The VT 115 was developed in the 1950s as a trainset for the high-quality connections of the Trans Europe Express. It was the flagship of the German Federal Railways until it gradually became less important due to progressive electrification and the introduction of new train types. The trains consisted of one power car at each end, between which five trailers were usually running. These consisted of two compartment cars, an open seating car, a dining car with a bar and a kitchen car with an additional dining room. The TEE only carried first class, like the Intercity that was introduced later.
The power cars used the same drive train technology as in the locomotives of the V 100 and V 200 classes. These were diesel engines from MTU or Maybach with 760 or 810 kW and hydraulic power transmission. Only the two axles of the front bogies were powered.
A special type was the class 602, from which four power cars were created in 1972 from converted 601s. Gas turbines with 1,617 kW each were used for power. A train with two trailers set a record of 217 km/h, but usually up to ten cars formed a trail running at 160 km/h.
From 1957 the trains were used as TEE and switched to the IC in 1971 when this type of train was created. Since the technical equipment allowed more than the previous 140 km/h, the certified top speed was changed to 160 km/h at this time. In 1979, the Bundesbahn also introduced the second class of coaches for the IC, which meant that the multiple units with their special design and low passenger capacity were no longer suitable for these trains. They were therefore used in tourist traffic with ten cars, with significantly poorer performance than with five cars. In 1987 and 1988 all remaining units were sold to Italy. A ten-car train, which the Reichsbahn had borrowed from Italy in 1990 and used between Berlin and Hamburg for a few months, had a last short scheduled use in Germany.