I had a good look at a new Siemens Velaro D in Munich Hbf yesterday. It was fairly dirty so must have been doing quite a few test runs. All the seats are still covered in polythene and there's a lot of insulating tape/wires on the outside of the doors.
I still don't like the look of it, the roof line is way too high and the doors look poor compared to an ICE3, they have small square windows with the destination board beneath, rather than the ovalish windows which ICE3s have. They also have a lower top speed, 320km/h as opposed to 330km/h
Also had a good look at a former Metropolitan set in Inter City livery, these trains used to run between Cologne & Hamburg (when they were silver) and the coaches look more like an ICE than an IC, seats look nicer too and they have a higher top speen (220km/h).
Have you got a picture, I think I saw on in Berlin, but I'm not sureAlso had a good look at a former Metropolitan set in Inter City livery, these trains used to run between Cologne & Hamburg (when they were silver) and the coaches look more like an ICE than an IC, seats look nicer too and they have a higher top speen (220km/h).
I also remember it as 2013, with a hope/desire to run services for the Olympics. It's a shame that this can't happen, but it was presumably only ever going to be for the Olympics and would have stopped again afterwards.. so probably best not to have a nice new service and then lose it for a year!
The map I have of the Brussels area isn't all that detailed but isn't there a possible route for trains reversing then heading east via Brussels Ouest?Eurostar trains have always terminated at the dedicated (and "sealed") bay platforms at Brussels Midi, so how will the DB ICE work? Will it arrive at a through platform and de-couple there to allow the units to head in different directions? Is there any issue with a train bound to/from the UK not using the dedicated platforms (re: border controls, etc.)
The map I have of the Brussels area isn't all that detailed but isn't there a possible route for trains reversing then heading east via Brussels Ouest?
That would allow them to use the existing controlled platforms and would be a much cheaper solution than including the closest through platform in the 'closed' area.