Velaro Novo achieved 405 km/h

On Saturday of 28 June 2025, Siemens, in collaboration with DB Systemtechnik and DB InfraGO, achieved 405 km/h on the HSL between Leipzig/Halle and Erfurt. This was accomplished using the ICE-S train (with power cars 410 101 and 102 operated by DB Systemtechnik), which incorporated the Velaro Novo test car. It marks a major step forward in the development of the next-generation Velaro Novo, which will be certified for a maximum speed of 360 km/h.

Train runs at speeds above 300 km/h are extremely rare on the German network and are conducted exclusively for testing purposes. Dr. Philipp Nagl, CEO of DB InfraGO AG: “Today, an ICE has traveled faster than ever before on the Erfurt – Leipzig/Halle line. A new top speed of 405.0 km/h also confirms the high performance of the infrastructure on this HSL: after ten years of continuous operation, we can run at such high speeds without any modifications. It proves that infrastructure investments lay the foundation for reliable, sustainable, and high-capacity mobility and logistics across generations. The test runs are providing us with crucial data for the refurbishment and maintenance of high-speed routes as well as for the technical development of high-speed trains, which ultimately benefits our passengers.”

Dr. Hiie-Mai Unger, Chairwoman of the Management Board of DB Systemtechnik: “With our high-speed measurement train ICE-S we were able to gather many important findings today on acoustics, aerodynamics, ride behavior and the interaction between train and track at very high speeds. These findings support further route refurbishment and help us optimize rail operations - especially high-speed rail.”

The new Velaro Novo from Siemens Mobility is the consistent further development of three previous Velaro generations. Numerous detailed innovations make this high-speed train a highly efficient vehicle, consuming up to 30 % less energy while significantly reducing investment and maintenance costs. At the same time, seating capacity has been increased by 10 %. The Velaro Novo test car, named #seeitnovo, has been undergoing testing as part of the ICE-S for several years on the German long-distance network.

In regular service, Germany’s fast ICE trains run at speeds of up to 300 km/h. The Erfurt – Leipzig/Halle HSL, part of German Unity Transport Project No. 8 (VDE 8), entered service in 2015. Before the test runs, the line underwent a comprehensive inspection by experts and remains in excellent condition. It is currently closed until 12 July for maintenance and optimization. Among other work, particularly low-maintenance bridge bearings are being installed to ensure that the infrastructure on this high-speed line remains reliable and high-performing. Train traffic is being rerouted to the parallel line during the closure. These diversions are included in the published timetables.

The current German record is 406.9 km/h and was set on the Fulda - Würzburg section on 1 May 1988 by the InterCityExperimental unit, later renamed ICE/V.