In November 2015,
Deutsche Bahn announced that it was planning to procure long-distance coaches in addition to the
Intercity 2 double-decker trains. These were intended for use on international routes and for operation on non-electrified lines and to have a higher maximum speed than the 160 km/h of the Intercity 2 carriages. The related call for tenders for a framework contract was published on 2 March 2017. In February 2019, Deutsche Bahn signed a framework agreement with Spanish manufacturer
Talgo. Richard Lutz, chairman of Deutsche Bahn, announced that the best offer had been chosen.
Siemens Mobility had offered
Vectron locomotives along with Viaggio brand passenger
Railroad cars. The framework contract includes the delivery of up to 100 trains and in the first call 23 trains were ordered for a total cost that should amount to around 550 million euros. At about 24 million euros, each train is thus much cheaper than an ICE. The new
rolling stock was presented to the public in mid-March 2019, under the working title
ECx. Each train is 256 m long and consists of one locomotive and 17
articulated cars. Each car is connected to the neighbouring car with a single-axle bogie, with double-axle bogies only at each end of the set. This gives each train 20 axles, in addition to those of the associated locomotive. Each unit will be delivered with a
multi-system-
electric DB Class 105 locomotive (Talgo Travca locomotive - 19.5m, 4 axles, 72t). The single-axle carriage construction allows for a weight of 425 tonnes - which in turn makes it slightly lighter than a shorter seven-car
ICE 4. Entry and floor heights are 76 cm throughout, allowing for step-free access from suitable platforms, and step-free passage throughout the train. Under the existing framework contract, an additional 56 sets were ordered in May 2023 for €1.4bn, taking the total number of sets to 79. Trains are manufactured in Talgo's factory in Spain, and certification tests took place at the Zughotel in
Braunschweig. This was followed by dynamic tests at the
Żmigród Test Track Centre in Poland at 160 km/h, which was followed by tests up to 230 km/h in Germany. Climate testing was undertaken at
Rail Tec Arsenal in
Vienna, as well as other tests in Romania. Owing to delays in production of the locomotives, reportedly due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, Siemens Vectron locomotives were to be leased from
NS International to be used on the Berlin-Amsterdam service until these are delivered. Dual mode Vectron locomotives will also be used for the non-electrified lines serving
Oberstdorf and
Westerland (Sylt). During production, it was decided to equip the trainsets with the ÖBB
Wire Train Bus (WTB) push-pull system, replacing the previously planned proprietary Talgo system. This change allows for the use of various locomotives, rather than limiting operations to the DB Class 105. On 11 August 2025, DB announced that the ICE L had received technical approval to operate in Germany from the
European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and the German
Federal Railway Authority (EBA). Throughout late 2025 and Early 2026 the ICE-L Was repeatedly scheduled to run Test services between
Berlin Hauptbahnhof and
Köln Hauptbahnhof == Design ==