The new German double-decker train that everybody HATES!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ย. 2024
- This is Deutsche Bahn's new Twindexx Intercity 2 train, a controversial addition to the DB fleet. Does this double-decker train really deserve the hate it gets? Let's find out today, as I travel from Nuremburg to Stuttgart in First Class.
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Journey Details:
Origin: Nürnberg Hbf
Destination: Stuttgart Hbf
Company: Deutsche Bahn (DB)
Train: DB 147.5 + Intercity 2 'Twindexx Vario'
Accommodation: First Class Seat (1st)
Distance: 203 kilometres / 126 miles
Price: €33.80 (£28.40 / $34.40)
Time: 2 hours 10 minutes, arrived 9 minutes late
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Among Germans this train has earned the nickname Teppich RE, transalating to carpet Regional train, which describes it pretty well
And i have no Problem with it.
Die Bahn hätte ihn ja auch mit einer Zulassung von 189 km/h bestellen können… Aber die Strecken sind ja ‘für diese Geschwindigkeit nicht ausgelegt‘.
@@AntonasBWklar sind sie das größtenteils. Nur ist es unnötig weil ICEs für diese Strecken da sind
@@AntonasBW These units run on following >= 200 km/h tracks:
Köln-Hannover-Dresden (~ 700 km)
(parallel) Hannover-Leipzig
Köln-Bremen
Nürnberg-Regensburg
München-Augsburg
Karlsruhe-Frankfurt-Erfurt-Leipzig (~ 500 km)
@@valentin6824Ich liebe IC 2
The IC2 is a RE with white paint. Not more, not less. People complain, because of this re-branding. If they just call it "RE", nobody would complain. But by branding it as "IC" they make more money... Same with some former IC routes which are now converted to ICE without actually improving travel times. It's all about making more and more money and therefore it's fair to complain.
Wrong it does not stop at most of the Stations an RE would. The IC is faster and has less stops
@alphafoxy8503 Sure, the RE stops more, but it barely makes a difference. Between Nürnberg and Stuttgart, for instance, the time difference between IC and RE is about 10 minutes. On a journey of more than 2 hours, it doesn't justify triple the cost.
Leave the country before its too late! //
@@freibert Bro I am born in germany
@@xBrisusing the RE on this route is extremely unrealiable. It is very often cancelled or has a low capacity. Also it runs only every 2 hour.
I think most of the dislike for these trains comes not necessarily from what they are, but from what they are marketed as. As medium distance trains, they seem perfectly pleasant, but they carry the once prestigeous InterCity name. An IC without a restaurant car and somewhat tight double deck interior just doesn't feel right, even if it's totally fine on medium distance journeys.
They weirdly fit right into the former product category of InterRegio that was discontinued in the 2000s, medium to long distance trains that also serve smaller places which otherwise wouldn't get intercity services. In fact, some IC2 routes are basically reintroductions of old IR lines. I wonder what the public perception of these trains would be if they were marketed as "the new InterRegio".
There's one quirk of the trains I wanna mention: They are loco hauled, as shown in the video, but they act as fixed units. That means that you can't separate any car, including the locomotive, from the set outside of a maintainance facility. IIRC that allows the doors to be centrally monitored from the cab, which wouldn't otherwise be possible, but the disadvantage is that if the locomotive breaks, you can't replace it easily and a rescue loco will have to haul the broken one with it as dead weight, or more likely, the train just gets cancelled outright.
They are lacking a plethora of comfort markers of the old intercity rolling stock, including variation in seating options, ride comfort, velocity and such stupid things as "how one broken toilet affects the train"...
@@theodorthegreathe They are definitely incomparable to the old IC rolling stock, but I don't think it's useful to compare them. The old IC trains are being replaced by ICEs, especially with the ICE L coming in 2025. Those can actually compete with the comfort of the old ICs. The IC2s are (mostly) used on routes where the lower comfort, the lack of a proper buffet car and lower top speed don't matter as much, so they aren't really a replacement for the old IC. That's why I think it's not worth comparing IC and IC2 and why the IC2 lable might not be the best choice.
Completely agree with you on the error in marketing it as an IC.
You just triggerd my memories of those awful InterRegio trains. Gees they were awful. Like sitting on a plastic seat.
Yes. The IC was once the descendant of the 'Grand trains' like the Rheingold.
Hey, I LOVE these!!! For one specific reason: i have two young kids, and the family area in most long distance trains is a disaster: close to the restaurant in the middle of the train, always full, lots of people coming through all the time, it's never relaxed unless you get a spot in the tiny, cramped small kids compartment (which is, well, cramped and tiny). Now on these trains, there is a whole family deck, upstairs, on the end of the train. It's super quiet and relaxed. Nobody bothers you. The kids can roam freely. The ride is super smooth. The view is excellent. Yeah, there is no restaurant, but i don't get to enjoy it anyway. The sandwiches are surprisingly nice, and as long as i get coffee i'm fine.
Edit: And i rode this exact line last summer! It was excellent!
Edit 2: The wide doors and entry areas are also a major plus for everyone who squeezes in with lots of luggage, kids and, god forbid, a stroller.
Good to hear these pros!
Thanks for your perspective! Trains need to work for a wide variety of people with different needs!
A family section in the last car is a good idea. Is this unique to German trains? Never see it mentioned on British trains for example. Two toilets per car is also great. I am surprised that a restaurant car (or a buffet section) is expected on a trip of only two hours 10 minutes; where I live nobody expects a buffet car on an intercity trip of 2 hours 30 minutes, nor do they care that there isn't one. Mind you, "where I live" is an Australian state (NSW) into which Germany can fit two and a half times (and even has two time zones, it's that big).
@@ktipuss since i have kids all my long distance travels have been on ICE trains, and they all have the family zone close to the Bistro car in the middle of the train, which is good, but also problematic because everybody going to grab a snack will walk through there.
The expectation, i think, results from DB categorizing - and pricing - these trains as Inter City trains. Normally ICs serve much longer routes (yet slower than an ICE) where you would expect more service. When i was a student, they still had an intermediate category called Inter Regio and Inter Regio Express, which also covered longer distances, but had more stops and served smaller stations. No idea if these are still around. Having said that, i think the reason why they called this an Inter City route is that this is a very wealthy part of Germany and they can charge more this way.
@@ktipuss This example trip is not the full length of this line, as I understand. And there are some other lines where these trains are used. (But I also never use the on-board gastronomic services, they are just overpriced.)
Even though the Twindexx IC2 does not match the quality of the old IC 1, I think the train is somehow ok. The issue that I have with this train that it just does not make sense on the routes I travel (Karlsruhe - Stuttgart). On the same route a regional train (Stadler Flirt 3) is operated which can be used with the 49€ ticket without any extra charge and which is sometimes even scheduled faster than the IC 2.
Same goes for Nürnberg-Stuttgart
Yeah, this line does not have any high speed rail (at least until Bamberg-Fürth is finished), so from Nürnberg to Stuttgart its only 15-20 minutes faster due to lack of stops.
It makes sense if you would have to change (e.g. if you go Karlsruhe-Nürnberg or Ansbach-Bamberg) or if you don't have a 49€ ticket on a longer trip
@@wernerderchamp since there is the RE90 from Stuttgart to Nürnberg, which u can use with a valid DTicket, this is even more hilarious
Wasnt there an IC2 going Stuttgart-Konstanz too? What happened to it? If I remember correctly you could use the dticket on it
I also used it rarely yet, only in March last year I went from Braunschweig to Leipzig with the IC and it was fine (took around 2 hours), however, I went to Leipzig again in October and because of the D-Ticket took the RB40 to Magdeburg (takes around 70 minutes) and then the RE13 to Leipzig (around 1:40) with around 45 minutes changing time (you can comfortably buy some groceries in the Kaufland in the nearby City Caree or have a breakfast/lunch etc.) but all together it almost takes a whopping four hours...
Berlin is even faster with the ICE it takes only 1:30 while you need almost four with the regional RE40 to Magdeburg and then the RE1 (operated by ODEG and they use Siemens Desiro HC trains, these are an interesting combination of single- and double-decker), also with around 45 minutes waiting time in between.
The thing is, the old Intercity was *the* premium product of DB back when it was introduced. The legendary TEE trains were included in the IC scheme.
So IC's were the fastest and most comfortable way to travel on German rails. When the ICE was introduced, this changed and the classic IC had to find a new role. But for years, the difference was mostly just the speed (IC up to 200km/h, ICE depending on the specific train 230-320km/h) and the age of the trains and sort of playing into that their comfort (partly still manual doors on IC, louder background noises, only partially fitted with AC etc.). But the rest was mostly the same.
And I think the IC 2 is a continuation of the differentiation process that DB is trying to achieve here. They're trying to downgrade it to make it distinct from ICE trains and to be able to offer long distance services (which in Germany are not subsidised at all, they have to make a profit!) to smaller towns and cities which otherwise may not get it.
That's the reason why DB introduced the extended IC line from Nürnberg to Leipzig via Bamberg, Saalfeld and Jena. While that line used to have ICE connections to Berlin and Munich every two hours, as soon as the high speed line opened, they all disappeared and moved to the HSL. All that was left was a single IC per day. Now they turned it up to five per day.
That's what the new IC brand is meant for. Long distance services for smaller lines away from high speed corridors at reasonable prices. But with a clear distinction in comfort from DB's premium offer. So yea, you can complain all you like, but I believe it was intentional. Maybe not in this specific way which is essentially just a white painted regional train fitted with carpet (Teppich-RE) but a clear downgrade to its ICE's.
That's at least my opinion.
Uuuf, too long🫣
But why would people travelling to these smaller cities want less comfort? I mean, less comfort for cheaper trains is okay, but as I understand there won't usually be a competition between ICE and these ICs on the same route.
ICE 1st class was above anything else for any European traveler, probably even better than Shinkansen's. In that respect I don't see IC 2 as a similar case of differentiation, it isn't worth the moniker imho, if anything it is as close to being RE 2 but it would get confusing as it doesn't make regional stops, so the way I see it it's neither one of them, it's another type of train for which they chose a more appealing name.
Looking at the trains, they are now using RE trains known for decades with a slightly different interior but less stops and longer routes
You describe it well, almost like you work for DB. But it is still a reduction in quality and amenity for passengers and a crass attempt to improve profitability for DB. Less comfort, less space, less room for luggage, less food and drink options and what there is is truck stop quality. This is absolutely a loss for passengers…
You mentioned the pretty well top speed of 160km/h. The sad part is that this is the top speed of most double decker RE trains and many other RE trains. The old IC's have a top speed of 200km/h.
Yes. On a technical level, "high-speed" trains in Germany are those above 160kmh. That's when you need all new train controls and safety measures and more strict track geometries. So from that perspective these trains are not even high-speed ones.
In Mexico the Abuela Killer a.k.a. Tren Maya is high speed at 160 km/h but in reality anything above 100 km/h is "ludicrous speed" considering the infrastruscture we have.
Most of the railway network is downgraded to 160km/h anyway ... it happens with the time as the tolerances are tight for 200km/h (the upper limit of 200km/h is most often the lower limit for 160km/h and on the lower limit you don't need to do a risk assessment ... if you are constantly on the upper limit on all tolerances it's not feasible to maintain the tracks as you are in constant repairing the tracks). There was a 340km/h track and it's now down to 260km/h as it was not possible to maintain it in the long term (they cut the stop at audi-city as nearly nobody ever exit or enter the trains there).
Even more sad if you consider, that the twindexx double deckers are available with a top speed of 200 km/h (used in Belgium)
You can't go more than 160 km/h anywhere between Nürnberg and Stuttgart. It makes sense to use slower trains on slow routes because it saves money. Fast trains need more equipment, better brakes, and more maintenance.
Your German pronunciation is really impressive! Certainly more impressive than these trains. ;)
I'd like to see a comparison video with the other IC trains btw (the Stadler ones).
IC2 bombardier vs stadler ic2 vs ic1
And perhaps also an RE comparison on those routes, where the IC2 Twindexx is almost completely useless since services either similarly fast or equal exist, like between Koblenz and Frankfurt, where there are RE Twindexxes going between or Wuppertal and Cologne, where the same rails are used.
honestly, your closing comment is well on point. IC1 is replaced mostly by ICE 4 or ICE L trains; only secondary routes are served by IC 2. As someone travelling between major cities on a daily basis, it's rare that I spend more than an hour or two in one of those and then they are just fine. Germany's national sport is complaining, just keep that in mind ;)
IC2 is the new Interregio
I love the style and the narration of your videos! I really enjoyed this one!
Keep up your work! ☺️❤️
Greetings from Switzerland!
"well maintained german track system" you gotta be joking
*in comparison to other countries
As an Austrian I had to laugh hard. Until I remembered that people have died as a result of poor track maintenance by DB (Burgrain 2022).
@@to_loww Yes. But that's all to blame to politics... Traindriver speaking.
It's mostly extremely well maintained - track quality in Germany in terms of geometry, smoothness etc is leagues ahead of France, Italy, or Britain
@@to_lowwBAHAHAHA you’re Austrian, you’re like desperately looking for a flaw and then plunging on it like a hyena 😂 so bitter
'The new German double-decker train that everybody HATES!' describes a video about a clean, smooth and silent riding train, while 'This is the INCREDIBLE new Dutch high-speed train!' explains to us, that the brand new dutch IC train is annoyingly noisy and evermore so dirty. (from 11:50 in the latter video)
I see someone got indulged in the German art of complaining about everything :D
If you use these car as your daily commuter train, or even for, ' metro', you just get disappointed to put this design originated from 1965 in the category of high speed trains.
It's not about the car itself, it's about calling it Intercity.
People are mixing this with the Intercity express.
In Holland you have no train running 8 hours in one direction.
If you confirm it's designed for a 2 hour ride, you are exactly right.
For 8 hours you need more comfort.
@@holger_p If people are confused and mistake an IC to an ICE, that's their fault. Also, 8hrs on any long distance train is not necessarily desirable. Doable, but not my wildest dream.
So, to see what this 8hrs-argument is all about, I checked the fares from Cologne to Dresden for a random date in August. With some 7.5hrs, this is close enough to 8hrs. It's actually more expensive than the faster ICE. Looks like DB defines this service to establish better connections *along* this route, not from start-to-finish. Same logic applies to Leipzig-Karlsruhe/7hrs. ICE is faster and cheaper.
And as far as I know there are 3 types of IC2 in operation. The two newer models are capable of speeds of 200km/h. Just like the original IC1.
I recently went on the double decker from Munich to Stuttgart. As a British person I was absolutely blown away by it. If we had that back home we'd be closer to having a decent railway network, but saying that..ours would probably break down every 5 minutes and be delayed by a year.
Remember: Germans always complain, regardless of how good or bad something is.
I'm quite sure about that because I'm a German myself.
The UK introduced a too small clearance gauge for trains more than 100 years ago, therefore there is not enough space above British tracks for doubledecker rail vehicles.
Germans always complain, especially concerning Deutsche Bahn. Even if you give them the best trains in the world for free, they will still be considered to be bad and expensive.
@@kantharos That's a common misconception, whilst you aren't entirely incorrect though, there are quite a few lines where the clearance is higher. I remember seeing a study conducted years back and roughly 20% of the network could use modern double decker trains, and the rest could accommodate a special design. It would mean crouching to get to your seats though but it's definitely doable on high capacity lines for the average commuter. Comfy? Probably not, but doable.
@@ThereAndJackAgain The good old make, do and mend attitude. That's why everything in the UK is less than mediocre, whike fooling yourself it is the envy of the world or world beating.
12:06 I really want to see you make a video on this train.😊
For me, there is one big advantage to these trains: Their price! Yes, they are not nearly as comfortable as a modern ICE, but in my experience, tickets are significantly cheaper. In an ideal world, most long distance routes would be served by both. A fast and very comfortable ICE network and an IC-service that is slower, connects smaller towns and is cheaper. Also, the cheaper operating costs enables DB to connect cities where other trains would simply not be economical. Sadly, that is not how Deutsche Bahn has branded this train...
And if they're 20 minutes late, you can take an ICE anyway, and might even reach your destination earlier than scheduled.
In my experience the doppeldecker runs way better than the old ones
If these train stops at most smaller cities, what does set them apart from RE trains? If most people are unhappy that this is just an upbranded RE with a higher price tag, you are happy because it's not as expensive as an ICE? That's a good view to be happy in life ;)
@@boatMatthias The routes are longer than the typical RE routes, e.g. you can go from Dortmund to Frankfurt or from Cologne to Stuttgart on them. Also, most REs still stop more often than the IC 2 routes, the ICs just tend to stop more often than ICEs.
@@boatMatthias Yes, they do stop at smaller cities, but there are two things that set them apart from REs. First, REs don't only stop at smaller cities, but also at a lot of villages and multiple times per city. So the IC stops less frequently. 2nd, the ICs generally don't travel on the same routes as REs, but serve much longer lines (like Dresden - Cologne or Leipzig - Karlsruhe). To go the same route by RE, you would have to switch trains probably 4 times
You know it's gonna be good when the locomotive looks like it's wearing a container.
I never got how that could aerodynamically make any sense. But Bombardier has to know..
Wanna experiance more container? look up BR 155
@@djytonly5653 wasn't ment to be used like this. Bombardier had made this design choice so operators could easily use branding als the sides of the Traxx AC3 locomotive is one big 'flex' panel where in only a few hours a flexible panel could be installed :-) Unfortunately only a handful of locomotives received such a panel hence why this feature was removed from the Track MS3/DC3
What does "wearing a container" mean?
@@moover123 "looks like a container"
As someone who was reliant on thesse trains for many years, I am really glad that now the Stadler IC2 are operating on most services I use. They are much more reliable and comfortable and provide a smoother train ride. Btw., I'm kinda surprised you didn't feel like traveling on a ship as you chose to sit on the upper level. In my experience they tend to shake a lot sometimes.
The Stadler ones are bought used from Westbahn and they're way better
I love these!
The KISS ones are better than the Twindexx ones, which basically are just REs with marginally better seats. The KISS in general is better than both the Twindexx and Desiro HC, even in it's RE variant used on the RE80 in Schleswig-Holstein.
The Desiro HC is not bad though - at least for now they are pretty new
Great Video, glad to see you travelling through my hometown 😊 I would love to see a video on the IC2 Stadler units!
The vibe Germany gives off in every way, from railways to the countryside, ist sehr schön!
Go-Ahead is now owned by ÖBB which makes it an Austrian operator.
🤓☝
They also operate in England (Thameslink, Great Northern, Gatwick express) so the confusion makes sense. But yeah the owner is the Austrian State
@@MrJimheeren They're going to rebrand soon.
Better to say Austrian-Spanish operator 51-49%
@@BJHolloway1 Australian (not Austrian)-Spanish!
And they sold off their German subsidiary to the Austrian (not Australian) Federal Railways.
I take this train from Nürnberg to Karlsruhe and back about once or twice a month. Yeah it's not super comfortable but it's fine and clean. Main problem is that the trains are more faulty than Windows ME! One in four journeys or more is interrupted by faulty fire alarms, broken doors, "software problems" and more. It's so frustrating.
I think it is running on windows ME.
As someone else said, some locos unironically run on Windows ME
Windows ME? Heathens! What's wrong with MS-DOS?
@@grizeldiSLO Was the hard drive for unix too expensive?
@@dennisbeier4011 No idea, I just listened to one of our local locomotive drivers ramble about having to wait for Windows to boot every time 😅
I think the new IC units are actually ok for shorter journeys. I commute around Germany a lot and caught an IC from Leipzig Hbf to Jena and I found the journey very pleasant and the on train facilities adequate for just over an hour having said that I wouldn't want to stay on one all the way down to say Karlsruhe or Stuttgart
I absolutely agree. On journeys of up to two hours they are in order. They are just very noisy if you are sitting in the ends of the carriages due to the very poor insulating properties of the doors (designed for anything else). The problem is when you have to make journeys of more than three hours: they really are a nightmare in second class. I had to make a 6-hour journey, to which there was no alternative with higher-class trains. The problem is not that they only replaced the ex-IRs (gone for so many years), but the IC1s on the lines where they used to be. The fact that they have a fixed five-element composition makes the design quite meaningless. An inadequate train for the purpose, paid for dearly and caused an endless stream of problems. Polemical mode: it is no coincidence that the management that planned the purchase of the Twindexx (I don't know how many compositions are still with the manufacturer because they have been contested) and the ICE 4 (one of the least reliable high-speed train in Europe in terms of failures/km)* has been sent home. *I usually document these statements, but I cannot find the source on the fly.
@@ilfanto Thank you for pointing that out, ICE 4 is so bad I started using a connection with a change of trains and the risks involved to be on the ICE 3 arriving my destination relaxed and in a good mood rather than having a non-stop connection but needing a break and being done for the day with "being shipped" by lousy ICE 4 the whole five and a half hours.
As an American, this is one of the best trains I’ve ever seen
6:24 Johann Sebastian Bach never visited Ansbach, let alone lived there.
Maybe they confused it with Arnstadt? Bit of a stretch, though.
@@th60of There's a Festival dedicated to Bach in Ansbach, maybe this was some kind of translation error from german to english (also small towns in germany usually are in desperate search of some uniqueness :) )
@@th60of There is a big Bach festival in Ansbach every year. Perhaps he has seen some posters.
The name Ansbach does however "contain" Bach's surname 😂
Its water.
No restaurant being on the train is the biggest disappointment for me.
For me this is the only big downside. I really like the double decker and the seats are okay. It's really annoying that it doesn't have it, regional makes sense but it's a IC
Only ICEs have a restaurant/bistro nowadays.
It’s only a 2 hours ride so it’s not to bad on this route. Sadly DB has been fading out the restaurant car on all non high speed long distances routes. So now the Amsterdam-Berlin connection (more then 6 hours) is also without its iconic restaurant, one of my favorite trains in the world
On THIS train. In Germany, a missing restaurant car is something rare on IC services. In Romania... It's pretty usual.
@@XTREAMER5423 there are no IC services in Germany that have a restaurant car
Great video, at least they sell beer 🍺I've got no problem with the limited food, as long as they have beer. Its only a couple hours anyway from Nuremberg to Stuttgart.
Stadler KISS sets are coming into service on the newly electrified 80 kilometer - long suburban section between San Francisco and San Jose, California. The interiors and seating look very similar, even though the California line is considered a commuter suburban service.
On the Stuttgart - Singen Route you can Travel on the IC2 for free (if you have the deutschland ticket)
I wanted to say the same. A much better option then traveling on the bwegt trains, and you can buy at least some coffee on the way. I love them as a free RE Upgrade.
The same is between Bremen an Norddeich Mole, IC2 can be used with D-Ticket.
P.S.
Nürnberg is in the Frankonia part of Bavaria. A very important point for the Frankonian People
Tangential note, but the remark at 6:29 is incorrect - Bach never lived in (or, as far as it seems to be known, even visited) Ansbach. Perhaps there is some confusion with Arnstadt here?
I did the same journey on the same train and it was very confortable. Nothing to complain about.
The IC2 is good enough for secondary intercity lines...It´s allright and comfortable..
I find the thumbnail really hilarious! Greetings from Germanya. 😂❤
Im from Nuremberg, and i've used this connection with the IC2 a couple of times, because its the fastest connection to the south-west of Germany and of course France which i liked to visit often. I have to say that i dont really get the hate on the train. For example, I travelled last Thursday back from Switzerland, where i had visited a friend of mine. From Basel to Karlsruhe i used the regional train which is thanks to the Deutschland-Ticket, very cheap to me. From Karlsruhe to Nuremberg i booked the IC2 and i booked the ticket for 2nd Class for just 20€ which is very cheap if we consider that i booked the ticket just 2 days before i used it and that by travelling for a wide distance with this train. By car it would have cost me a lot more. Also i think that the IC2 is very modern, cozy and overall very clean. It has the comfort of an ICE but the price of an regional train. I have to say that i do not use services like food or drinks and so on. I just use the train for travelling. I mean i do understand the hate, More than 2 hours to Stuttgart from Nuremberg is a joke, if we look at the Nuremberg-Munich-Connection which takes just an hour with the ICE but having nearly the same distance by air. I would really appreciate an ICE conncection from Nuremberg to Stuttgart and im often wondering why there isnt one, but as long as it does not exist, im happy that the IC line exists. For everybody who will use the IC2 in future, i wouldnt recommend buying a first class ticket, because for me - i traveled a single time in first class in IC2- the only advantage of the first class in IC2 is that there are single seats, for people who dont like others besides them.
Nice video. Just a remark: Nürnberg is technically part of the state of Bavaria and thus the “region of the Oktoberfest”, but culturally it belongs to Franconia, which has very different dialect, food, traditions etc. 🙂 It’s actually a wine region, not a beer region. Franconians would never call themselves Bavarians.
I just did this trip today...a day trip from Nuremberg to Stuggart and back. Train wasn't bad. I had a first class Eurail pass. First class was empty both ways so I got decent service. One complaint I had is it seemed the train rocked back and forth a bit much. All in all, not bad. On time both ways too.
I like these DD IC trains.
They look nice, are comfy and clean, stop at the rate normal IC trains do, got mostly working Wifi, I can use check-in via phone and they run smooth like ICEs on the tracks, better than the normal often very old ICs I would say. Luggage room is sadly a problem all german trains have.
But ICs are usually way cheaper then REs on normal tickets if you book ahead. On RE you can save money with the Deutschland ticket on long distance, but they are slow, noisy, uncomfy and you don't wanna use the toilets there.
Germans: Hate the train.
Australians: I wish we had such a luxurious service for such short intercity hops.
I am german and I like the IC2 ;)
That's german national sports for ya: Complaining about ANYTHING. Even about good stuff.
east coast of australia has a really good train line but it's pretty limited in scope
The older cars were delivered to Bulgaria and now i cant wait to see them in move!
What a surprise! In Switzerland we also have the Bombardier Twindexx and they also suck
Big time !
I don't like them on the IC1 :(
They don't suck on regional routes. The Schleswig-Holstein Express is one of the best regional services in the whole country. And it's run with Twindexx units too. But it's just not up to DB Fernverkehr's standards.
But aren't they quite different? Given the DB Twindexx uses a locomotive it has a completely different engine layout, was meant to have some tilting while the DB Twindexx are just a bunch of carriages like the IC2000 in Switzerland.
I got a DB ad before this
I had to take this train 4 times. Overall, I liked it, it was pretty nice and very quiet (which was surprising since I was in the 2nd class). But its reliability showed itself once... Gotta say, these trains have really good brakes😁
As soon as we departed we braked real hard and stayed at the station for about 40 minutes, until the train staff announced that we probably should board the RE90 if we want to get to Nuremberg as soon as possible. Now, imagine a small 3-door Stadler with the whole IC on board (it was probably around 150-200 people)... That's how we had to ride 1,5 h until our IC came
I still can't believe the delay was only 9 minutes.
as a german i was searching for this comment xD
Really like your videos and your German pronounciation is fantastic 👏
If you get the chance, i highly recommend testing the new NMBS/SNCB M7 coaches. I take them every week and while their comfort isnt the best, they are still lovely to ride on
The IC2 train looks very beautiful in my opinion 😊
I love IC 2
its a repainted Regional Express train nothing special
H_E_L_L_O___Great Video! Thumbs Up!
Hi! Thank you!
Fun Fact at the price example you are showing at 5:55, you can use the IC Train from Norddeich Mole to Bremen Hbf also with the cheaper regional train ticket because here, the train is a replacement for a regional train due to the reason, that the RE 1 only drives every two hours.
Fun Fact, you can even ride an ICE for the same reasons and with the same condition as the regional train ticket (including the Deutschlandticket) between Rostock and Stralsund.
I used one of these recently. In my opinion, it's just okay. Nothing really stood out to me, but it did the job... after a 15 minute delay caused by a faulty door.
I really well made/edited video. Nice one Albs 👍
Nice video. Greetings from a train dispatcher trainee between Crailsheim and Aalen
Awesome! Thanks for watching. :)
I think the screenshot you showed at 5:55 perfectly shows the issue.
It's a very similar looking train with a very similar level of comfort, but the price is more than double, almost triple.
And it only saves you 20 minutes of the train ride, in that case it's 8% faster.
I sat in one from Cottbus Hbf to Hannover Hbf for over 6 hours in 2 klasse and it broke my back, I could not believe that a Regional train (Br 463) had better seats that an IC 2.
Six hours? Was there a detour?
@@avmz111 no just Signal and track issues that added 30 minutes
@@gulaschkarauski1384but why would you ever choose to take that route? I didnt even know it existed but i know the RE to Berlin takes 1 hr and the ICE from Berlin to Hannover takes 2 hours, why would you book a 5.5 hr train instead?
@@cooltwittertag it was convenient and ut was way cheaper than the ice as it was a rather sudden jorney
It is useful on the Hannover-Berlin route though, because with regional lines one has to take a long detour towards Magdeburg or Stendal, nearly doubling the travel time. (and the ICE is only 10 minutes faster)
Thank u My dear Albie.... For taking me to Germany.... enjoyed the video a lot....
Glad you enjoyed it 😁
Got your video recommended really randomly on my front page.
11:30 yay my home town^^
Good impression mate, keep it going =)
Thank you so much! 😍
I visit Germany every two years or so, and judt had a trip in this double decker IC. I didn't expect it to be anything more than an RE in different livery. I had a 4+hr comfortable trip to Frankfurt Flughafen. No complaints.
I used to travel quite frequently between Nürnberg and Stuttgart and i wish i had these trains! Those old trains you saw? Thats what i rode, lol.😊
As for the cost and benefit:
Sure you can ride all regional services when you already have the Deutschland Ticket, however if not: looking up the same trip in 2 weeks time (as you pre-booked your ticket 2 weeks in advance as well): riding regional express trains the ticket would be 46€ from Nuremberg to Stuttgart, and the trip would take 3 to more than 4 hours, up to twice as long as your InterCity train. More expensive and longer journey time ... in that case I'd definetly go for the InterCity
i'm glad you mentioned the "overhead luggage racks" of the double decker trains. They are not.
I use the RE trains for my weekend commute, and i usually can't even squeeze a full backpack in them, let alone my actual luggage.
And unlike the luggage bays of the IC trains, on the REs you'll be lucky to squeeze something under your seat. Upstairs is basically off limits with luggage.
At least some of the older double decker models have a slightly higher luggage rack on the intermediate floors connecting the train cars, but still only once in a new moon.
(i used have, since we have so little rolling stock that it's actually rare to not ride in an old model of train 🙃)
This is made even worse by the fact, that RE trains seem to be THE mode of transport for weekend commuting where i am.
You almost always encounter more luggage than there is space for it
These trains look generations behind the Mariyung D sets that are in Sydney Australia.
I'm a frequent visitor in BaWü and seeing the BWegt trains always makes me smile. In terms of livery only SBB can compete with this color scheme.
As a Bahncard 100 owner, I love these trains, because they are usually less full than the regional trains on the same connections, and the carpet just makes it feel more comfortable.
As long as you don't try getting to cities like Husum, which solely rely on IC service, can't you just walk into an ICE anyways if you are just intending on avoiding regional trains? Most ones around here either stop at the very same station as both the ICs and ICEs do or stop at stations, where even ICs don't stop.
Nice video as usual! Maybe an idea for the next one, in Belgium there's still some of the (at this point ancient) EMU's in service (AM66), they'll probably all be gone by the end of the year. Might be worth giving them a look before they're gone forever?
Octoberfest is in Munich. In Nuremberg we have Volksfest
good job, I had a similar comment
I traveled with an IC train like this last month and my journey was good. Good view and an empty, quiet train. Good Wifi and some mobile games provided by DB that I could play with my roommate, who was traveling with me. There was a DB guy who sold coffee, too. All in all, a pretty relaxed journey.
Oh, and I paid just 23€ for the Bremen -Cologne route
You should definetly take a ride on the alex international regional express train from Munich Central Station to Prague Central Station
nice video Superabls! a suggestion is to ride on LNER class 91 or GWR class 43
I was cool with it. As long as they sold beer I was satisfied with this trip. I did a day trip from Nuenmberg.
Most people travel in the second class, it is funny and difficult to understand why so many video creators are testing first class travels. Even journeys payed for by an employer have to be done with second class tickets in most cases.
I think that even second class passengers deserve seats bearable for more than just half an hour.
Your video raises the question where to store your luggage. I travelled a lot in the double decker coaches of DB regional trains, but the rack above the seats will not have enough space even for many hand bags. And you have to keep an eye on your belongings.
If the tracks allow, IC-trains reach 200 km/h, e.g. in Northern Germany or on the high speed lines. You travelled a more difficult line.
11:35 really can't stress that enough, it's what I love about these carriages - they offer unbelievably smooth and quiet rides. And also great views if you are sitting on the upper level.
Awesome video! thanks for sharing with us. Love your accent :)
Nuremberg‘s station is stunning! I was just there a couple weeks ago.
The attraction at Nuremberg Central Station is that an Ogre from Altschauerberg sits on the "Zarendtein" in and Streams
What the hell? What's going you on mit you face?
Thanks. I enjoyed. My understanding from something i read a few years back was that DB basically wanted thr default choice to be ICE, hence the IC offering was being downgraded.
I for one like them (so not everybody hates them!). The only issue I had in the initial iteration was the missing storage for big luggage in the upper compartment. But I think that was somewhat fixed.
The main problem with the double-decker regional trains is that there is not much space for luggage due to limited room overhead - basically just to put your hat and umbrella and then forget it there. On long distances, this is needed by an even larger proportion of the passengers. I see they sacrificed some seats for additional luggage areas (11:04) - I wonder if it works that well in the second class too?
2:29 Commuter Trains mostly stop at all stations, but of course there are also some exceptions, especially in Nuremberg where some commuter rail lines skip quite a few stations which are covered by commuter trains on a different line
There are different types of commuter services: S-Bahn always stops at all stations, RB stops on all stations in areas not served by S-Bahn but only limited stops in metro areas served by S-Bahn, RE only stops at selected stations.
@@MattiBlume no, the S-Bahn does NOT stop at each and every station. As I've mentioned, there definetly are exceptions.
@@EnjoyFirefighting can you give an example of an S-Bahn skipping a stop?
@@MattiBlume Nuremberg S-Bahn Line S1 skipping stations Fischbach, Frankenstadion, Dutzendteich, Gleißhammer and Dürrenhof all together. It covers all stations from Neumarkt in Upper Palatinate to Feucht, but then proceeds all the way to Nuremberg Central Station, skipping the previously mentioned stations which are then covered by trains on line S3.
Also line S5 skips all the stations listed before, it goes non-stop from Nuremberg Central Station to Allersberg; As the main lines split up it goes onto the HSR line down towards Ingolstadt and terminates in Allersberg
@@EnjoyFirefighting Thanks for the info. That must be a specialty of Nürnberg S-Bahn. Never seen that on any other network.
13:40 “never on schedule always ahead” yeah I don’t know about that if you ask me
The seats in the old IC were so comfortable! More legroom and space for luggage.
Yup, I loved the old IC... ❤️
One huge benefit: Some routes are painful with just regional trains especially at rush hour and on weekends.
I am so happy, that i can book some of these IC2 for as low as 10€ and have a relatively decent train ride while not having to worry much about broken toilets and not finding any place to sit in. Some regional trains often don't have working toilets or decent storage room for luggage. Others only have USB ports for charging exposed, but no wall sockets. I don't think that the seats are uncomfortable, but they are not special. Then again, i would rate them as similar to the ones used in the ICE4 overall.
My biggest problem with them, is that not being able to drive faster than 160 km/h limits it's usefulness. The IC2 KISS can at least get up to 200 km/h, IC1 with the typical BR 101, too.
If that would've been accomplished from the beginning, we would look at them differently. But now with more Desiro HCs coming, ones that can even hit 185 km/h, we are looking into a brighter future for regional trains than for medium-distant-range ones.
Come to Canada, you'll be missing this luxurious train within minutes!
As others have said, this is an RE painted white. It's not an IC. It's not an adequate replacement for the classic ICs which are almost gone.
As a German it’s crazy hearing well maintained rails because that’s far from the truth DB is massively underfunded
The open tourer passed at around 7:30 is right hand drive and looks very much like a 1938 Morris 8 series II 4 seat tourer!
In the US, we can only dream about this level of comfort and service on a train.
US trains are far more confortable, the seats are much nicer
6:25 lol, J.S. Bach never in his live visited Ansbach. where did you get that information from? :D
I already had a rage moment when I saw that guy at 0:51 walk on the bikeway! STEP - 1 METER - TO - YOUR - LEFT! Damit... I need a potato to calm down...
I never took a ride in one of those, but many on the double-decker RE. I can say about the latter ones, that they were a big upgrade to the class 425 that did the same service most of the time. The only problem was, that they were often stinky, maybe from bad usage of the toilets by some people.. But part of the problem you discribed about the IC2, might be that regional trains have become a lot more comfy, especially when compared to the old "m-Wagen". Even the RB (and some RE) service, which is done by Stadler Flirt, Alstom Coradia and Bombardier Talent in my region, has increased a lot in comfort. And even there you can ocasionally get a trolley-style snack and drink service.
Probably people are setting the bar for much more expensive high speed trains higher accordingly. You are right, if I could get an RE ticket for a much lower price (actually for me at no additional cost because of my D-Ticket), I would also prefer these over the IC2, even if the latter one might stop at slightly less stations and might be a few minutes faster. Also, 160 km/h is a speed that nearly every modern regional train can make nowadays, if the tracks allow it.
There used to be a type of train called "InterRegio" in Germany, which were long-distance trains that had significantly shorter routes and stopped at significantly more stations than the ICE and IC trains. In 2006, IR traffic was completely stopped and since then many routes and cities have no longer had any long-distance transport connections. The IC2 should partially close these gaps, bringing more IC lines with the upcoming years. The trains are actually perfect for this purpose because they can also stop at shorter platforms without having to eliminate seats. However, the trains are rather unsuitable as classic long-distance trains. The DB also seems to have noticed this and is replacing longer IC runs with ICE trains. A good example of a great use of the IC2 is the IC Stuttgart-Zurich. The IC has completely replaced the regional express on the Stuttgart-Singen section, so you can travel on this section with local transport tickets, such as the Deutschlandticket.
IR had sone shorter as well as some very long routes, like Norddeich Mole on the North Sea coast all the way to Alpirsbach in the Black Forest. That's around 800 km and nearly 10 hours.
6:50 And the second world`s largest beer festival is in Stuttgart. The "Cannstatter Wasen".
There's indeed a RE train from Nürnberg to Stuttgart and return that runs every two hours and is just a bit slower than the IC2. A 2nd class trip costs you nothing if you're in possession of a 49€ DeutschlandTicket. The additional advantage is that you're totally flexible. The downside is that it doesn't go via Aalen and Schwäbisch Gmünd. It also doesn't go through to Karlsruhe (or Leipzig in the opposite direction). And Deutschland-Ticket is only 2nd class.
On some trains you could get an upgrade from 2nd class to 1st class (sometimes over the Internet, sometimes at the ticket machine, sometimes in the train and sometimes at on of 2 counters). It's a trick to find out who reads the 300 pages of transport conditions.
In Germany we call them "Teppich-RE”. Teppich = carpet, RE = regional express (the red one shown in the video).Meaning it’s just a regional train with carpet installed. However I disagree on that, I like them.
The latest upgrade for the ÖBB double decker wagons (regional train service) in the new "City Jet" design offers more comfort. The ICE 2 is really a train to avoid!
❤ I love This Train. I always Drive It
So nice 😁
The carpet is the most significant difference, because of that, insiders call the Trains "Teppich-RE" (carpet-regional-express).
Besides that, the cars are even worse than regional trains. Most of the regional trains are wheelchair friendly concerning the first level of the car. So the IC2 is pretty much the same (e.g. can't drive faster than 160Km/h), but wheelchair drivers can't use them that easily.
If you seriously claim that the IC2 interior doesn't look much different from the Regional Express, I suggest you take a look at one, which you obviously haven't had the chance to do yet. The interiors aren't automatically identical just because the seat covers are the same color.
Ansbach - Bach is German for stream or creek , so it would be roughly translated from Old German to "next to the stream" ( i admit , a very creative and unique way of naming a village back then 😉)
I just looked up its coat of arms on wiki - it features a stream in the middle , grean meadows to the left and right , and three fish swimming in the stream. 🐟🐟🐟😁
if you want to visit Johann Sebastian Bach's statue and place of biggest musical accomplishments , come visit *Leipzig* - just a short train trip up north from Nürnberg! 🙂
"new" I remember looking at those back in 2013 when they were announced with my mom and just remarking "well those are just the old RE doubledeckers in white"
I love these they follow the double decker trains in Switzerland❤
As a person who regularly commutes with these double-deckers since over 5 years, I must defend them.
In my experience, they are much more reliable than the same routes with ICE while being substantially cheaper.
I don't really mind the less "fancy" interior. The coaches really have everything one needs, the seats are comfortable, and the folding table is much more convenient with a laptop than most ICE tables. In my experience, the double-decker ICs are also less crowded than either ICE or RE, making them my favorite choice for medium distances.
Further, I would say, I find the lower deck nicer, as it shakes less and one still gets to see all the countryside, but that's just personal preference.
To me, the ICE is nearly perfect!