History

"Our electric train is creating quite a stir," Werner von Siemens, the builder of the world’s first operational electric locomotive, proudly wrote to his brother on June 12, 1879—125 years ago.

This report from long ago may bring a smile to passengers used to speeding along in trains like the Intercity Express (ICE) of German Rail. Indeed, a lot has happened between the early days of rail transportation and today’s 350 km/h trains. But the transformation was anything but sudden. It took more than half a century before things really began to move in terms of long-distance travel. "There were many technical and organizational problems that had to be solved," says Sven Lubensky, a project expert at Siemens Locomotives in the Transportation Systems Group in Munich. "The public also had to be convinced of the benefits of electrical power systems."

From Horse Manure to Electric Trains. The conversion was simplest for urban transit systems, most of which were using horse-drawn streetcars in the last third of the 19th century. Berlin, for instance, had 7,000 horses in 1896. Even though the manure was picked up twice a day, hygienic conditions remained questionable. Attempts to replace the horses with steam locomotives failed because citizens didn’t want to put up with the steam, flying sparks and noise. So it’s not surprising that the first electric streetcar that Siemens introduced in 1881 in Berlin-Lichterfelde became a model for the world.

But delivery of electricity proved to be a problem. At first, it was transmitted through the middle rail. This system, however, restricted the voltage to 180 V and raised safety concerns. The problem was resolved in 1889 when Siemens engineer Walter Reichel developed the bow collector. By the end of the century, electric propulsion had spread to subways, elevated railways, and mining and industrial locomotives.

In long-distance travel, however, there seemed to be no reason to replace smooth-running steam propulsion systems. In 1879, the German railroad network had more than 10,000 km, of track and thousands of steam locomotives were rolling. But about ten years later, the success of the electric train prompted thinking about electrifying long-distance routes in the future.

The direct current used at the time in public transportation systems was not suited for long distances. As a result, Siemens turned its attention in 1892 to alternating current. AC allows line voltage to be as high as desired; the voltage can then be brought to the level best suited for the motor by means of transformers in the locomotive. At first, three-phase alternating current was used at Siemens’ factory in Berlin and at the company’s own test track in Lichterfelde. In 1903, a train reached a record speed of 210 km/h on the Marienfelde-Zossen line. But three-phase alternating current proved to be inadequate because of its elaborate electricity feed system over three individual lines and bow collectors. "Tests conducted back then," Lubensky said, "ended up on a dead-end street." It was not until 1970 that research in this area was resumed. Better than Steam. At first, single-phase alternating-current technology became the focus of research: In 1904, the Siemens-Schuckert-Werke (SSW) extended the Murnau-Oberammergau rail line in the German Alps as part of the effort. In place of two steam locomotives formerly used to pull heavy trains up the steep grade, an LAG-1 locomotive impressively demonstrated just what electric propulsion was capable of achieving. As a result, in 1912 the German state railways decided to use single-phase alternating current with a frequency of 16 ²/₃ Hz and 15,000 V. Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland soon joined in and created the basis for an interconnected electrified rail network that extended across national borders.

But the conversion was blocked by World War I and its aftermath. Lack of investment and growing competition from planes and cars—the number of cars in Germany grew tenfold to more than 1.2 million between 1921 and 1929—turned the once thriving railroad business into a money-losing proposition. Nonetheless, Germany’ rail system, the Reichsbahn, achieved considerable technical success. One pioneering achievement was the multipurpose E 44 electric locomotive built in 1930. This locomotive, designed by Walter Reichel and manufactured by SSW, could be used by both freight and passenger trains. During the years that followed, faster and more powerful electric locomotives entered service—particularly in the mountains and in places where hydroelectric power could be produced inexpensively. Electric locomotives were much more efficient than steam locomotives and had the additional benefit of being able to produce constant pulling power even on serpentine routes. On the other hand, the costs of setting up the electrical system on the rail lines were high. As a result, steam locomotives dominated the tracks into the 1950s. For the same reason, electric locomotives had to compete with diesel locomotives, which still provide service today on non-electrified branch lines.

Intercity and ICE. It was not until World War II had ended that the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) could think about electrifying long stretches of rail lines, even though it was slipping deeper into the red as a result of money-losing local transportation operations and competition from the auto industry. In the freight transport business, standard locomotives were developed at the beginning of the 1960s. They simplified freight transport, added speed and increased towing capacity. In passenger transportation, speed continued to grow in importance. By the winter of 1971, Intercity trains that used electrified lines to connect major cities were introduced.

Together with the electric industry, the DB also broke new ground. In 1979, efforts were initiated to use three-phase technology in train operations, a technology that allows smaller, lighter and nearly maintenance-free motors to be introduced. In 1985, a high-speed Intercity Experimental (ICE) train based on this technology was tested, Acting under German Rail’s project management, Siemens assumed responsibility for the electric technology and the electronics used in the new train’s drive unit. The third generation of the ICE—now called Intercity Express—has been in operation since 2000.

"In the future, rail travel will be even quieter, more comfortable and more convenient," says Jürgen Schlaht of Siemens Transportation Systems in Erlangen. But today’s passengers don’t have to wait for the future to enjoy a totally new traveling sensation. "All they have to do is get on the new ICE 3," says Schlaht. "You won’t feel drafts and you won’t be tossed around in the car. It’s uniformly quiet in operation and glides gently through curves." The new Siemens platform for high-speed trains known under the name of Velaro is the logical continuation of this development.

With a view to developing a European high-speed vehicle (High-Speed Train Europe, HTE), railroad operators in France, Germany and Italy have formed an alliance with leading vehicle producers, including Siemens. A standardized, modular, basic rail vehicle is to be adapted to meet the needs of specific areas of operation. A double-deck version could be used for high-demand stretches, and a single-deck version could be developed for routes with tunnels. But Schlaht says the appearance of these trains remains an open question. "At the moment, the HTE is still just a dream."

Luitgard Marschall