is absolutely duff
 
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LUYMun said:
According to the "Dreisheibe 101" Facebook group posted by a German Facebook admin, the original plan to replace the 218, 101 and IC1 stock on the Westerland and Oberstdorf routes have been postponed to December 2026 due to no Talgo sets being available. For the Allgau services to/from Oberstdorf, these will see the 248.5 Class being introduced on the non-electrified run between Ulm and Oberstdorf, replacing the 218s.
Click to expand...
Good news as I plan to go out there after May. Thought I'd missed my opportunity for one last run!!
 
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rvdborgt

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There will be a 218 with 3 n-Wagen doing one diagram on RE10 (Kleve-Düsseldorf) from 9 March.
 
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The exile said:
Is that new territory for them? IIRC it went straight from 215s to DMUs.
Click to expand...
Sure was one turn when I was out there in 2005, seem to remember seeing 218126 on it.
 
The exile

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33056 said:
I had 218 139 from Düsseldorf to Kleve and back in April 2006; seem to recollect that it was just the one turn by then.
Click to expand...
Those obviously passed me by, but then having lived in Essen, Hagen 218s were hardly the top attraction on offer in 2006.
 
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kingston_toon

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I'm flying out to DUS tomorrow hoping to take the 218-operated service up to Kleve on Friday. Has anyone actually bashed this yet? Photos online seem limited. Does it actually run?
 
LUYMun

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There's plenty of videos on YouTube showing the Kleve service running, backed up by sightings and bashings of my contacts who've gone out to Germany very recently, therefore yes it does actually run.
 
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U-Bahnfreund

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The Freizeitexpress Südbahn service by SVG running Saturday and Sunday from 13 June to 1 November 2026 is hauled by a class 218 locomotive. 13/06 to 26/07 and 19/09 to 1/11 it runs Stuttgart - Aalen - Ulm - Aulendorf - Friedrichshafen - Radolfzell - Singen and 1/08 to 13/09 it runs Stuttgart - Plochingen - Ulm - Aulendorf - Friedrichshafen - Lindau. I guess the inbetween phase to Lindau might be run electric and not by 218

Times can be found here https://www.svg-freizeitexpress.com/
 
30907

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U-Bahnfreund said:
The Freizeitexpress Südbahn service by SVG running Saturday and Sunday from 13 June to 1 November 2026 is hauled by a class 218 locomotive. 13/06 to 26/07 and 19/09 to 1/11 it runs Stuttgart - Aalen - Ulm - Aulendorf - Friedrichshafen - Radolfzell - Singen and 1/08 to 13/09 it runs Stuttgart - Plochingen - Ulm - Aulendorf - Friedrichshafen - Lindau. I guess the inbetween phase to Lindau might be run electric and not by 218

Times can be found here https://www.svg-freizeitexpress.com/
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Are ordinary tickets valid, please?
 
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peteb

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LUYMun said:
According to the "Dreisheibe 101" Facebook group posted by a German Facebook admin, the original plan to replace the 218, 101 and IC1 stock on the Westerland and Oberstdorf routes have been postponed to December 2026 due to no Talgo sets being available. For the Allgau services to/from Oberstdorf, these will see the 248.5 Class being introduced on the non-electrified run between Ulm and Oberstdorf, replacing the 218s.
Click to expand...
I'm travelling from Niebüll to Hamburg on Friday 23/5/26. Options include the RE6 (11109) service or the ICE 23175, for which DB are still selling reservations for the Talgo sets! Which is a better bet for 218 haulage?
 
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peteb said:
I'm travelling from Niebüll to Hamburg on Friday 23/5/26. Options include the RE6 (11109) service or the ICE 23175, for which DB are still selling reservations for the Talgo sets! Which is a better bet for 218 haulage?
Click to expand...
RE6 should be a 245 or 246, almost no chance of a 218 on that. Believe it may have happened very rarely in recent years?
 
43096

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Richard Scott said:
RE6 should be a 245 or 246, almost no chance of a 218 on that. Believe it may have happened very rarely in recent years?
Click to expand...
There was occasional 218 use, but since 246001/010 have been taken on hire to support the 245 fleet, virtually no chance.
 
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peteb

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Richard Scott said:
RE6 should be a 245 or 246, almost no chance of a 218 on that. Believe it may have happened very rarely in recent years?
Click to expand...
I was lucky to get this on 10th December 2025 then: pushing RE11033 to Husum, where the train was terminated!!
 

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kingston_toon

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A big thank you to the original poster of this info. I had a great ride up to Kleve on the 1408 last Friday, with a fair few enthusiasts on board and absolutely loads taking photos en-route, many from chairs / ladders in the middle of fields! I'm sure we passed a second hauled set as well, though wasn't quick enough to see what was propelling it.
 

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