This is Germany's first ever high-speed train, the original generation of the ICE.
Today I'll be taking a ride on this 30-year old train, travelling between two of Germany's
biggest cities, Frankfurt and Berlin.
Let's see if this old train still lives up to Germany's high standards in First Class,
on what is one of the world's most famous railway brands.
There's even time to check out the on-board meal service, so join me for a speedy ride
through Germany.
Welcome to Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof, Germany's busiest station, and a key hub for
domestic and international rail travel.
Before we head inside, let's just take a moment to appreciate the beautiful 1880s entrance
hall, a building that looks spectacular even in the dullest of weather, such as today.
Inside this building you can find all the standard features of a major German railway
station.
There's a staffed ticket office here to the left, as well as the DB lounge, though I can't
use this with my ticket.
Moving on to the platforms allows a view of the FIVE spectacular train sheds here.
This is also where you can find a large variety of shops and food outlets, inlcuding the ever-ubiquitous
McDonald's, and other typical German brands.
Rather interestingly, this station is involved in a partnership scheme, namely with Gare
de l'Est in Paris, and Tokyo's main station.
Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof has a lot of tracks, 28 in total, for the large variety of frequent
services the station sees.
Most of the regional services are operated by DB Regio, though other operators serve
the station too.
For example, Hessische Landesbahn operate services to Hanau and Aschaffenburg, while
the private operator VIAS runs a number of routes out of here.
You'll also see occasional services to France, operated by the French national operator,
SNCF.
This one is bound for Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast.
My train will be operated by DB Fernverkehr, the branch of Germany's national rail operator
dedicated to long-distance and high-speed trains.
These ICE trains cover all corners of Germany, serving the biggest cities in the country.
There are even some international routes to Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, and France.
The ICE is one of the most recognisable railway brands anywhere in the world, with the three
letters standing for InterCity Express.
My train today will be ICE 598, the 14:14 to Berlin Ostbahnhof.
This train has already had a long journey, having set off from Munich this morning around
four hours prior.
ICE trains began operation in May 1991, with service based around the then brand-new Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe
station, and the Hannover to Würzburg high-speed line, both of which we'll be seeing today.
The first generation train was creatively named the ICE 1, with its iconic wedge-shaped
cab still looking great all these years on!
I'll be travelling First Class today, and have a seat reservation here in coach 11.
Both First Class and Second Class have six seater compartments, but I'll be travelling
in the open area today, as it's better for filming.
Seating is in a 2+1 layout, as you'd expect.
I would have shown this here, but for some reason I decided to film the floor.
My seat is number 55, a forward facing single seat.
Today's route will see us crossing most of Germany, heading north along the Hannover
to Würzburg line, before heading east on the Hannover to Berlin line, meaning much
of the journey will be on high-speed track.
The journey is scheduled to take four hours and 11 minutes, covering 573 kilometres, or
about 356 miles.
Departure from Frankfurt am Main is seven minutes behind schedule at 14:21.
Our journey begins heading southwest, as the train tries to navigate the busy junctions
in the city.
As we loop around the city to head north, we cross the River Main, after which this
city is named.
Before we look around the interior, let's quickly check out my phone.
DB's app offers a service called 'Komfort Check-in', in which you can confirm your presence
in the seat you reserved.
The process takes seconds, and means you no longer need to have your ticket inspected.
Anyway, as we head along the classic line towards our first stop of Fulda, let's take
a look around the First Class here on the ICE 1.
We'll start off with the seat.
As I mentioned earlier, the seats are in a 2+1 layout, and I think they look really smart
in the black leather design.
As for comfort, well, they're great!
A perfect balance of padding and ergonomics, making for a really comfortable ride.
And up top, you can find a very soft pillow, a staple feature of ICE trains since day one.
Each seat gets a pair of wide folding armrests.
Beside the seat, you'll find a lever to control the generous recline.
And beneath, there's another lever, this one controlling the adjustable seat base, allowing
for improved thigh support.
In front is the footrest, which can be folded down for additional comfort.
Above this is a small net for storing personal items.
And the little grey piece of plastic is a personal litter bin.
It's small, but it helps keep the train tidy.
The seat in front also features a folding table, which offers a decently sized surface
for working on.
A groove is provided to place a drink, too.
Now moving on to legroom, and it is fantastic!
There's definitely a lot of room to stretch out and relax, ideal as these trains can be
used on some VERY long journeys.
Looking back outside, we can see the Hannover to Würzburg line passing over us, which we
will soon be joining for part of our journey.
Our first station is Fulda, a major interchange on Germany's railway network.
The city itself has a looong history, being founded in 744, and having a key role in spreading
Christianity throughout Germany.
From here, we will be travelling on high-speed track for most of the remaining journey.
This was Germany's first high-speed line, and allows trains to travel at up to 250km/h
(155mph) in regular service, and a little bit faster in case of a delay, which happens
frequently.
Though it seems our short delay isn't enough to warrant the higher speeds, these trains
can and do often reach their top speed of 280km/h (175mph).
Our next stop is Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, serving the city of Kassel.
Unlike most cities in Germany, the main station here is actually not the Hauptbahnhof (which
literally translates as main station), but instead this one.
Kassel is also home to the RegioTram, a tram-train system operating since 2007 on three routes.
The system features tram vehicles with special adjustments to allow them to run on traditional
railways.
Some of the RegioTram sets are even fitted with diesel engines to operate on unelectrified
branch lines!
As our journey continues, I'm beginning to get fairly hungry.
All ICE trains have a restaurant car, and this one is no exception.
The restaurant on the ICE 1 is a classy affair, with a bar and lounge area, as well as a proper
sit-down restaurant with table service.
But one of the benefits of First Class is at-seat service, with staff frequently passing
through the carriages ready to take orders.
I went for the Bund-Gnocchi pasta dish, with a beer.
Note that many dishes on the DB Bordrestaurant menu are seasonal, so this one is no longer
available.
I've left a menu link in the description so you can see what's currently on offer.
All meals are served using proper dishes, cutlery, and branded glasses.
Though surely I can't be the only one who has noticed they don't quite fit the groove
provided...
Unfortunately I misplaced my receipt from this evening's meal, but a meal and a drink
tend to go for around 10 to 15 Euros, which I think is pretty good value.
This station is Hildesheim Hbf, where we briefly leave one high-speed line to change to another.
From here we'll head east, to the German capital, travelling on older routes that have been
upgraded to high-speed standards.
Now let's talk about the future for these old ICE trains.
From 2020, the role of the ICE 1 has somewhat diminished, with the arrival of newer and
higher-capacity ICE 4 units displacing them from the busiest routes.
Most of the original sets are being shortened from 12 car to 9 car, and receiving a light
overhaul known as LDV, or 'Lebensdauerverlängerung', which translates as 'Lifespan Extension'
By 2030, they're expected to be fully replaced by ICE 3 Neo and ICE 4 units, as well as DB's
new Talgo trains.
Who knows, there may even be an ICE 5 by then too!
The ICE 1 also has an interesting history in a country far away from Germany.
In 1993, a modified ICE 1 set was shipped to the United States, where it was showcased
on trains between New York and Washington DC.
It was also hauled around other parts of the country by a diesel locomotive.
Despite this excursion leaving positive impressions, no orders were made.
Instead, a consortium of Bombardier and Alstom won the order, resulting in the Acela Express.
We're now approaching Braunschweig Hbf, in a city historically known as Brunswick.
The station opened in 1960, replacing an older station that was difficult to serve due to
being a terminus, as well as being overcapacity.
Despite the weather being pretty miserable today, these trains are fitted with effective
sunblinds.
And if you need more light, then an individual reading light can be found above all seats.
There's also a coathook located above your seat, next to the window.
Lastly, a European-style power socket can be found beneath the seat, one for each passenger.
Luggage storage can be found in the form of sizable overhead luggage racks, which would
have no problem handling even the largest of bags.
Strangely, there are no luggage stacks in First Class, only in Second Class.
However, any heavier items should be able to fit in-between seats.
And I nearly forgot to mention, whilst meals in First Class are not complimentary, you
will get a little sweet treat.
Normally, either a small piece of chocolate or some sort of biscuit.
As we're now winding through Berlin's suburbs, it's time to talk about how much this journey
cost.
I paid €65.90 for a one-way First Class ticket valid only on this train.
I think this is a great price for a high-speed journey of this length, especially for First
Class!
As we head into the German capital, we pass Berlin-Charlottenburg, where a EuroNight sleeper
train is waiting to depart for Vienna, Budapest, and the Ukrainian border.
This was actually my connection, so I was relieved to see I was going to make it.
Germany's railways often get a bad reputation for terrible reliability, and I've definitely
experienced that in the past.
However, it seems like I was lucky today, as we are only running a couple minutes behind
schedule.
The ride through Berlin is certainly a lot slower than on the high-speed sections earlier,
but this does allow for a great view of the city.
This station is Berlin Zoologischer Garten, which historically was the terminus for the
Sibiryak, a long-distance train that ran all the way through Siberia to Novosibirsk in
Russia, among other destinations such as Sochi and various cities in Kazakhstan.
The large modern construction of Berlin Hauptbahnhof eventually comes into view, and we pull into
the station two minutes late, at 18:27.
Overall, I really enjoyed my trip on Deutsche Bahn's ICE.
These older trains definitely live up to the standards of a modern high-speed train, and
it's great to see that they'll remain in service for quite a few years to come too.
As always, let me know what you thought of the ICE 1 in the comments, and be sure to
click up here now for a look at Germany's newest high-speed train, the impressive ICE
3 Neo.