DB Class 407 (ICE 3)

Updated: August 2026 – An ICE 3 with nobody sitting behind the windscreen: that’s the fastest way to identify Class 407, the Siemens Velaro D. It’s the second design generation of the ICE 3 concept – related in appearance, distinct in technology. This page shows you how to tell it apart from the 403, 406 and 408.

What is Class 407?

Class 407 is the Siemens Velaro D, an eight-part high-speed multiple unit with distributed traction. It’s multi-system and thus designed for services across system boundaries, with a maximum speed of 320 km/h. Operationally it runs as an ICE 3 – just like Class 403 and Class 406.

Technically, the 407 isn’t a continued production run of the older design, but a newly developed vehicle from Siemens’s Velaro platform. This platform bundles together high-speed trains that have also been built for other railways. The German variant carries the letter D and, in Germany, class number 407.

The most striking difference from the older design concerns the passenger space: on the 407, the area behind the driver’s cab is closed off. The lounge with a view of the line that marks out the 403 and 406 doesn’t exist here. For identification in the field this is a gift, because it can be checked from the platform in a second.

The fastest route to identification

Where these numbers are shown on the vehicle is covered by the guide Finding the train number; the structure of the twelve-digit number, including the type code 93, is explained in the article on the UIC number.

Placing it in railway operations

The 407 is a vehicle for long runs at high speeds. It’s used wherever high-speed lines exist and system boundaries are crossed. On the routes to Brussels and Paris, it meets Eurostar’s trains. The table below places it within the ICE 3 family.

Class	Design generation	Lounge	Electrification systems	Maximum speed
403	classic ICE 3	yes	single-system	330 km/h
406	classic ICE 3	yes	multi-system	330 km/h (design)
407	Velaro D	no	multi-system	320 km/h
408	ICE 3neo	no	multi-system	320 km/h

For spotters this means above all one thing: “saw an ICE 3” isn’t a useful note. Only the class number makes the sighting worth analysing. A full comparison of all the generations is in the article ICE classes 1 to 4.

Velaro: the platform behind Class 407

Why isn’t the 407 simply a rebuild of the 403? Because a change of concept happened at the manufacturer between the two vehicles. Siemens developed the ICE 3 principle further into a platform: a shared technical base from which high-speed trains for different networks and railways are derived.

That has two consequences that become visible in the field:

• Different proportions. A platform has to serve different loading gauges and approvals. The 407’s nose shape is therefore not identical to the 403’s, but designed independently – slightly fuller, less sharply drawn out.
• Different interior. The lounge behind the driver’s cab was dropped. The area behind the windscreen is closed off, which is immediately obvious from the platform and gives the fastest possible way to distinguish it.

For spotters, the platform logic is useful because it explains why four classes carry the same train name and are still different vehicles. ICE 3 is a product name, not a class. Anyone who separates the two automatically logs the right information – namely 403, 406, 407 or 408.

Spotting and photography

The 407 photographs like any ICE 3: lots of white, flat shapes, little structure. Four points make the difference.

• Choose a three-quarter view. An angle of about 30 to 45 degrees shows the nose shape and flank together and is what actually makes the difference from the classic build visible.
• Keep the cab area in shot. A framing that shows the closed-off wall behind the windscreen proves the design generation.
• Expose tightly. The bright front blows out quickly in sunshine; detail in the white is then lost.
• Fast shutter speed. 1/1000 s is the lower starting point for high-speed passages.

The basic technique is covered in the guide taking good photos of trains, the focal-length question in the article on the best telephoto lens for railway photography.

Four classes, one product name: the most common source of error

The ICE 3 family is where most identifications go wrong – not because of difficult features, but because of a mix-up over terms. “ICE 3” is a product name carried by four different classes. The timetable just says “ICE” anyway.

Three practical rules follow from this:

• Never log the product name alone. A log entry of “saw an ICE 3” is worthless afterwards, because it doesn’t distinguish between 403, 406, 407 and 408.
• Work from coarse to fine. First the question of power cars, then the lounge, then the finer points of the Velaro builds, and finally the number. This order never fails for lack of time, because each step on its own already narrows things down.
• Treat fittings as a clue, the number as proof. Interior details and displays can change through refits; the class number stays.

Once you’ve internalised this system, you can apply it to any vehicle family where the manufacturer’s name and the class designation diverge. The general approach is described in the guide to identifying classes.

Common mix-ups

If the choice between the 407 and the newest build stays open, comparing it with Class 408 helps: the ICE 3neo shows more modern doors, exterior displays and interior details.

Conclusion

Class 407 is the second-generation ICE 3: same basic idea, new vehicle. The closed-off area behind the driver’s cab is the feature that lets you tell it apart from the 403 and 406 in seconds; separating it from the 408 comes down to details and, ultimately, the number. Once you’ve got this down, you’ve mastered the trickiest corner of ICE identification.