Intercity Express (commonly known asICE (German pronunciation:[iːtseːˈʔeː]ⓘ) and running under thiscategory) is ahigh-speed rail system and service in Germany. It also serves destinations in Austria, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands as part of cross-border services. It is the flagship of the German state railway,Deutsche Bahn. ICE fares are fixed for station-to-station connections, on the grounds that the trains have a higher level of comfort. Travelling at speeds up to 300 km/h (190 mph) within Germany and 320 km/h (200 mph) when in France, they are aimed at business travellers and long-distance commuters and marketed by Deutsche Bahn as an alternative to flights.
TheDeutsche Bundesbahn started a series of trials in 1985 using theInterCityExperimental (also called ICE-V) test train. The IC Experimental was used as a showcase train and for high-speed trials, setting a newworld speed record at 406.9 km/h (253 mph) on 1 May 1988.[3]The train was retired in 1996 and replaced with a new trial unit, called theICE S.
After extensive discussion between the Bundesbahn and the Ministry of Transport regarding onboard equipment, length and width of the train and the number of trainsets required, a first batch of 41 units was ordered in 1988. The order was extended to 60 units in 1990, withGerman reunification in mind. However, not all trains could be delivered in time.
The ICE network was officially inaugurated on 29 May 1991 with several vehicles converging on the newly built stationKassel-Wilhelmshöhe from different directions.[4]
From 1997, the successor, theICE 2 trains pulled by Class 402 powerheads, was put into service. One of the goals of the ICE 2 was to improveload balancing by building smaller train units which could be coupled or detached as needed.
These trainsets were used on theICE line 10 Berlin-Cologne/Bonn. However, since thedriving van trailers of the trains were still awaiting approval, the DB joined two portions (with one powerhead each) to form a long train, similar to the ICE 1. Only from 24 May 1998 were the ICE 2 units fully equipped with driving van trailers and could be portioned on their run fromHamm via eitherDortmund Hbf–Essen Hbf–Duisburg Hbf–Düsseldorf Hbf orHagen Hbf–Wuppertal Hbf–Solingen-Ohligs.
The ICE 1 and ICE 2 trains'loading gauge exceeds that recommended by the international railway organisationUIC. Even though the trains were originally to be used only domestically, some units are licensed to run in Switzerland and Austria. Some ICE 1 units have been equipped with an additional smallerpantograph to be able to run on the different Swissoverhead wire geometry.All ICE 1 and ICE 2 trains are single-voltage15 kV AC, which restricts their radius of operation largely to the German-speaking countries of Europe. ICE 2 trains can run at a top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph).
ICE 3 (Class 403)Latest ICE 3 version, aSiemens Velaro D at InnoTrans 2010, after handover of first train to DB. These trains have been designated The New ICE 3.
To overcome the restrictions imposed on the ICE 1 and ICE 2, their successor, the ICE 3, was built to a smallerloading gauge to permit usability throughout the entire Europeanstandard gauge network, with the sole exception being the UK's domestic railway network. Unlike their predecessors, the ICE 3 units are built not as trains with separate passenger and power cars, but aselectric multiple units with underfloor motors throughout. This also reduced the load per axle and enabled the ICE 3 to comply with the pertinentUIC standard.
Initially two different classes were developed: theClass 403 (domestic ICE 3) and theClass 406 (ICE 3M), the M standing forMehrsystem (multi-system). Later came Class 407 and Class 408. The trains were labelled and marketed as theVelaro by their manufacturer,Siemens.
Just like the ICE 2, the ICE 3 and the ICE 3M were developed as short trains (when compared to an ICE 1), and are able to travel in a system where individual units run on different lines, then being coupled to travel together. Since the ICE 3 trains are the only ones able to run on theKöln-Frankfurt high-speed line with its 4.0% incline at the allowed maximum speed of 300 km/h, they are used predominantly on services that utilise this line.
In 2009 Deutsche Bahn ordered another 16 units – worth€ 495 million – for international traffic, especially to France.
The ICE 3 runs at speeds up to 320 km/h (200 mph) on theLGV Est railwayStrasbourg–Paris in France.
A new generation ICE 3,Class 407, is part of the Siemens Velaro family with the model designation Velaro D. It currently runs on many services in Germany and through to other countries like France. Initially this train type was meant to execute the planned Deutsche Bahn services through theChannel Tunnel to London. As the trains had not received a certification for running in Belgium and due to the competition ofbudget airlines the London service was cancelled.[13][14]
In 2020 Deutsche Bahn placed an order with Siemens for 30 trains, and options for another 60, of the Velaro design and based on the previously procured ICE Class 407.[15] Referenced by Siemens as Velaro MS ("multi-system"), these trains are calledICE 3neo by Deutsche Bahn and classified as 408. The trains are designed for operation at 320 km/h and were deployed at the end of 2022 on routes that use the Cologne – Frankfurt high speed line which is designed for operation at 300 km/h. After a production time of only 12 months including trial runs the first train was presented to journalists in February of 2022. At that occasion the order was increased by 43 trainsets, with all 73 trains supposed to be in service by early 2029.[16] In May of 2023 Deutsche Bahn announced that it was calling the last 17 trains from the option, bringing the total order up to 90 trains.[11]
In April 2025, the multisystem Class 406 trainsets were retired from service due to ongoing maintenance and reliability issues. They were already relegated to domestic services beforehand and replaced with Class 407 on international routes.[17]
Procurement of ICx trainsets started c. 2008 as replacements for locomotive hauledInterCity andEuroCity train services - the scope was later expanded to include replacements forICE 1 andICE 2 trainsets. In 2011Siemens was awarded the contract for 130 seven car intercity train replacements, and 90 ten car ICE train replacements, plus further options - the contract for the ten car sets was modified in 2013 to expand the trainset length to twelve vehicles. The nameICx was used for the trains during the initial stages of the procurement; in late 2015 the trains were rebrandedICE 4, at the unveiling of the first trainset, and given the class designation 412 by Deutsche Bahn.
Two pre-production trainsets were manufactured and used for testing prior to the introduction of the main series.
Simultaneously with the ICE 3, Siemens developed trains withtilting technology, using much of the ICE 3 technical design. The class 411 (seven cars) and 415 (five cars) ICE T EMUs and class 605 ICE TD DMUs (four cars) were built with a similar interior and exterior design. They were specially designed for older railway lines not suitable for high speeds, for example the twisting lines inThuringia. ICE-TD has diesel traction. ICE-T and ICE-TD could have be operated jointly, but this has not been done routinely.
A total of 60 class 411 and 11 class 415 have been built so far (units built after 2004 belong to the modified second generation ICE-T2 batch). Both classes work reliably. Austria'sÖBB purchased three units in 2007, operating them jointly with DB. Even though DB assigned the nameICE-T to class 411/415, theT originally did not stand fortilting, but forTriebwagen (railcar), as DB's marketing department at first deemed the top speed too low for assignment of the InterCityExpress brand and therefore planned to refer to this class asIC-T (InterCity-Triebwagen).The trainsets of the T series were manufactured in 1999. The tilting system has been provided byFiat Ferroviaria, now part ofAlstom. ICE T trains can run at speeds of up to 230 km/h (143 mph).
In April 2025, Deutsche Bahn announced the gradual retirement of the 5-car Class 415 from June 2025.[18]
Deutsche Bahn ordered 20 units of ICE-T with diesel engines in 2001, called Class 605 ICE-TD. The ICE-TD was intended for certain routes without electric overhead cables such as Dresden-Munich and Munich-Zürich lines. However, the Class 605 trains (ICE-TD) experienced many technical issues and unanticipated escalation in operating cost due to the diesel fuel being fully taxed in Germany. They were taken off revenue service shortly after delivery. During the2006 FIFA World Cup, the ICE-TD trains were pressed temporarily into supplementary service for transporting fans between cities in Germany.
At the end of 2007, ICE-TD trains were put into revenue service for the lines between Hamburg and Copenhagen as well as Hamburg and Aarhus. A large part of the Danish railway network had not been electrified soDSB (Danish State Railways) used the diesel-powered trains. When DSB ordered the newIC4 train sets, the company did not anticipate the long delay with the delivery and the technical issues with the train sets. To compensate for the shortage of available trains, DSB leased the ICE-TD while the delivery and technical issues with IC4 were being addressed. The operating cost was much lower due to the lower fuel tax in Denmark. After the issues with IC4 were resolved, the ICE-TD fleet was removed from revenue service and stored.
Deutsche Bahn retired the entire ICE TD fleet in 2018.[19]
ICE 1 – in service since 1991ICE 3 – a new designICE S (successor of the ICE V)Inside the cab of an ICE 3
ICE (generally):
Pale grey livery with red stripe and convoluted rubber gaiters between carriages(distinctive from all other DB trains) Black window band with oval door windows except in ICE 4(distinctive fromIntercity /Metropolitan cars) Wheels-on-rails technology(distinctive from theTransrapid)
twopower heads and up to 14 intermediate cars;restaurant car with high roof; nose with DB logo that interrupts red stripe (unique to the ICE 1); maximum speed is 280 km/h (174 mph).[citation needed]
one power head and onedriving van trailer accessible to passengers; BordRestaurant/Bistro car has same height as other cars;contrary to ICE 1: nose is vertically divisible, parts of thecoupler protruding to the outside; maximum speed is 280 km/h (174 mph).[20]
no power heads, but anEMU: end cars with rounded windshield and passenger lounge, unpowered transformer car withpantograph; maximum speed of 320 km/h (199 mph)[citation needed]; red stripe is interrupted at the end cars by ICE logo, then runs downwards and across the nose lid; window band becomes narrow and ends near the windshield.
no power heads, unpowered transformer car withpantograph; maximum speed of 265 km/h (165 mph);[21] no oval door windows; red stripe running downwards and across the nose lid; window band becomes narrow and ends near the windshield.
similar to ICE 3, except: steeper front; pantograph; maximum speed of 230 km/h (143 mph); no ICE logo on end coaches (ICE T)/ aerodynamic cover on end cars; maximum speed of 200 km/h (124 mph);[22] ICE logo on the left side of the end coaches (ICE TD); red stripe stays straight; red stripe ends near the lamps; windows narrows to a point instead of a flat end as on the ICE 3
violet, wide stripe runs deeper than on newer stock and does not continue over the nose lid;Deutsche Bundesbahn logo and preliminary ICE logo; clad rubber gaiters; power heads larger than intermediate cars and with rounder front; front hedge ICE 2-like since 1995
ICE logo with additional letter "S" in white; most have only one intermediate coach; high-voltage lines between carriages; maximum speed is 330 km/h (205 mph)[citation needed]
A notable characteristic of the ICE trains is their colour design, which has been registered by the DB as anaesthetic model and hence is protected as intellectual property.[23] The trains are painted inPale Grey (RAL 7035) with aTraffic Red (RAL 3020) stripe on the lower part of the vehicle. The continuous black band of windows and their oval door windows differentiate the ICEs from any otherDB train.
The ICE 1 and ICE 2 units originally had anOrient Red (RAL 3031) stripe, accompanied by aPastel Violet stripe below (RAL 4009, 26 cm wide). These stripes were repainted with the current Traffic Red between 1998 and 2000, when all ICE units were being checked and repainted in anticipation of theEXPO 2000.
The "ICE" lettering uses the colourAgate Grey (RAL 7038), the frame is painted inQuartz Grey (RAL 7039). The plastic platings in the interior all utilise thePale Grey (RAL 7035) colour tone.
Originally, the ICE 1 interior was designed in pastel tones with an emphasis on mint, following the DB colour scheme of the day. However, ICE 1 trains were refurbished in the mid-2000s and now follow the same design as the ICE 3, which makes heavy usage of indirect lighting and wooden furnishings.
The distinctive ICE design was developed by a team of designers aroundAlexander Neumeister in the early 1980s and first used on theInterCityExperimental (ICE V). The team around Neumeister then designed the ICE 1, ICE 2, and ICE 3/T/TD. The interior of the trains was designed by Jens Peters working for BPR-Design inStuttgart. Among others, he was responsible for the heightened roof in the restaurant car and the special lighting. The same team also developed the design for the now discontinuedInterRegio trains in the mid-1980s.
While every car in an ICE train has its own unique registration number, the trains usually remain coupled as fixed trainsets for several years. For easier reference, each has been assigned atrainset number that is printed over each bogie of every car. These numbers usually correspond with the registration numbers of the powerheads or cab cars.
The refurbished 1st class interior of an ICE 1 trainsetThe refurbished 2nd class interior of an ICE 3 trainset
The ICE trains adhere to a high standard of technology: all cars are fully air-conditioned and nearly every seat features aheadphone jack which enables the passenger to listen to several on-board music and voice programmes as well as several radio stations. Some seats in the 1st class section (in some trains also in 2nd class) are equipped with video displays showing movies and pre-recorded infotainment programmes. Each train is equipped with special cars that feature in-train repeaters for improvedmobile phone reception as well as designated quiet zones where the use of mobile phones is discouraged. The newer ICE 3 trains also have larger digital displays in all coaches, displaying, among other things, Deutsche Bahn advertising, the predicted arrival time at the next destination and the current speed of the train.
The ICE 1 was originally equipped with a passenger information system based onBTX, but this system was eventually taped over and removed in the later refurbishment. The ICE 3 trains featuretouch screen terminals in some carriages, enabling travellers to print train timetables. The system is also located in the restaurant car of the ICE 2.
The ICE 1 fleet saw a major overhaul between 2005 and 2008, supposed to extend the lifetime of the trains by another 15 to 20 years. Seats and the interior design were adapted to the ICE 3 design, electric sockets were added to every seat, the audio and video entertainment systems were removed and electronic seat reservation indicators were added above the seats. The ICE 2 trains have been undergoing the same procedure since 2010.
ICE 2 trains feature electric sockets at selected seats, ICE 3 and ICE T trains have sockets at nearly every seat.
The ICE 3 and ICE T are similar in their interior design, but the other ICE types differ in their original design. The ICE 1, the ICE 2 and seven-car ICE T (Class 411) are equipped with a full restaurant car. The five-car ICE T (Class 415) and ICE 3, however, have been designed without a restaurant, featuring a bistro coach instead. Since 1 October 2006, smoking is prohibited in the bistro coaches, similar to the restaurant cars, which have always been non-smoking.
All trains feature a toilet for disabled passengers and wheelchair spaces. The ICE 1 and ICE 2 have a special conference compartment whilst the ICE 3 features a compartment suitable for small children. The ICE 3 and ICE T omit the usual train manager's compartment and have an open counter named "ServicePoint" instead.
An electronic display above each seat indicates the locations between which the seat has been reserved. Passengers without reservations are permitted to take seats with a blank display or seats with no reservation on the current section.
The maintenance schedule of the trains is divided into seven steps:
Every 4,000 kilometres, an inspection taking about 1½ hours is undertaken. The waste collection tanks are emptied and fresh water tanks are refilled. Acute defects (e.g. malfunctioning doors) are rectified. Safety tests are also conducted. These include checking thepantograph pressure, cleaning and checking for fissures in the rooftop insulators, inspecting transformers and checking the pantograph's current collector for wear. The wheels are also checked in this inspection.
Every 20,000 kilometres, a 2½ hour inspection is conducted, calledNachschau. In this inspection, the brakes, theLinienzugbeeinflussung systems and the anti-lock brakes are checked.
After 80,000 kilometres, the train undergoes theInspektionsstufe 1. During the two modules, each lasting eight hours, the brakes receive a thorough check, as well as the air conditioning and the kitchen equipment. The batteries are checked, as well as the seats and the passenger information system.
Once the train has reached 240,000 kilometres, theInspektionsstufe 2 mandates a check of theelectric motors, thebearings and thedriveshafts of thebogies and the couplers. This inspection is usually carried out in two modules taking eight hours each.
About once a year (when reaching 480,000 km), theInspektionsstufe 3 takes place, at three times eight hours each. In addition to the other checkup phases, it includes checks on thepneumatics systems, and the transformer cooling. Maintenance work is performed inside the passenger compartment.
The1st Revision is carried out after 1.2 million km. It includes a thorough check of all components of the train and is carried out in two five-day segments.
The seventh and final step is the2nd Revision, which happens when reaching 2.4 million kilometres. Thebogies are exchanged for new ones and many components of the train are disassembled and checked. This step also takes two five-day segments.
Maintenance on the ICE trains is carried out in special ICE workshops located in Basel, Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig[24] and Munich. The train is worked upon at up to four levels at a time and fault reports are sent to the workshops in advance by the on-board computer system to minimize maintenance time.
Conventional lines, often upgraded for 160 km/h (100 mph)
Similar to the above map, also showing frequencies
The ICE system is a polycentric network. Connections are offered in either 30-minute, hourly or bi-hourly intervals. Furthermore, additional services run during peak times, and some services call at lesser stations during off-peak times.
Unlike the FrenchTGV or the JapaneseShinkansen systems, the vehicles, tracks and operations were not designed as an integrated whole; rather, the ICE system has been integrated into Germany's pre-existing system of railway lines instead. One of the effects of this is that the ICE 3 trains can reach a speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) only on some stretches of line and cannot currently reach their maximum allowed speed of 330 km/h on German railway lines (though a speed of 320 km/h is reached by ICE 3 in France).
The line most heavily utilised by ICE trains is theMannheim–Frankfurt railway betweenFrankfurt andMannheim due to the bundling of many ICE lines in that region. When considering all traffic (freight, local and long-distance passenger), the busiest line carrying ICE traffic is theMunich–Augsburg line, carrying about 300 trains per day.
The "ICE Sprinter" trains are trains with fewer stops between Germany's major cities running in the morning and evening hours. They are tailored for business travellers or long-distance commuters and are marketed by DB as an alternative to domestic flights. Some of the Sprinter services continue as normal ICE services after reaching their destination. The service is usually half an hour faster than a standard ICE between the same cities.
A reservation was mandatory on the ICE Sprinter until December 2015.
The first Sprinter service was established betweenMunich andFrankfurt in 1992.Frankfurt-Hamburg followed in 1993 andCologne-Hamburg in 1994. This service ran as aMetropolitan service between December 1996 and December 2004. In 1998, a Berlin-Frankfurt service was introduced and a service between Cologne andStuttgart ran between December 2005 and October 2006.
Until December 2006, a morning Sprinter service ran between Frankfurt and Munich (with an intermediate stop atMannheim), taking 3:25 hours for the journey. This has been since replaced by a normal ICE connection taking only 3:21 hours.
from Berlin Hbf to Innsbruck Hbf (Austria) via Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich (line 1211/1218)
from Amsterdam Centraal (Netherlands) to Basel SBB (Switzerland) via Frankfurt Hbf (line 105/104)
(Also applies to the opposite directions)
Since December 2006,Stuttgart Hbf andZürich HB have been connected by a bi-hourly service. This service, however, has been replaced by a dailyIntercity service since March 2010.[31]
Since June 2007 ICE 3M trains had been running betweenFrankfurt Hbf andParis Est viaSaarbrücken andKaiserslautern. Together with theTGV-operated service between Paris Est andMünchen Hbf viaStuttgart Hbf (TGV 9576/9577), this ICE line was part of the "LGV Est européenne", also called "Paris-Ostfrankreich-Süddeutschland" (orPOS) for short, a pan-European high-speed line between France and Germany. This service now co-exists with a direct TGV service (TGV 9551/9552).
AEuroCity-Express service was introduced between Munich and Zürich in December 2020 with the completion of the electrification of the line in Germany, replacing a EuroCity service. Six pairs of trains run every two hours and are operated bySwiss Federal Railways withAlstom ETR 610 (Astoro) sets. So far no ICE trains are scheduled on this route.
In addition, ICE Trains toLondon via theChannel Tunnel are on the horizon.[5][6] Unique safety and security requirements for the tunnel (such as airport-style checks at stations) as well as hold-ups in the production of theVelaro-D trains to be used on the route[35] have delayed these plans.
These trains, despite being officially notated as ICEs, are more comparable to a SwissInterRegio orRegioExpress train, calling at small stations likeMöhlin orSissach. As common in Switzerland, these trains can be used without paying a supplement.
There have been several accidents involving ICE trains. The Eschede disaster was the only accident with fatalities inside the train, but other accidents have resulted in major damage to the trainsets involved.
Eschede site – remains of ICE 884 "Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen"
The ICE accident nearEschede that happened on 3 June 1998 was a severerailway accident. Trainset 51, operating the ICE 884Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen service from Munich to Hamburg, derailed at 200 km/h (124 mph), killing 101 people and injuring 88. It remains the world's worst high-speed rail disaster.
The cause of the accident was a wheel rim which broke and damaged the train six kilometres south of the accident site. The wheel rim penetrated the carriage floor and lifted the check rail of a set ofpoints close to Eschede station. This guide rail also penetrated the floor of the car, becoming embedded in the vehicle and lifting the nearby wheels off the rails. One of the now-derailed wheels struck the points lever of the following set of points to change direction, and the rear cars of the trainset were diverted to a different track. They hit the pillars of a street overpass, which then collapsed onto the tracks. Only three cars and the front powerhead passed under the bridge, the rest of the 14-car train jack-knifed into the collapsed bridge.
On 27 September 2001, trainset 5509 fell off a work platform at theHof maintenance facility and was written off.
On 22 November 2001, powerhead401 020 caught fire. The train was stopped at the station inOffenbach am Main near Frankfurt a.M. No passengers were harmed, but the fire caused the powerhead to be written off.
On 6 January 2004, ICE TD trainset 1106 caught fire while it was parked atLeipzig. Two cars were written off, and the others are now used as spares.
On 1 April 2004, trainset 321 collided with atractor that had fallen onto the track at a tunnel entrance nearIstein, and was derailed. No-one was injured. Trainset 321 was temporarily taken apart, its cars being switched with cars from other ICE 3 trainsets.
Powerhead401 553 suffered major damage in a collision with a car on theMannheim–Frankfurt railway in April 2006.
On 28 April 2006, trainset 73 collided head-on with twoBLS Re 465 locomotives atThun in Switzerland. The driver of the Swiss locomotives was unfamiliar with the new layout of the station, which had been recently changed. He did not see a shunting signal ordering him to stop. The locomotives automatically engaged the emergency brakes when he passed the signal, but came to a stop on the same track as the approaching ICE. The ICE was travelling at a speed of 74 km/h. The emergency brake slowed the train to 56 km/h at the point of collision. 30 passengers and the driver of the ICE suffered minor injuries, the driver of the Swiss locomotives having jumped to safety. Both trains suffered major damage. The powerhead401 573 had to be rebuilt using components from three damaged powerheads (401 573,401 020 and401 551).
On 1 March 2008, trainset 1192, travelling as ICE 23, collided with a tree which had fallen onto the track nearBrühl after being blown down byCyclone Emma. The driver suffered severe injuries. The trainset is back in service, its driving-car having been replaced with that from trainset 1106.
On 26 April 2008, trainset 11, travelling as ICE 885, collided with a herd of sheep on theHanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line nearFulda. Both powerheads and ten of the 12 cars derailed. The train came to a stop 1300 metres into theLandrückentunnel. 19 of the 130 passengers suffered mostly minor injuries, four of them needing hospital treatment.[36]
A cracked axle was blamed for a low-speed derailment of a third-generation ICE in Cologne in July 2008. The accident, in which no-one was hurt, caused DB to recall its newest ICEs as a safety measure.[37] In October 2008, the company recalled its ICE-T trains after a further crack was found.[38]
On 17 April 2010, ICE 105 Amsterdam - Basel lost a door while travelling at high speed nearMontabaur. The door slammed into the side of ICE 612 on the adjacent track. Six people travelling on ICE 612 were injured.[39]
On 17 August 2010, the ICE from Frankfurt to Paris hit a truck that had slid from an embankment on to the rail nearLambrecht. The first two carriages derailed and ten people were injured, one seriously.[40]
On 11 January 2011, trainset 4654 partly derailed during a side-on collision with a freight train nearZevenaar in the Netherlands.[41] There were no injuries.
On 12 October 2018, two cars of a trainset caught fire while it was traveling from Cologne to Munich on theCologne-Frankfurt line. Five people suffered minor injuries during the evacuation.[43]
ICE trains are the highest category (Class A) trains in the fare system of the Deutsche Bahn. Their fares are not calculated on a fixed per-kilometre table as with other trains, but instead have fixed prices for station-to-station connections, depending on a multitude of factors including the railway line category and the general demand on the line. Even on lines where the ICE is not faster than an ordinaryIC orEC train (for example Hamburg to Dortmund), an additional surcharge will be levied on the ground that the ICE trains have a higher comfort level than IC/EC trains.
On the intra-Austrian lines (Vienna-Innsbruck-Bregenz, Vienna-Salzburg(-Munich), Vienna-Passau(-Hamburg) and Innsbruck-Kufstein(-Berlin)) no additional fees are charged.[44]
Likewise, the trains running to and fromZürich,Interlaken andChur, as well as those on the intra-Swiss ICE trains (see above) can be used without any surcharge.
On ICE trains betweenAmsterdam and Cologne, passengers travelling nationally within the Netherlands (betweenAmsterdam Centraal andArnhem Centraal) can use the nationalOV-chipkaart scheme but have to purchase a supplement.[45] Passengers travelling into/from Germany have to buy an international ticket.
On ICE trains betweenParis Est and Frankfurt or Stuttgart, only the fare system fromSNCF Voyageurs is used for national trips toForbach andStrasbourg. Reservation is compulsory for trips to/from and within France.
In January 2010, the European railway network was opened to a liberalisation intended to allow greater competition.[50] BothAir France-KLM andDeutsche Bahn have indicated their desire to take advantage of the new laws to run new services via theChannel Tunnel and theHigh Speed 1 route that terminates at London St Pancras International.[51][52][53][54][55]
ICE at St Pancras with commemorative decals
A test run of an ICE train through the Channel Tunnel took place on 19 October 2010.[56][57] Passenger-carrying ICE trains, however, will have to meet safety requirements in order to transit the Channel Tunnel. Although the requirement for splittable trains was lifted, concerns remain over the shorter length of ICE trainsets,[note 1][57] fire safety,[note 2][56] and the ICE'sdistributed power arrangements. There have been suggestions that French interests have advocated stringent enforcement to delay a competitor on the route.[58]Eurostar also choseSiemens Velaro-based rolling stock; there were concerns thatAlstom (builders of the passenger trains that already use the Tunnel) and the French Government would take the matter to court.[57] In October 2010, the French transport minister suggested that theEuropean Railway Agency (based in France) should arbitrate.[59] After safety rule changes which might permit the use of Siemens Velaro rolling stock, the French government dismissed their delegate to theChannel Tunnel Safety Authority, and brought in a replacement.[60][61]
In March 2011, a European Rail Agency report authorized trains with distributed traction for use in the Channel Tunnel. This means that the ICE class 407 trains which DB intends to use for its London services will be able to run through the tunnel. In February 2014, however, Deutsche Bahn announced further difficulties with launching the route, and reports make it seem unlikely that service will start anytime this decade.[62]
In June 2018, Deutsche Bahn announced that it was shelving plans to revive a potential London-Frankfurt ICE connection. The service would take around 5 hours and could rival airlines and become the first competitor for Eurostar.[63]As of 2025 Eurostar has also in its plans to launch direct train services between London and Frankfurt with the same travel duration.[64]
From its inception in July 1991 to 2006, ICE has transported roughly 550 million passengers, including 67 million in 2005.[67] The cumulative sum of passengers is roughly 1.25 billion in 2015.[66]
On 5 October 2006, theDeutsche Post AG released a series of stamps, among them a stamp picturing an ICE 3, at 55+25 euro cents.[citation needed]
In 2006,Lego modelled one of itstrain sets after the ICE.[68] A Railworks add on is available for Train Simulator 2018 accurately reflecting the original 1991 version of the ICE on German tracks (Siegen to Hagen).[69] There is also an addon utilising the Munich - Augsburg line using ICE 3 trainsets.[70] The ICE 3 can also be used in Career scenarios on the Mannheim-Karlsruhe route (including the extension to Frankfurt), and Cologne-Düsseldorf. The ICE T, ICE 2, and ICE TD are also available for purchase as separate vehicles.
^ICE is too short to ensure sufficient proximity to tunnel emergency exits, but DB claims that a Tunnel safety exercise on 18 October 2010 had been "highly successful".
^TheDB Class 406 ICE3M/F sets used for the demonstration run do not meet the specialized fire safety requirements for the carriage of passengers through the Channel Tunnel, but the laterSiemens Velaro ICE-3DDB Class 407 sets, which also entered service with Eurostar as thee320, include the necessary additional fire-proofing.
^Peter Jehle; René Naumann; Rainer Schach (2006).Transrapid und Rad-Schiene-Hochgeschwindigkeitsbahn: Ein gesamtheitlicher Systemvergleich (in German). Springer. p. 20.ISBN3-540-28334-X.
^Wolfgang Maaßen."Frei von Rechten Dritter..." (in German). Bund Freischaffender Foto-Designer e. V. Archived fromthe original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved13 February 2007.
.jpg)
.jpg)
