Entering the Modern Era: Electric Multiple Units from 1994 Onwards
The major railway reform of 1994 ushered in a completely new era for German rail. The newly founded Deutsche Bahn AG and numerous private transport operators embraced forward-looking, state-of-the-art vehicle families. From the open-gangway S-Bahn fleets in the metropolitan areas of Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich to the colorful trainsets of private regional lines, the diversity on German tracks has never been greater or more dynamic than in recent decades.
Our digital image archive keeps pace with this unstoppable transformation. Our photo database documents the era from 1994 onwards: discover razor-sharp images featuring the “Traffic Red” livery, rare shots of groundbreaking prototypes, the farewell to beloved classics, and exclusive snapshots of the latest train generations captured right out on the line.
Click on the class designation to go directly to the images in the photo database.
On November 6, 2020, the Class 445 Twindexx was reflected in an oxbow lake of the Altmühl near Pappenheim. Photo: Ingo Ehrlich
| Series | Numbers | built | Decommisiioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| BR 401* | 401 001–090, 501–590 (ICE 1, Long-distance transport pioneer) | 1989–1993 | In service (Redesign) |
| BR 402* | 402 001–045, 501–545 (ICE 2, Half-trains for splitting/joining) | 1995–1997 | In service |
| BR 403 (neu)* | 403 001–050, 501–550 (ICE 3, Single-system sets) | 1999–2004 | In service |
| BR 406* | 406 001–017, 501–517 (ICE 3M, Multi-system variant) | 1999–2002 | In service (Partial decommissioning/conversion) |
| BR 407* | 407 001–017 (ICE 3 „Velaro D“ by Siemens) | 2009–2012 | In service |
| BR 408* | 408 001 ff. (ICE 3neo) | ab 2021 | In service |
| BR 411* | 411 001–032, 051–082 (ICE T, 7-car-unit with tilting mechanism) | 1997–2006 | In service |
| BR 412* | 412 001 ff. (ICE 4, backbone of long-distance transport) | ab 2015 | In service |
| BR 415* | 415 001–011, 071–081 (ICE T, 5-car-unit with tilting mechanism) | 1997–1999 | 2026 |
| BR 422 / 432 | 422 001–084 (S-Bahn Rhein-Ruhr, successor BR 423) | 2008–2010 | In service |
| BR 423 / 433 | 423 001–462 (S-Bahn Standardzug: München, Stuttgart, Köln, Rhein-Main) | 1998–2007 | In service |
| BR 424 / 434 | 424 001–040 (ex S-Bahn Hannover, now Köln/München) | 1999–2000 | In service (Modernized from 2023 onwards) |
| BR 425 / 435 | 425 001–156, 201–220, 271–280 (Regional transport) | 1999–2008 | In service |
| BR 426 | 426 001–043 (Short version of the Class 425, 2-car unit) | 1999–2002 | Partially retired / In service |
| BR 427 | Stadler FLIRT 1 (Service with various private railways) | ab 2006 | In service |
| BR 429 | Stadler FLIRT 3 (5-cars-unit, u.a. DB Süwex) | ab 2013 | In service |
| BR 430 | 430 001–097, 101–130 (S-Bahn Stuttgart & Rhein-Main) | 2011–2014 | In service |
| BR 440 / 441 | Alstom Coradia Continental (u.a. Fugger-Express) | 2008–2010 | In serviceb |
| BR 442 / 443 | Bombardier Talent 2 („Hamsterbacke“) | 2008–2021 | In service |
| BR 445.0 Prototyp | Double-decker train Waggonbau Görlitz | 1998 | 2006 scrapped |
| BR 445 Stadler Kiss | Double-decker trains | ab 2010 | In service |
| BR 445 Bomardier Twindexx | Double-decker trains | 2013-2019 | In service |
| BR 446 | Bombardier Talent 2 (Version with 96 cm entry height) | 2018–2019 | In service |
| BR 447 | Alstom Coradia Max (Double-decker trains) | ab 2024 | In service |
| BR 450 | 450 801–836 (GT8-100C/2S-M, Karlsruhe Tram-Train) | 1991–1995 | In service |
| BR 452 | Alstom RegioCitadis (RegioTram Kassel, dual-system) | 2004–2005 | In service |
| BR 460 | Siemens Desiro ML (MittelrheinBahn / Trans Regio) | 2008–2009 | In service |
| BR 462 | Siemens Desiro HC (Rhein-Ruhr-Express / RRX) | from 2018 onwards | In service |
| BR 463 | Siemens Mireo (Modern local transport vehicle) | from 2018 onwards | In service |
| BR 474 / 874 | 474 001–112 (S-Bahn Hamburg, partly dual-system) | 1996–2001 | In service (Redesign finshed) |
| BR 480 | 480 001–085 (Berliner S-Bahn, Series „Toaster“) | 1986–1994 | In service (Decommissioning in progress) |
| BR 481 / 482 | 481 001–500 (Berliner S-Bahn, mass production) | 1996–2004 | In service (Langlebigkeits-Update) |
| BR 483 / 484 | 483 001 ff. / 484 001 ff. (Stadler/Siemens, S-Bahn Berlin) | 2018–2023 | In service |
| BR 488 | 488 001–002 („Panorama-S-Bahn“ Berlin, one-off-piece) | 1999 (conversion) | 2009 (Abgestellt) |
| BR 490 | 490 001–082, 101 ff. (S-Bahn Hamburg, Bombardier) | from 2016 onwards | In service (Reorders are being processed) |
*) For legal reasons, you will not find images of this model series in our archive.