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ECx: The new golden age of conventional trains
The economic leader of the world´s first common-currency union is also at the head of a most ambitious project Western Europe has ever embarked upon: decarbonization. Under this initiative, Germany set the target to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030, as compared to the 1990 levels. And the importance of Talgo´s ECx trains in the achievement of this task, designed to address and tackle the ongoing climate change, cannot be underestimated.
With no definite commercial name assigned so far, the new trains based on the Talgo 230 platform, are provisionally referred to by the German operator Deutsche Bahn as Eurocity, indicating unambiguously their future mission: long-distance and international services.
In a country with one of the busiest rail networks in the world, where high speed is more exception than rule, reliable, fully-accessible and totally interoperable long-distance conventional trains are the key to the successful accomplishment of the environmental goals. DB chose Talgo, because our trains are a feasible alternative to flying.

Contract without precedent
Within the above-mentioned agreement, DB immediately placed the first firm order of 23 trainsets for the amount of 550 million euros. These are currently at the last engineering development stage and their estimated date of delivery and commissioning is 2023.

Talgo locomotives
Under the contract, Talgo designs, builds and supplies to DB multi-voltage electric locomotives with a maximum operating speed of 230 km/h, fully compatible with different electrification and signaling systems.
These will enable the new trains to run not only on the German rail network, but to cross borders and operate in the neighboring countries. ECx versatile design will also allow DB to use them with diesel locomotives when required and, therefore, always to the best advantage.

Up to the highest technical demands
Talgo´s extensive experience in the manufacture of interoperable trains and DB´s choice of a specialized platform conceived for long-distance conventional transportation services, with configurable interior design and lightweight technology, will allow the German operator to benefit from prior experience and obtain a reliable product certified and tested against the most rigorous and comprehensive standards worldwide: FRA´s norms in North America, GOST in CIS countries, and ERA´s technical specification for interoperability in the European Union, among others.

Travel to the heart of Europe
Due to their interoperability and increased capacity, Talgo ECx are also expected to carry passengers to the main tourist destinations: the North Sea and the Alps. In summer 2024, Deutsche Bahn is planning to put them into service on the Westerland-Cologne, Westerland-Frankfurt-Karlsruhe, Westerland-Berlin and Oberstdorf-Cologne lines.

New accessibility standards
This means wheelchair users will need no external aid to board and alight from the train, or to get to one of the three PRM seats (provided with adjustable height tables) or to the PRM WC. The train will have braille tactile directional signs.
Talgo ECx will also offer easier and quicker access of passengers traveling with large-size baggage or baby carriages and strollers. Inside, passengers will move freely to any part of the train with no vertical gaps or other obstacles in their way.
Talgo ECx is an absolutely new model for the German operator, since from now on, each train manufactured and delivered by Talgo to DB, shall be fully accessible and provided with at least several entrances specifically adapted to persons with disabilities.

ECx from the inside
As for equipment, according to DB´s request, the new ECx will provide facilities and characteristics similar to those offered on board the ICEs, namely, WiFi, variable illumination during daylight hours, more luggage room, bistro on board and real-time information displays. DB also decided to equip its ECx with passenger seats, specifically tailored to satisfy any customer demand. Exhaustive tests will be conducted on several models of the seat under real operating conditions with passengers so that DB can make the decision thereon.
Talgo cars have shorter passenger rooms and a modular design, easily adaptable to ski, bike or luggage storage racks, if needed. These can also be modified to include children play areas.

Technical features
- Height: Cars 3.6 - 3.8 m; locomotive 4.2 m
- Train length: 255 m, of which 235 m correspond to 17 passenger cars and 19.5 m to the locomotive.
- Tare weight: 425 t
- Number of axles: 20 axles (16 single-axle running gears + 4 conventional axles of the 2 trailer bogies corresponding to 17 cars) and 4 conventional axles of the 2 powered bogies of the locomotive.
- Brakes: electric regenerative brake, used as a primary brake, sending extra energy back to the overhead line; pneumatic brake (disc brakes), used as an auxiliary braking system and magnetic brake on demand.
- Other