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An impressive sight featuring a red six-car Desiro HC double-deck train for the Franken-Thüringen-Express (FTX). Mathias Schrödter caught unit 4462 005/505 in a very icy atmosphere – making the train look even redder than it already is:
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Eight such trains are scheduled to enter service in June 2024, connecting Nuremberg, Bamberg, Coburg and Erfurt/Sonneberg. They are pressure-tight for operation in high-speed tunnels along with the Berlin – Munich ICE trains. They are equipped with ETCS to maintain the fluidity of the line and have a top speed of 190 km/h.
An extensive report on these trains was published by Railcolor News in 2022:
[DE] The real thing: Desiro HC for Franken-Thüringen Express [updated x3]