Intercity 2

In order to be able to modernize old Intercity cars and to increase the vehicle reserve of the long-distance traffic, Bombardier Twindexx double-deck coaches are used in inter-city rail traffic with a maximum speed (Vmax) of 160 km/h.[1] The locomotive is a DBAG Class 146.[2][3][1]

These kinds of coaches are used in German Regional-Express trains, for Intercity services the coaches will get a more comfortable interior than in regional train double-decker coaches. In both classes only open coaches are provided, there will be no dining car.[4] The double-decker coaches have been in service since 2015.[5] Unlike most previous IC stock the new trains, marketed as "InterCity 2" by DB have a top speed of 160 km/h and are mainly intended for routes where higher speeds aren't possible or would offer little or no benefit with the ICE 4 to take over routes with maximum speeds between 160 km/h and 250 km/h. The IC2 is also intended to expand the Intercity network to cities that had lost their long-distance service upon withdrawal of the Interregio.

In 2020, 17 used Stadler KISS EMUs were purchased from WESTbahn.[6] These trains are able to operate at 200 km/h. 4-car units are denoted Class 4110, 6-car units are denoted Class 4010.

A first batch of 4-car units started operating on the Dresden-Berlin-Rostock line in March 2020. 6-car units started operating on the Stuttgart-Singen-Zurich line in December 2022. These latter units replaced the loco-hauled IC2 consists that had been intended to operate Stuttgart-Singen-Zurich. Loco-hauled IC2 units were only able to operate Stuttgart-Singen but could not continue on to Switzerland as the manufacturer had failed to achieve approval for the ETCS safety system that is required for Switzerland.