The first DSB’s new EuroCity trainsets (Talgo 230 trains) have been deployed into passenger services in Denmark and Germany on the Copenhagen-Hamburg route served by Denmark state rail operator DSB.
Photo: Konstantin Planinsky / Talgo
The maiden journey took place on November 3, 2025, from Copenhagen Central Station, with intermediate stops programmed at Ringsted, Odense, Kolding and Padborg in Denmark and Schleswig in Germany, towards Hamburg.
The journey marks the start of a gradual replacement with the new coaches, which will serve the Copenhagen–Hamburg route in the future.
The new EuroCity carriages have been designed with a focus on high comfort and a bright, modern interior, offering passengers an even better travel experience.
Among other advantages, the new trains will triple transport capacity with their 492 seats, as compared to current 136-seater trains.
“This is a significant milestone. In recent years, we’ve seen growing interest in taking the train abroad. From 2023 to 2024, the number of passengers increased by 22 per cent, and the growth continues. We’re therefore delighted to welcome even more travellers on board the new trains,” said Jens Visholm, Commercial Director at DSB.
Photo: Jens Hasse / DSB
The first eight new EuroCity trainsets have already been delivered and will gradually enter service on the Copenhagen–Hamburg line over the coming months. In total, DSB has ordered 16 trainsets, with the remaining eight – including the associated control cars – expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027. In February 2020, DSB and Talgo signed a EUR 500 million framework agreement with a firm order of EUR 134 million for the supply of 8 complete trains of the Talgo 230 technological platform. In April 2021 and considering the new demand for international rail travel, DSB decided to increase the fleet size with a second order for additional coaches which raised the passenger capacity of the 8 initial trains by a full 10%, to 492 seats each. Then in April 2023 the railway company placed a third order, for 8 additional trains and worth EUR 184 million.
EuroCity trains are loco-hauled units authorised for a maximum speed of 200 km/h in commercial service and have a flexible configuration ranging from 9 to 15 passenger cars including first and second classes and a PRM car. Their maximum capacity will reach 492 passengers and will allow DSB to revamp and increase its offering in the Denmark-Germany route and to create a new alternative to more carbon-intensive modes like road and air transport.
In each EuroCity set the two cars at each train end are longer than the rest and act as a fully interoperable interface with the third-party locomotives from the DSB roster. In a near future, one of those end cars will be replaced by a Talgo cab car (styrevogn; a passenger end-coach with a driving cab but no engines) to allow for a push-pull configuration using a single locomotive.
The new EC coaches are manufactured by the Spanish train producer Talgo, which has also supplied similar trains to Deutsche Bahn (DB) in Germany. The carriages will primarily be used on DSB’s international routes.
With these new trainsets and strong partnerships, DSB will be able to offer more international departures – already next year, from May to August, there will be ten daily departures in each direction between Copenhagen and Hamburg.
The new rolling stock on this existing route will contribute to a barrier-free, more integrated Europe, while incentivizing a more sustainable transport alternative between the two countries served. Denmark and Germany are among the European countries which have set more ambitious goals for the reduction of carbon emissions coming from transport. Recoverability of the Talgo 230 EuroCity units is set at 95%, and as they are lighter than other trains they reduce energy consumption and therefore their impact on the environment.
