DB ICE3M being brought back into service

[4BEP]

It seems that DB is making a number of the mothballed ICE3Ms ready for service. Assuming they are not going to operate them on their own routes as they have introduced new stock to replace them, does anyone have any thoughts on where they may be going?

To start with a very long shot, how about Eurostar, it would enable them to replace the remaining Class 373s and possibly introduce new destinations. When the multi system ICE3s were built it was expected that with some modifications they could be used on cross channel services.

 

[Sorcerer]

I doubt Eurostar would want them given they are over twenty years old and they just ordered a new fleet to replace the 373s and PBA sets. The only way I can see them buying the old ICE 3Ms is possibly as a stop-gap for PBKA replacement on Eurostar Red services since they're already cleared for France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

 

[377electrostar]

I've seen multiple rumours online suggest that GoVolta have been eyeing the trainsets for a while, and have even requested maintenance services from Siemens, though whether this will be the case is debatable!

 

[NCT]

There were once murmurings about RENFE wanting these trains as they lost confidence in Talgo.

 

[LLivery]

Eurostar are installing ECTS on the 373s right now, so they're not replacing them yet. I'd be very surprised if they took them on for the interim but, they did (do?) have a shortage of available trains.

According to a Railcolour Facebook post, it looks like it's 11 units to be reactivated. That would seem like a lot of train for GoVolta.

Renfe would make sense seeing they need trains now and they did take a trip to Germany didn't they? But that was a while ago now.

 

[popeter45]

i suspect they wont use these for International services, keep them in 15KV mode and they act the same as a normal class 403 ICE 3 so would make sense too use on domestic services like Frankfurt-Cologne

 

[43096]

i suspect they wont use these for International services, keep them in 15KV mode and they act the same as a normal class 403 ICE 3 so would make sense too use on domestic services like Frankfurt-Cologne

I can't see DB wanting to use them as they are taking delivery of 90 ICE3neo units currently.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Fairly official confirmatio, although little extra detail - there’s an article dated today at eisenbahn.de, in German, referencing a Linkedin post in Engliah from a week ago, saying that DB are in the process of reactivating these trains, 6 out of 11 done so far.

DB Gebrauchtzug reaktiviert elf Triebzüge der Baureihe 406 in Mukran - eisenbahn.de

Elf abgestellte ICE-406-Garnituren werden derzeit in Mukran auf Rügen reaktiviert und getestet. Wer hinter dem Auftrag steckt, gibt db gebrauchtzug nicht bekannt.

eisenbahn.de

DB Gebrauchtzug reaktiviert elf Triebzüge der Baureihe 406 in Mukran​

i.e DB’s “second hand trains“ unit is reactivating 11 class 406 trains in Mukran.

and from the embedded English Linkedin article, from DB Gebrauchtzug’s own account apparently:

Something is moving in Mukran: 11 dormant ICE 406 trainsets are currently being tested and moved under overhead line power. On behalf of a customer, a dedicated team of experts from DB Fernverkehr, DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH, and db gebrauchtzug | db usedtrain is carrying out the commissioning and testing activities. The objective is to assess the operational readiness of the vehicles after an extended storage period. So far, 6 out of the 11 trainsets have been successfully tested…