Fit for the ICE L: New solutions for maintenance

The ICE L is a new vehicle series for long-distance transportation - and with it comes specific technical requirements. To ensure that maintenance at the Berlin Rummelsburg plant runs smoothly in future, processes, systems and infrastructure have been systematically developed.

What makes the ICE L special?

The design of the ICE L differs significantly from previous series. The main special features include:

Lower, shorter vehicle bodies
Lower door positions for accessibility from the track
Floating trolleys with U-shaped support frame (rodal) with magnetic track brakes

These characteristics influence workshop design, process logic and the technology used - and make it necessary to comprehensively adapt existing structures.

Our contribution: Planning, conception and implementation of the integration

DB Systemtechnik was responsible for the design and planning of the ICE L integration into the existing infrastructure of the ICE 4 in the large car

riage hall. This included, among other things:

Feasibility study to evaluate all technical and process requirements
Further development of existing processes and systems and development of new concepts for vehicle accessibility, component removal and installation and old/new parts logistics
Planning the conversions in the large coach house
Development of a customized transport device for the rodal
Creation of the functional performance specifications (FLB) for new and adapted technology

Adjustments in the large carriage hall

Challenge 1: Shorter intermediate cars and rodals

The design differences required an optimized arrangement of the wheelset and rodal swap bodies in relation to the length position within the work stands.Our solution:

Design of a fixed, cross-series positioning for ICE 4 and ICE L per work station
Dismantling of individual existing bridges + addition of new bridges to create the optimized arrangement

Challenge 2: 40 cm height difference

The vehicle body of the ICE L is significantly lower than the ICE 4. The roof working platform (DAB) was therefore modified so that:

it remains at the previous height for the ICE 4,
for the ICE L, the extendable modules of the DAB are given an additional vertical adjustment,
and in both cases a zero gap is guaranteed - for maximum occupational safety.

A flexible solution was also needed for the driver's gangway, a 350m long continuous platform for vehicle access in the factory. The existing platform was optimized for ICE 4 and therefore 40 cm too high. For the ICE L, DB Systemtechnik designed and tendered for horizontally sliding, extendable steps on the platforms, which allow employees safe access to the lower boarding level.

Additional measure: Flexible crane area

Regardless of the specific requirements of the ICE L, the crane area was also optimized as part of the conversion of the large carriage hall. In order to simplify operation and speed up processes, the previous four separate crane bays were combined into one large, continuous crane area. Static safety was ensured by appropriate spacing.

New technology for rodal replacement - successfully tested

For the ICE L, a new system had to be conceived and designed for the removal/installation and transportation of the bulky rodals in the existing tracks. The key components of this are the subsystems:

Rodal changer as lowering device
Transport chassis for lateral extension in extremely low design and
Crane truck for the internal longitudinal transport of the rodal along the track.

This technology can be fully integrated into the existing infrastructure and enables efficient rodal replacement processes within the short time windows.

In summer 2025, all subsystems and their interaction were tested together for the first time on the ICE L - with successful results and confirmed practical suitability.

Conclusion

Through the combination of feasibility study, conception, planning, creation of specifications as well as contract award and implementation support, DB Systemtechnik has created the technical basis for the Berlin Rummelsburg plant to be able to maintain the ICE L safely, efficiently and in line with the construction series in the future. At the same time, the systems can be used flexibly - also for other vehicle series such as the ICE 4.