Siemens Velaro is a family of high-speed electric multiple unit trains built by Siemens and used in Germany, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, China, Russia, and Turkey. The Velaro is based on the

ICE 3 ICE 3, or Intercity-Express 3, is a family of high-speed electric multiple unit trains operated by Deutsche Bahn. It includes classes 403, 406, 407 and 408, which are known as ICE 3, ICE 3M, New ICE 3 and ICE 3neo respectively. Three multisystem ...

M/F high-speed trains manufactured by Siemens for the Deutsche Bahn (DB). The Deutsche Bahn were the first to order Siemens high-speed trains; it ordered 13 of these units in 1994, the

Nederlandse Spoorwegen Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS; ; en, "Dutch Railways") is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands. It is a Dutch state-owned company founded in 1938. The Dutch rail network is one of the busiest in the European Union, and t ...

(NS) 4 units. The trains were delivered in 1999 for service. The trains were labeled and marketed as the Velaro by their manufacturer, Siemens. Siemens developed its Siemens Velaro based on the ICE 3M/F. Spain's RENFE was the first to order Velaro trains, known as Velaro E, for their

AVE ''Alta Velocidad Española'' (''AVE'') is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . As of December 2021, the Spanish high-speed rail network, on part of which the AVE s ...

network. China ordered wider versions for the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail ( China Railways CRH3) and Russia for the

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

–

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

and the

–

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...

routes ( Velaro RUS/Сапсан). Since December 2013, the latest generation, Velaro D has been running in its home country,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. An evolution of this version named Velaro MS shall operate in Germany from December 2022. In July 2006, a Siemens Velaro train-set (AVE S-103) reached , which was the world record for railed and unmodified commercial service trainsets.

Velaro E (AVE Class 103)

The Velaro E is a version of the Velaro family used by RENFE for operations in Spain. In 2001, RENFE ordered sixteen Velaros designated AVE Class 103. The order was later increased to a total of 26 trains. The trains serve the

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

–

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

line at speeds up to for a travel time of 2 hrs 30 mins. The first units were delivered in July 2005 and completed their first test runs in January 2006. On 15 July 2006, a train achieved a top speed of between Guadalajara and

Calatayud Calatayud (; 2014 pop. 20,658) is a municipality in the Province of Zaragoza, within Aragón, Spain, lying on the river Jalón, in the midst of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range. It is the second-largest town in the province after the capital, ...

on the Madrid-Barcelona line. This is a Spanish record for railed vehicles. Until 3 December 2010 it was also a

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

for unmodified commercial service trainsets, as the earlier

TGV The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...

(world record of ) and

ICE Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaqu ...

records were achieved with specially modified and shortened trainsets, and the

Shinkansen The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...

(, 1996) record was for a test (non-commercial) trainset.

Velaro CN (CRH3C)

The Velaro CRH3C is a Chinese version of the Velaro. In November 2005, China ordered 60 trains for the

Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway The Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway () is a Chinese high-speed railway that runs 117 km line (72.7 statute miles) between Beijing and Tianjin. Designed for passenger traffic only, the Chinese government built the line to accommodate t ...

. The eight-car trains are very similar to Spain's Velaro E, but wider to fit in almost 50% more seats in a 2 plus 3 layout. In the CRH3C version, a 200-metre-long Velaro train will seat 600 passengers. These trains were manufactured jointly by Siemens in Germany and CNR Tangshan in China. The first Chinese-built CRH3C was unveiled on 11 April 2008. CRH3C reached a top speed of during a test on the Beijing to Tianjin high-speed railway on 24 June 2008.

Velaro RUS (RZD Sapsan)

The Velaro RUS is part of the Velaro family built for Russia. On 19 May 2006 Siemens announced an order from

Russian Railways Russian Railways (russian: link=no, ОАО «Российские железные дороги» (ОАО «РЖД»), OAO Rossiyskie zheleznye dorogi (OAO RZhD)) is a Russian fully state-owned vertically integrated railway company, both manag ...

for eight Velaro RUS high-speed trains including a 30-year service contract. The contract is in total worth €600 million. The trains, connecting

with

, and later also Saint Petersburg and

(the service was temporarily discontinued from 1 June 2015 till 1 March 2018) at a speed of up to , are based on the ICE3 train standard but with bodies widened by to to take advantage of Russia's wide loading gauge. They are also built to the Russian track gauge, unlike other Velaro EMUs, which are standard gauge. Four of the trains are for both 3 kV DC and operation. The total length of each ten-car train is , carrying up to 600 passengers. Development and construction were carried out at

Erlangen Erlangen (; East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative district Erlangen), and with 116,062 inhab ...

and

Krefeld Krefeld ( , ; li, Krieëvel ), also spelled Crefeld until 1925 (though the spelling was still being used in British papers throughout the Second World War), is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, i ...

in Germany. Single-voltage EVS1 (3 kV DC) trains entered passenger service at the end of 2009 on the Moscow–St Petersburg route, and the dual-system EVS2 trains entered service on the Nizhniy Novgorod route in 2010. It set a record for the fastest train in Russia on 2 May 2009, travelling at and on 7 May 2009, travelling at . On 19 December 2011 an order for an additional 8 sets was signed in order to facilitate an increased number of services on existing lines and the expansion of new service elsewhere in the system.

Velaro D (DB Class 407)

The Velaro D is specifically designed for Deutsche Bahn international services from Germany. Designated DB's Class 407, it is designed to run at speeds up to and comply with

Technical Specifications for Interoperability A technical specification for interoperability (abbreviated as TSI) is a text provided for in European Directive 2016/797 adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on the interoperability of the European rail system ...

and enhanced

crashworthiness Crashworthiness is the ability of a structure to protect its occupants during an impact. This is commonly tested when investigating the safety of aircraft and vehicles. Depending on the nature of the impact and the vehicle involved, different crit ...

requirements. There are fire-proof equipment rooms and fire doors between cars. Velaro D is designed to be quieter and more reliable than the ICE 3 (Class 403/406). The train is also expected to use up to 20% less energy than previous versions of ICE. This is achieved in part by improved body styling. It does not have the ICE3's panorama lounge where passengers in the end coaches can see the tracks over the driver's shoulder. The Class 407 has 460 seats: 111 in first class, 333 in second class and 16 in the bistro car. In total this is 37 more seats than the ICE 3, even though the seat pitch is unchanged. This is achieved by putting the traction equipment in compartments at either end of the train instead of hiding it behind panels the length of the train. Unlike all previous ICE versions, the passenger seating is all open-plan and there are no compartments. The eight-coach Class 407 trains can couple up and work with their Class 403 and Class 406 predecessors. Eight of the 16 bogies per train are powered, and there are four independent sets of traction equipment per train: if two of them break down, the train can still run. For full international flexibility across Europe, it can function on any of four voltages. The fleet will be based in Frankfurt. In December 2008 Deutsche Bahn signed a €500 million order for 15 trainsets. The train's production stages were presented to the press in

on 28 April 2010, and three completed cars were displayed by Siemens on 22 September 2010 at InnoTrans. In June 2011, Deutsche Bahn ordered an additional Velaro D set (increasing the total to 16) in order to replace an ICE3MF set damaged in an accident in August 2010. Velaro D was meant to go into service starting December 2011 on services from Frankfurt to southern France via the new

LGV Rhin-Rhône The LGV Rhin-Rhône (French: ''Ligne à Grande Vitesse''; English: high-speed line) is a French high-speed rail line, the first in France to be presented as an inter-regional route rather than a link from the provinces to Paris, though it actual ...

, and subsequently within Germany and on other international services to France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Due to a series of delays in manufacturing and licensing no Velaro D trainsets were in service as of November 2012 and there was no schedule for their delivery. Only in December 2013 the first four trains delivered to DB were licensed for domestic operation as multiple units and started with passenger traffic. Four more trains were due to be delivered in spring 2014, whereas the remainder of eight trains shall be used for test runs in France and Belgium to gain type approval there. The specification of the Velaro D allows its access to the Channel Tunnel, enabling DB to use it on the services it plans to operate from London to Amsterdam and Frankfurt. Deutsche Bahn submitted safety documentation for the operation of Velaro D high speed trainsets through the Channel Tunnel to the Intergovernmental Commission in July 2011, which in June 2013 granted a licence for passenger trains to DB. In 2012 and 2013, Siemens discussed with Deutsche Bahn the delivery of one more Velaro D set, free of charge, as compensation for the delivery and certification delays. This train was originally built for test purposes and features a different propulsion setup, utilizing permanent magnet AC synchronous motors as opposed to the traditional AC asynchronous motors. Siemens stated that this will allow a reduction in the number of propulsion units per train, while still maintaining train performance.

Velaro MS (DB class 408)

In 2019 Deutsche Bahn felt the need of further trains able to run at or more for national and international use. Siemens offered its Velaro Novo which was under development and an evolution of the Velaro D designed for operation at and equipped with multi-system (MS) capability and hence labelled Velaro MS. Demanding a proven model Deutsche Bahn ordered 30 Velaro MS for delivery starting in 2022. The first of the trains called ''iCE 3neo'' by Deutsche Bahn and classed as 408 was completed in late 2021 and presented to the public in February 2022. At the same time the order was increased by 43 trainsets, with all 73 trains supposed to be in service by early 2029.

Velaro e320 (Eurostar)

On 7 October 2010, it was reported that

Eurostar Eurostar is an international high-speed rail service connecting the United Kingdom with France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Most Eurostar trains travel through the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France, owned and operate ...

had selected Siemens as preferred bidder to supply 10 Velaro e320 trainsets at a cost of €600 million (and a total investment of more than £700 million with the refurbishment of the existing fleet included) to operate an expanded route network, including services from

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

and

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

. These would be sixteen-car, long trainsets built to meet current Channel Tunnel regulations, and would not be the same as the Velaro D sets which Deutsche Bahn propose to operate services between Germany and London. The top speed will be and they will have 894-950 seats, unlike the current Eurostar fleet manufactured by the French Alstom, which has a top speed of and a seating capacity of 750. Total traction power will be rated at . On the British system they are classified as Class 374 units.

Velaro TR (TCDD HT80000)

The Velaro TR is a Velaro D derived 8-car standard gauge high-speed train for the

Turkish State Railways The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları), abbreviated as TCDD, is a government-owned national railway company responsible with the ownership and maintenance of railway infrastructure in Turkey ...

(TCDD). The eight cars, totalling a length of , can accommodate 519 passengers and reach a top speed of . 25 kV 50 Hz AC power the train with a total of 8 MW. In 2013 TCDD concluded three contracts with Siemens for the acquisition of 17 units in total (1 unit for the first, 6 for the second and 10 for the last contract) with a combined value of €685 million. Furthermore, Siemens would provide 7 years of maintenance and cleaning, and also provide a

simulator A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the s ...

. The Velaros are to be deployed on the Turkish high-speed railway network. The first Siemens Velaro (the only Velaro D type train of TCDD, code numbered HT80001) entered service on 23 May 2015 between Ankara-Konya. The second Velaro of TCDD, which is the first Velaro TR type train, with the code number HT80101 (this type of train was involved an

accident An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researche ...

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

) arrived in Ankara on 17 February 2016. Unlike the traditional ''

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

- dark blue'' color scheme used on the TCDD HT65000 high-speed trains, a ''

turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of year ...

grey Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...

'' color scheme has been selected for the livery of TCDD's Velaro trains.

Velaro Egypt

In May 2022 it was announced that

Egyptian National Railways Egyptian National Railways (ENR; ar, السكك الحديدية المصرية, Al-Sikak al-Ḥadīdiyyah al-Miṣriyyah) is the national railway of Egypt and managed by the parastatal Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA; ar, الهيئة الق� ...

had ordered 41 Velaro 8-car sets, amongst other railway equipment, for a railway development.

Velaro Novo

The Velaro Novo is Siemens's concept for the next generation of high speed train. It was announced in June 2018, and the first sets could be in service in 2023. Velaro Novo would be lighter and more efficient than previous designs, with a top speed of .

Gallery

File:RENFE Class 103 Vinaixa.jpg, A Spanish Series 103 train, Velaro E File:京津城际C2226.jpg, Velaro CRH3C in China File:CRH3.JPG, A Chinese CRH3C unit File:ЭВС1-15, Колпино - Саблино.jpg, Siemens Velaro RUS EVS2 File:SiemensVelaroD-InnoTrans2010.jpg, Siemens Velaro D at InnoTrans 2010, after handover of first train to DB. File:Eurostar Class 374 on HS1.jpg, Eurostar 320 (Class 374) near Sellindge, Kent, England. File:2016-02 Eurostar trains.jpg, A newer Eurostar E320 is seen next to an older Eurostar E300 ( Class 373) at London St Pancras File:YHT train at Ankara railway station.jpg, A Turkish HT80000 at the ATG terminal in Ankara File:InnoTrans 2016 - TCDD HT 80000 - Siemens Velaro TR (2).jpg, A Turkish HT80000 unit seen here at InnoTrans 2016

References

External links

Velaro Background

Velaro Sell Sheet; archived

Updated Velaro Sell Sheet (2014)

Velaro E specification sheet; download, archived

Siemens Velaro RUS Sell Sheet

Velaro CN Data Sheet; archived

Velaro developmental history and technical details
Siemens Page
Velaro D Technical details
Siemens Page
More Velaro D Tech details (Includes TE curve graph)

Velaro e320 technical specifications

Interactive 360° virtual tour of the Velaro E
{{Eurostar navbox High-speed trains Velaro Proposed British rail vehicles Train-related introductions in 1999 15 kV AC multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units 25 kV AC multiple units 3000 V DC multiple units