All aboard the trains of the future! With train travel experiencing a real moment right now, Deutsche Bahn ICE carriages are getting a major facelift, to give passengers more comfort, more privacy, and the feeling of being in their own living rooms. 

Travel like you’re in your own living room on new DB trains

In a bid to attract more passengers to long-distance train travel, Deutsche Bahn is completely redesigning the interior of its future ICE fleets. The new designs, which were unveiled by Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz on Wednesday in Berlin, feature new seats, extra functionality, new colours and modern, durable materials any interior designer would approve of. “Travel, work, relax - and feel as comfortable at 300 km / h as in your own living room,” said Lutz. 

The “small design revolution” includes revamped seats - which are apparently a whole lot comfier than the rock-hard ICE4 seats that provoked outrage when they were first installed in 2017 - and extra storage areas. To make the trains feel more homely, DB has added light oak veneers, wool-mix fabrics and warm lighting, as well as tablet holders, coat hooks on each backrest, and an extra plug socket for each seat, meaning you no longer have to fight with your neighbour over charging rights. 

There will be new colours as well: the bistro carriage will be kitted out in burgundy, first class will be grey, and second class a warmer shade of the blue everyone will recognise from current Deutsche Bahn trains. 

Image credit: Deutsche Bahn AG / Max Lautenschläger

Deutsche Bahn ICE fleet to number 450 trains by 2030

“We always focus on people and their needs on the journey. When developing the design, we attached great importance to privacy, the design of personal space and a completely new colour and material concept,” said DB long-distance manager Michael Peterson. 

The new train carriages will be put into operation from the end of 2023, starting with the ICE 3neo in December 2023. After this, the new interiors will be installed in all newly-procured long-distance trains. 

“We are underpinning our aim to attract even more people to Deutsche Bahn,” Lutz told dpa. By 2030, twice as many people are expected to travel on long distance rail services as in 2015, and so DB is investing heavily in new fleets and extra infrastructure. The number of ICE trains in operation is expected to rise to 450 by 2030. 

Thumb image credit: Deutsche Bahn AG / Max Lautenschläger