DB Consolidates Heavy Maintenance for all ICE 4 Trains in Cottbus
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is consolidating heavy maintenance for all types of ICE 4 trains—seven-car, 12-car, and 13-car configurations—at the Cottbus facility in Lusatia.
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is consolidating heavy maintenance for all types of ICE 4 trains—seven-car, 12-car, and 13-car configurations—at the Cottbus facility in Lusatia.
The ICE 4 plays a key role in DB’s long-distance fleet, with 137 trains in service. Originally planned as a multi-plant operation, the transition of their maintenance activity to Cottbus has been accelerated due to the site’s tailored infrastructure and high-performing teams.
“The ICE maintenance in Lusatia is already a great success: Our experts designed the two-track workshop for rapid and efficient maintenance, especially of the ICE 4. The teams in Cottbus have implemented the optimised processes in practice even faster than expected. This means that the new Cottbus plant is already making an important contribution to high vehicle availability and a stable service from DB in its first year of operation - and is thus supporting the restructuring of the DB Group.”
Notably, Hall 2 of the Cottbus plant has been optimised for the IS 600 maintenance stage, a key part of the heavy maintenance schedule. Designed for efficiency, it allows:
- Full-Length Entry: Trains enter under their own power for seamless operation
- Three-Level Access: Technicians simultaneously work on roofs (air conditioning and pantographs), sides (flaps for technical systems), and beneath the train (work pits)
- Precision Stops: Elevated tracks with foldable rails allow precise positioning for quick replacement of wheelsets and bogies
- Overhead Line Access: Adjustable overhead lines enable easy inspection of train roofs
Over the past year, the plant serviced 13 ICE 4 trains comprising more than 160 carriages.
In 2025, DB plans to increase maintenance throughput at the Cottbus facility, servicing 24 ICE 4 trains, including 12 short (seven-car) and 12 long (12- or 13-car) configurations. Among these, 14 trains will undergo the more comprehensive IS 700 maintenance stage, conducted after 3.3 million kilometres of service.
The IS 700 process involves:
- Decoupling carriages for detailed inspection
- Overhauling doors, pantographs, brakes, couplings, and carriage transitions
- Working on running and driving bogies, replacing air conditioning systems, and swapping front noses
As Hall 1 nears completion, it will become the hub for IS 700 maintenance, featuring three maintenance tracks, a commissioning track, and a dedicated painting track. The 500-metre-long facility will complement Hall 2, ensuring a seamless workflow for maintenance teams.
The expansion of the Cottbus facility will create 1,200 new industrial and training positions. The current maintenance operations in Hall 2 provide a training ground for the team to prepare for the full commissioning of Hall 1, enabling efficient transitions between the IS 600 and IS 700 processes.
