InterCity

InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at major stations only.

An international variant of the InterCity trains are the EuroCity (EC) trains which consist of high-standard coaches and are run by a variety of operators.

History

The Inter-City Rapid Transit Company was an Ohio interurban company, which began operations in 1930 as it had purchased its route from the Northern Ohio Traction & Light Company. It remained in operation till 1940.

The use of ''Inter-City'' was reborn in the United Kingdom: A daily train of that name was introduced in 1950, running between the cities of London and Birmingham. This usage can claim to be the origin of all later usages worldwide.

In 1966 British Rail introduced the brand InterCity for all of its express train routes, and in 1986 the term was adopted by the InterCity sector of British Rail. Following the privatisation of the railways in Great Britain, the term is no longer in official use there although many people still refer to fast long-distance services as InterCity trains. The brand still exists though, and belongs to the Department for Transport.

In West Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn first used the name (then written ''Intercity'') in 1968, denoting special first-class services on the F-Zug train network. Many of the Class VT 11.5 diesel multiple units formerly used on the TEE network were converted for early Intercity services.

In Switzerland, the InterCity brand replaced SwissExpress in the 1982 schedule.

In Norway, ''intercity'' (later also written ''InterCity'') trains were introduced in 1975 on the Vestfold Line (the Oslo-Skien service), later also on the Østfold Line (Oslo- Halden). They were (relatively) fast trains on distances up to 2–3 hours. Today, the name is used not on the trains, but on the main lines from Oslo to Skien, Lillehammer, and Halden – and also on the Ringerike Line, which is under construction from Oslo to Hønefoss.

An international variant of InterCity, EuroCity (EC), was introduced in May 1987. EuroCity trains consist of high-standard, air conditioned coaches, are run by a variety of operators, and are usually subject to on-board border controls. For example, EuroCity trains running in Germany can be made up by rolling stock of either the SBB (Switzerland), ÖBB (Austria), SNCF (France), and less commonly by stock of the Czech ČD and Hungarian MÁV railways.

InterCity by country

Austria

The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have operated IC services since 1991. However, contrary to most other countries, these are often little more than regional rail, as most long-distance, high-standard trains in Austria are likely to be EuroCity (EC) services, even when not leaving the Austrian borders (named ''ÖBB-EuroCity'' until 2011). Modernised stock of Eurofima coaches is used under the brand name ''ÖBB-InterCity'' (OIC) mainly on the Austrian Western and Southern Railways from Vienna to Salzburg and Villach.

The ÖBB also deployed electric multiple unit trains, from 2006 also three ICE T (Class 411, named ''ÖBB 4011'') trainsets in cooperation with the Deutsche Bahn, currently running from Vienna to Frankfurt via Linz and Passau. ÖBB high-speed rail service is provided by Railjet (RJ) trains.

Since 2011, there is an hourly express train service on the Western Railway operated by WESTbahn, the only long-distance competitor of the ÖBB.

IC-Services:
* Western Railway
** Vienna–Linz–Salzburg (trains are operating from 5 am to 10 pm, hourly)
* Southern Railway
** Vienna– Bruck an der Mur–Klagenfurt–Villach (every 2 hours with several trains running as EC)
** Vienna–Bruck an der Mur– Graz (every 2 hours with several trains running as EC, 4 trains heading to Maribor, Ljubljana and Zagreb)
** Vienna–Wiener Neustadt– Mattersburg–Sopron–Csorna
** Graz–Klagenfurt (service is operating as ''Intercitybus'' till the Koralm Railway is opened)
* North railway
** Vienna– Břeclav (trains are operating as EC or D for Brno, Praha, Kraków, Warsaw and Berlin)
* Enns Valley Railway
** Graz–Selzthal–Bischofshofen–Salzburg (4 trains per day).
** Graz–Leoben–Bischofshofen– Schwarzach/ St. Veit– Innsbruck (1 train per day, additional EC trains to Bregenz and as EN to Zurich).
** Klagenfurt–(Beograd/Zagreb–)Villach–Bischofshofen–Salzburg (trains operating every 2 hours, services running to Munich and Dortmund)
* Salzburg-Tyrol Railway and Lower Inn Valley Railway
** Salzburg–Wörgl– Innsbruck
* Arlberg railway
** Innsbruck–Bregenz (service is running for Stuttgart and Dortmund).
The InterCity service from Vienna to Salzburg is going to be expanded for an hourly service to Landeck via Innsbruck by December 2008. Also, the service from Vienna to Graz is going to operate hourly by December 2008.

InterCity stops in Austria:
* Western railway: Wien Westbahnhof, Wien Hütteldorf, Tullnerfeld, St. Pölten Hauptbahnhof, Amstetten, St. Valentin, Linz Hauptbahnhof, Wels Hauptbahnhof, Attnang-Puchheim, Vöcklabruck, Salzburg Hauptbahnhof
* Southern railway: Wien Südbahnhof, Wien Meidling, Wiener Neustadt Hauptbahnhof, Mürzzuschlag, Bruck an der Mur, Frohnleiten, Graz Hauptbahnhof, Wildon, Leibniz, Spielfeld-Straß
* Line from Bruck an der Mur to Villach: Bruck an der Mur, Leoben Hauptbahnhof, Knittelfeld, Zeltweg, Judenburg, Unzmarkt, Friesach in Kärnten, Treibach-Althofen, St.Veit an der Glan, Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof, Krumpendorf am Wörthersee, Pörtschach am Wörthersee, Velden am Wörthersee, Villach Hauptbahnhof
* Line from Villach to Salzburg: Villach Hauptbahnhof, Spittal-Millstättersee, Mallnitz-Obervellach, Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, Dorfgastein, Schwarzach-St.Veit, St. Johann im Pongau, Bischofshofen, Werfen, Golling-Abtenau, Hallein, Salzburg Süd, Salzburg Hauptbahnhof

Belgium

InterCity trains link all major cities of Belgium. Some of them serve also destinations outside the country. The IC between Liège and Brussels travels at 200 km/h on the HSL 2. However, because of the density of the train network with many connecting lines and the many small- and medium-sized cities in Belgium, most IC services also call at smaller stations or continue as local trains on branch lines.

Croatia

InterCity trains in Croatia mainly serve domestic routes from Zagreb (capital) to Split and from Zagreb to Osijek except one international train connecting Zagreb and Vinkovci. Speeds are up to 160 km/h between Slavonski Brod and Vinkovci. The coaches used are similar to the ones used in Germany by DB.

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, the IC or Express trains service the following routes:

*Bohumín– Břeclav,
*Bohumín–Prague,
* Třinec–Prague,
*Cheb–Prague (served by Pendolino tilting trainsets),
*Havířov–Prague.

Most of the IC are served by trains of state-owned operator České dráhy with speeds up to 160 km/h but they have been converted into category Express in 2012 timetable. The other is served by trains of private operator RegioJet with speed up to 160 km/h. No surcharge is applied to IC trains but RegioJet runs reservation compulsory trains. Third private passenger operator LEO Express introduced express InterCity train service between Prague and Ostrava in November 2012, with speeds up to 160 km/h.

The state-owned operator České dráhy also serves line Prague–Ostrava (with some connections extended to Bohumín and Františkovy Lázně) with Pendolino trainsets under designation "''SuperCity''", which conforms to IC standard. A compulsory reservation is applied on these trains.

Denmark

The Intercity network of the Danish State Railways consists of IC trains and their faster version, ''Lyntog'' (Lightning Train), which is identical but with fewer stops. Each train type operates hourly between the eastern terminus at Copenhagen and westwards to Odense–Århus– Ålborg, and less frequently to alternative destinations in Jutland. These are run by IC3 diesel materiel since most of the network is not electrified. There are also electrical IC trains run by IR4s in an hourly schedule from Copenhagen westwards to Odense and alternately Esbjerg/Sønderborg

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