View source for Intercity Express

{{short description|German state-owned high-speed rail system}}
{{redirect|Ice Train|the professional wrestler|Ice Train (wrestler)|other uses|Intercity-Express (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox rail
| railroad_name    = Intercity Express
| logo_filename    = ICE-Logo.svg
| logo_size        = 100
| system_map       =
| map_caption      =
| map_size         =
| marks            =
| image            = ICE 3 Oberhaider-Wald-Tunnel.jpg
| image_size       = 250
| image_caption    = A German [[ICE 3]] trainset exiting a tunnel
| locale           = '''Germany''', Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and France. Formerly Denmark.
| start_year       = 1985
| end_year         = present
| predecessor_line = See [[#History|History]]
| successor_line   =
| gauge            = {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}}
| length           =
| hq_city          =
| website          = {{official URL}}
}}

'''Intercity Express''' (commonly known as '''ICE''' ({{IPA|de|iːtseːˈʔeː|-|De-ICE.ogg}}) and running under this [[Train categories in Europe|category]]) is a [[high-speed rail in Germany|high-speed rail system 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 {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on}} within Germany and {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} when in France, they are aimed at business travellers and long-distance commuters and marketed by Deutsche Bahn as an alternative to flights.

The [[ICE 3]] also has been the development base for the [[Siemens Velaro]] family of trainsets which has subsequently been exported to [[RENFE]] in Spain ([[AVE Class 103]]), which are certified to run at speeds up to {{convert|350|km/h|abbr=on}},<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.transportation.siemens.com/ts/en/pub/newsline/newsline/presse_2001/2001/04_03_2001.htm |title=International breakthrough for Siemens high-speed train technology |publisher=Siemens |date=3 April 2001 |access-date=12 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016173437/http://www.transportation.siemens.com/ts/en/pub/newsline/newsline/presse_2001/2001/04_03_2001.htm |archive-date=16 October 2006 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> as well as versions ordered by China for the [[Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway]] link ([[China Railway CRH3|CRH 3]]) and by Russia for the Moscow–[[Saint Petersburg]] and Moscow–[[Nizhny Novgorod]] routes ([[Velaro RUS]])<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.siemens.ru/siemens.sbs?res=ru/press/releases/RZD_contact |script-title=ru:Новый международный успех высокоскоростных поездов "Сименс" |publisher=Siemens |date=19 March 2006 |access-date=12 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927023012/http://www.siemens.ru/siemens.sbs?res=ru%2Fpress%2Freleases%2FRZD_contact |archive-date=27 September 2007 |language=ru |url-status=dead  }}</ref> with further customers being [[Eurostar]] as well as [[Turkey]] and [[Egypt]].

== History ==
{{see also|InterCityExperimental}}
The [[Deutsche Bundesbahn]] started a series of trials in 1985 using the [[InterCityExperimental]] (also called ICE-V) test train. The IC Experimental was used as a showcase train and for high-speed trials, setting a new [[land speed record for railed vehicles|world speed record]] at 406.9&nbsp;km/h (253&nbsp;mph) on 1 May 1988.<ref name="transrapid-buch">{{cite book|title=Transrapid und Rad-Schiene-Hochgeschwindigkeitsbahn: Ein gesamtheitlicher Systemvergleich|author1=Peter Jehle |author2=René Naumann |author3=Rainer Schach |language=de|year=2006|publisher=Springer|page=20|isbn=3-540-28334-X}}</ref>
The train was retired in 1996 and replaced with a new trial unit, called the [[ICE 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, with [[German 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 station [[Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station|Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe]] from different directions.<ref>{{cite web|language=de |url=http://www.caritas-stuttgart.de/19563.html |publisher=Caritasverband Stuttgart e. V. |title=Die neuen Wohlfahrtsmarken |access-date=12 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204004024/http://www.caritas-stuttgart.de/19563.html |archive-date=4 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2007, a [[LGV Est|line between Paris and Frankfurt/Stuttgart]] opened, jointly operated by ICE and [[SNCF]]'s [[TGV]].<ref name="bahn.com">Deutsche Bahn. [http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/about/overview/ice-in-london.shtml Planned highspeed service from London to Amsterdam and Frankfurt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810041313/http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/about/overview/ice-in-london.shtml |date=10 August 2011 }}</ref><ref name="london delay">{{cite news|title=Germany's Frankfurt-London high-speed rail link put on ice|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/germany-rail-idUSL6N0LN2QK20140218|access-date=22 July 2015|publisher=Reuters|date=18 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.db.de/site/bahn/de/unternehmen/konzern/im__blickpunkt/deutsch__franzoesische__hgv/deutsch__franzoesische__hgv.html |publisher=Deutsche Bahn |access-date=6 December 2007 |title=Premiernfahrt nach Paris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710050851/http://www.db.de/site/bahn/de/unternehmen/konzern/im__blickpunkt/deutsch__franzoesische__hgv/deutsch__franzoesische__hgv.html |archive-date=10 July 2007 |language=de |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Die Bahn am Ball |publisher=Deutsche Bahn |page=96 |year=2006|language=de}}</ref>

== Equipment ==
=== Overview ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 85%; width: 95%"
! Branding type 
!Class!! Production !! Numbers built !! v<sub>max</sub> [km/h] !! In service !! Status
!Image
|-
| [[InterCityExperimental]] (also ICE/V) 
|410.0|| 1983–1985 || 1 || 350 || 1985–2000 (measurement and test drives) || '''retired'''
|[[File:410001MKF Zug 1152.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE 1]] 
|401|| 1989–1993 || 60 || 280 || since 1990 || 58 in service
|[[File:401 012-0 ICE DB Fernverkehr Würzburg 25.10.14 (15053911704).jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE 2]] 
|402/801|| 1995–1997 || 46 || 280 || since 1996 || ca. 40 in service
|[[File:ICE2 Köln-Bonn Airport.JPG|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE S]] (also ICE R) 
|410.1|| 1996 || 1 || data-sort-value="330"| 280 / 330 || since 1997 || in service for measurement and test drives
|[[File:ICE-S Wettstetten.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE T]] 
|411|| 1996–2005 || 71 || 230 || [[Deutsche Bahn|DB]]: since 1999<br />[[Austrian Federal Railways|ÖBB]]: 2006–2020 || 70 in service
|[[File:ICE T nach Bregenz im Bahnhof Buchloe.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE 3]]
|403|| 1997–2006 || 50 || 330 || since 2000 || 49 in service
| rowspan="2" |[[File:ICE 3 Oberhaider-Wald-Tunnel.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE 3|ICE 3M / ICE 3MF]]
|406|| 1998–2001 || 17 || 330 || 2000-2025 || '''retired'''<ref>[https://eisenbahn.de/eisenbahn-magazin/letzte-fahrt-fuer-den-mehrsystem-ice-abschied-von-der-baureihe-406_6868 eisenbahn.de - "farewell-journey for BR 406 - multisystem-ICE says good bye"] (German) 20 March 2025</ref>
|-
| [[Metropolitan (train)|Metropolitan]] 
| || 1998–1999 || 2 || 220 || ''"ICE" branded:'' 2004–06/2005, 12/2005–2006, 2009–2021 || '''retired'''
|[[File:J23 735 Bf Leipzig Hbf, »Metropolitan«-Steuerwagen.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE TD]] 
|605|| 1998–2000 || 20 || 200 || 2001–2003, 2006–2017 || '''retired''', 1 remaining for tests as ''Advanced Train Lab''
|[[File:DB_605_007_KB.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[DB class 407|ICE 3MS]] (Siemens Velaro D) 
|407|| 2009–2012 || 17 || 320 || since 2013 || all in service
|[[File:DB ICE 3 Velaro D - Meerbusch - 2019-04-26 - Nicky Boogaard.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE 4]] 
|412/812|| 2014–2023/24 || 137 || data-sort-value="265"| 250 / 265 || since 2017 || all in service
|[[File:ICE 4 Spitzensignal Erloschen.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE 3neo]] (Siemens Velaro MS)<ref> André Werske(11 Jan. 2021): [https://www.hochgeschwindigkeitszuege.com/deutschland/ice-3-408.php ICE 3neo – Velaro D Hochgeschwindigkeitszug in Deutschland], retrieved 11 Oct. 2021</ref> 
|408|| 2020–''2026 (planned)'' || ≥23 ''(of 90 ordered)'' || 320 || since 2022 || 23 in service
|[[File:ICE3neo.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| [[ICE L]] 
|105|| since 2019 || 1+ ''(of 79 on order)''<ref name="rg-170523">{{cite web |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and-rolling-stock/deutsche-bahn-orders-73-ice-trainsets/64139.article |title= Deutsche Bahn orders 73 ICE trainsets |date= 17 May 2023 |website=Railway Gazette |publisher= |access-date= 2023-07-31}}</ref> || 230 || ''planned from 2026'' || undergoing testing 
|[[File:ICE L SteuerwagenLV 12.23.jpg|frameless]]
|-
|}

=== First generation ===
{{main|ICE 1}}
The first ICE trains were the trainsets of [[ICE 1]] (power cars: Class&nbsp;401), which came into service in 1989. The first regularly scheduled ICE trains ran from 2 June 1991 from [[Hamburg-Altona railway station|Hamburg-Altona]] via [[Hamburg Hauptbahnhof|Hamburg Hbf]]–[[Hannover Hauptbahnhof|Hannover Hbf]]–[[Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe railway station|Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe]]–[[Fulda railway station|Fulda]]–[[Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof|Frankfurt Hbf]]–[[Mannheim Hauptbahnhof|Mannheim Hbf]] and [[Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof|Stuttgart Hbf]] toward [[München Hauptbahnhof|München Hbf]] at hourly intervals<ref>{{cite news |title=Im Zug der Zeit |trans-title=In the train of the times |url= http://www.zeit.de/1991/23/im-zug-der-zeit/komplettansicht|access-date=6 April 2013 |newspaper=[[Die Zeit]] |location= Hamburg |date=31 May 1991 |last=Loppow |first=Bernd |language=de}}</ref> on the new ''ICE line 6''. The [[Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line|Hanover-Würzburg line]] and the [[Mannheim-Stuttgart high-speed rail line|Mannheim-Stuttgart line]], which had both opened the same year, were hence integrated into the ICE network from the very beginning.

Due to the lack of trainsets in 1991 and early 1992, the ''ICE line 4'' ([[Bremen Hauptbahnhof|Bremen Hbf]]–[[Hannover Hauptbahnhof|Hannover Hbf]]–[[Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe railway station|Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe]]–[[Fulda railway station|Fulda]]–[[Würzburg Hauptbahnhof|Würzburg Hbf]]–[[Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof|Nürnberg Hbf]]–[[München Hauptbahnhof|München Hbf]]) could not start operating until 1 June 1992. Prior to that date, ICE trainsets were used when available and were integrated in the [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|Intercity]] network and with IC tariffs.

In 1993, the ''ICE line 6''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s terminus was moved from Hamburg to Berlin (later, in 1998, via the [[Hanover-Berlin high-speed rail line|Hanover-Berlin line]] and the former ''IC line 3'' from [[Hamburg-Altona railway station|Hamburg-Altona]] via [[Hannover Hbf]]–[[Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station|Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe]]–[[Fulda railway station|Fulda]]–[[Frankfurt Hbf]]–[[Mannheim Hbf]]–[[Karlsruhe Hbf]]–[[Freiburg Hbf]] to [[Basel SBB]] was upgraded to ICE standards as a replacement).

=== Second generation ===
{{main|ICE 2}}
[[File:ICE2 Hilpodrom.jpg|thumb|Two coupled ICE&nbsp;2 trainsets near [[Ingolstadt]]]]
From 1997, the successor, the '''ICE&nbsp;2''' trains pulled by Class 402 powerheads, was put into service. One of the goals of the ICE&nbsp;2 was to improve [[Weight distribution|load balancing]] by building smaller train units which could be coupled or detached as needed.

These trainsets were used on the ''ICE line 10'' Berlin-Cologne/Bonn. However, since the [[Control car (rail)|driving 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&nbsp;1. Only from 24 May 1998 were the ICE 2 units fully equipped with driving van trailers and could be portioned on their run from [[Hamm (Westfalen) railway station|Hamm]] via either [[Dortmund Hbf]]–[[Essen Hbf]]–[[Duisburg Hbf]]–[[Düsseldorf Hbf]] or [[Hagen Hbf]]–[[Wuppertal Hbf]]–[[Solingen Hauptbahnhof|Solingen-Ohligs]].

In late 1998, the [[Hanover–Berlin high-speed railway]] was opened as the third [[high-speed rail|high-speed line]] in Germany, cutting travel time on line 10 (between Berlin and the [[Ruhr valley]]) by 2½ hours.

The ICE 1 and ICE 2 trains' [[loading gauge]] exceeds that recommended by the international railway organisation [[International Union of Railways|UIC]]. 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 smaller [[Pantograph (rail)|pantograph]] to be able to run on the different Swiss [[overhead lines|overhead wire]] geometry.
All ICE 1 and ICE 2 trains are single-voltage [[15 kV AC railway electrification|15 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&nbsp;km/h (174&nbsp;mph).

=== Third generation ===
{{Main|ICE 3}}
[[File:ICE3 Euerwangtunnel.jpg|thumb|ICE 3 (Class 403)]]
[[File:SiemensVelaroD-InnoTrans2010.jpg|thumb|Latest ICE 3 version, a [[Siemens Velaro|Siemens 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 smaller [[loading gauge]] to permit usability throughout the entire European [[standard 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 as [[electric multiple unit]]s with underfloor motors throughout. This also reduced the load per axle and enabled the ICE&nbsp;3 to comply with the pertinent [[International Union of Railways|UIC]] standard.

Initially two different classes were developed: the [[DBAG Class 403|Class 403]] (domestic ICE 3) and the [[DBAG Class 406|Class 406]] (ICE 3M), the M standing for ''Mehrsystem'' ([[multi-system locomotive|multi-system]]). Later came Class 407 and Class 408. The trains were labelled and marketed as the [[Siemens Velaro|Velaro]] by their manufacturer, [[Siemens]].

Just like the ICE&nbsp;2, the ICE&nbsp;3 and the ICE&nbsp;3M were developed as short trains (when compared to an ICE&nbsp;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 the [[Cologne–Frankfurt high-speed rail line|Köln-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 [[Euro|€]] 495 million – for international traffic, especially to France.

The [[Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle high-speed railway]], which opened in December 2015, is one of three lines in Germany (the others being the [[Nuremberg-Ingolstadt high-speed rail line]] and [[Cologne–Frankfurt high-speed rail line]]) that are equipped for a line speed of {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on}}. Since only 3rd generation ICE trains can travel at this speed, the ''ICE line 41'', formerly running from [[Essen Hbf]] via [[Duisburg Hbf]]–[[Frankfurt (Main) Südbahnhof|Frankfurt Südbf]] to [[Nürnberg Hbf]], was extended over the [[Nuremberg-Ingolstadt high-speed rail line]] and today the service run is [[Oberhausen Hbf]]–[[Duisburg Hbf]]–[[Frankfurt Hbf]]–[[Nürnberg Hbf]]–[[Ingolstadt Hbf]]–[[München Hbf]].

The ICE&nbsp;3 runs at speeds up to {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} on the [[LGV Est]] railway [[Strasbourg]]–[[Paris]] in France.

A new generation ICE 3, [[DB Class 407|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 the [[Channel Tunnel]] to London. As the trains had not received a certification for running in Belgium and due to the competition of [[Low-cost carrier|budget airlines]] the London service was cancelled.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/london-frankfurt-cologne-train-deutsche-bahn-db-eurostar-cancelled-shelved-a8394806.html |last=Stane |first= Jon |title= Plans for UK-Germany high speed rail services shelved due to 'significantly changed economic environment' |date= 17 June 2018 |work=The Independent |access-date= 2022-02-01}}</ref><ref>DB confirms London services not likely for many years, if ever. In: Today's railways Europe. Nr. 272, 2018, ISSN 1354-2753, p.&nbsp;9.</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and-rolling-stock/deutsche-bahn-orders-320-km/h-velaro-derivatives/56963.article |title= Deutsche Bahn orders 320 km/h Velaro derivatives |date= 15 July 2020 |website=Railway Gazette |publisher= |access-date= 2022-02-01}}.</ref> Referenced by Siemens as Velaro MS ("multi-system"), these trains are called ''ICE 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and-rolling-stock/db-orders-more-ice3neo-sets-as-first-unit-is-unveiled/60850.article |title= DB orders more ICE3neo sets as first unit is unveiled |date= 1 February 2022 |website=Railway Gazette |publisher= |access-date= 2022-02-01}}</ref> 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.<ref name="rg-170523" />

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.<ref>[https://eisenbahn.de/eisenbahn-magazin/letzte-fahrt-fuer-den-mehrsystem-ice-abschied-von-der-baureihe-406_6868 eisenbahn.de - "farewell-journey for BR 406 - multisystem-ICE says good bye"] (German) 20 March 2025</ref>

===Fourth generation===
{{main|ICE 4 (Deutsche Bahn)}}
[[File:ICE 4 at Nuremberg Hbf.jpg|thumb|ICE 4 at [[Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof]]]]
Procurement of ICx trainsets started c. 2008 as replacements for locomotive hauled [[InterCity]] and [[EuroCity]] train services - the scope was later expanded to include replacements for [[ICE 1]] and [[ICE 2]] trainsets. In 2011 [[Siemens Mobility|Siemens]] 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 name '''''ICx''''' was used for the trains during the initial stages of the procurement; in late 2015 the trains were rebranded '''ICE 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.

=== ICE T and ICE TD ===
[[File:ICE-T bei Steinbach am Wald.jpg|thumb|ICE T (Class 411) tilting train]]
Simultaneously with the ICE 3, Siemens developed trains with [[Tilting train|tilting]] 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 in [[Thuringia]]. ICE-TD has diesel traction. ICE-T and ICE-TD could have be operated jointly, but this has not been done routinely.

==== ICE T ====
{{main|ICE T}}
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's [[ÖBB]] purchased three units in 2007, operating them jointly with DB. Even though DB assigned the name ''ICE-T'' to class 411/415, the ''T'' originally did not stand for ''tilting'', but for ''Triebwagen'' (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 as ''IC-T'' (InterCity-Triebwagen).
The trainsets of the T series were manufactured in 1999. The tilting system has been provided by [[Fiat Ferroviaria]], now part of [[Alstom]]. ICE T trains can run at speeds of up to 230&nbsp;km/h (143&nbsp;mph).

In April 2025, Deutsche Bahn announced the gradual retirement of the 5-car Class 415 from June 2025.<ref name=eisenbahn.de>[https://eisenbahn.de/eisenbahn-magazin/deutsche-bahn-stellt-baureihe-415-ab-auswirkungen-auf-verbindungen-dresden-frankfurt-main_7824 eisenbahn.de - "Deutsche Bahn parks Class 415"] (German) 16 April 2025</ref>

==== ICE TD ====
[[File:BahnRatekau.jpg|thumb|ICE TD in DB service in Northern Germany]]
{{main|ICE TD}}
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 the [[2006 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 so [[DSB_(railway_company)|DSB (Danish State Railways)]] used the diesel-powered trains. When DSB ordered the new [[IC4]] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mdr.de/sachsen/dresden/diesel-ice-geht-in-rente-100.html |title=Deutsche Bahn schickt Diesel-ICE endgültig in Rente |date=29 September 2017 |lang=de |work=MDR Sachsen}}</ref>

=== Differences in train layouts ===
[[File:ICE 1 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof.jpg|thumb|ICE&nbsp;1 – in service since 1991]]
[[File:Heidelberg Hbf - ICE 3 2.jpg|thumb|ICE&nbsp;3 – a new design]]
[[File:Geisberg Nord.jpg|thumb|ICE S (successor of the ICE V)]]
[[File:Fst ICE 3MF.jpg|thumb|Inside the cab of an ICE&nbsp;3]]

{|
|-
! style="width:120px;"|
! |
|- valign="top"
| '''ICE (generally):''' || '''Pale grey livery with red stripe and convoluted rubber gaiters between carriages''' ''(distinctive from all other DB trains)'' <br /> '''Black window band with oval door windows except in ICE 4''' ''(distinctive from [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|Intercity]] / [[Metropolitan (train)|Metropolitan]] cars)'' <br /> '''Wheels-on-rails technology''' ''(distinctive from the [[Transrapid]])''
|- valign="top"
| colspan=2 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''[[ICE&nbsp;1]]:''' || two [[Electric locomotive|power heads]] and up to 14 intermediate cars; [[dining car|restaurant car]] with high roof; nose with DB logo that interrupts red stripe (unique to the ICE&nbsp;1); maximum speed is 280&nbsp;km/h (174&nbsp;mph).{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}
|- valign="top"
| colspan=2 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''[[ICE&nbsp;2]]:''' || one power head and one [[Control car (rail)|driving van trailer]] accessible to passengers; BordRestaurant/Bistro car has same height as other cars; ''contrary to ICE 1:'' nose is vertically divisible, parts of the [[Scharfenberg coupler|coupler]] protruding to the outside; maximum speed is 280&nbsp;km/h (174&nbsp;mph).<ref>[http://www.hochgeschwindigkeitszuege.com/deutschland/ice-2.php?vorgaengerdir=deutschland hochgeschwindigkeitszuege.com - ICE 2 der Baureihe 402] (German) retrieved 28 June 2015</ref>
|- valign="top"
| colspan=2 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''[[ICE&nbsp;3]]:''' || no power heads, but an [[electric multiple unit|EMU]]: end cars with rounded windshield and passenger lounge, unpowered transformer car with [[pantograph (rail)|pantograph]]; maximum speed of 320&nbsp;km/h (199&nbsp;mph){{citation needed|date=September 2012}}; 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.
|- valign="top"
| colspan=2 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''[[ICE 4 (Deutsche Bahn)|ICE&nbsp;4]]:''' || no power heads, unpowered transformer car with [[pantograph (rail)|pantograph]]; maximum speed of 265&nbsp;km/h (165&nbsp;mph);<ref>{{Cite web |title=Der ICE 4: das Rückgrat der DB-Fernverkehrsflotte |url=https://www.deutschebahn.com/de/presse/suche_Medienpakete/medienpaket_ice4-6854650 |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=deutschebahn.com |language=de}}</ref> no oval door windows; red stripe running downwards and across the nose lid; window band becomes narrow and ends near the windshield.
|- valign="top"
| colspan=2 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''[[ICE&nbsp;T]]/[[ICE&nbsp;TD]]:''' || ''similar to ICE&nbsp;3, except:'' steeper front; pantograph; maximum speed of 230&nbsp;km/h (143&nbsp;mph); no ICE logo on end coaches (ICE T)/ aerodynamic cover on end cars; maximum speed of 200&nbsp;km/h (124&nbsp;mph);<ref>[http://www.hochgeschwindigkeitszuege.com/deutschland/ice-td.php hochgeschwindigkeitszuege.com - ICE-TD] retrieved 28 June 2015</ref> 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&nbsp;3
|- valign="top"
| colspan=2 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''[[ICE&nbsp;T2]]:''' || ''like ICE&nbsp;T series&nbsp;1, except:'' painted sheet metal instead of glass between windows, front lamps with [[LED]]s
|- valign="top"
| colspan=2 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''[[ICE&nbsp;V]]:''' || 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
|- valign="top"
| colspan=2 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''[[ICE&nbsp;S]]:''' || ICE logo with additional letter "S" in white; most have only one intermediate coach; high-voltage lines between carriages; maximum speed is 330&nbsp;km/h (205&nbsp;mph){{citation needed|date=September 2012}}
|}

=== Livery ===
A notable characteristic of the ICE trains is their colour design, which has been registered by the DB as an [[Geschmacksmuster|aesthetic model]] and hence is protected as intellectual property.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bff.de/publish/viewfull.cfm?objectid=a6e33a4e_20ed_76a6_2c6e3454da69a89b&m_id=1|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526200952/http://www.bff.de/publish/viewfull.cfm?objectid=a6e33a4e_20ed_76a6_2c6e3454da69a89b&m_id=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 May 2012|publisher=Bund Freischaffender Foto-Designer e. V.|title=Frei von Rechten Dritter...|author=Wolfgang Maaßen|access-date=13 February 2007|language=de}}</ref> The trains are painted in ''Pale Grey'' ([[RAL (colour space system)|RAL]] 7035) with a ''Traffic 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 other [[Deutsche Bahn|DB]] train.

The ICE 1 and ICE 2 units originally had an ''Orient Red'' (RAL 3031) stripe, accompanied by a ''Pastel Violet'' stripe below (RAL 4009, 26&nbsp;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 the [[EXPO 2000]].

The "ICE" lettering uses the colour ''Agate Grey'' (RAL 7038), the frame is painted in ''Quartz Grey'' (RAL 7039). The plastic platings in the interior all utilise the ''Pale 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 around [[Alexander Neumeister]] in the early 1980s and first used on the [[InterCityExperimental]] (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 in [[Stuttgart]]. 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 discontinued [[InterRegio]] trains in the mid-1980s.

=== Trainset numbers ===
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 a ''trainset number'' that is printed over each bogie of every car. These numbers usually correspond with the registration numbers of the powerheads or cab cars.
[[File:ICE 4653 Nederlandse Spoorwegen at Brussels Zuid.jpg|thumb|ICE 4653 owned by [[Nederlandse Spoorwegen]] at [[Brussels-South railway station]]]]
{|
|-
! style="width:120px;"|
! |
|- valign="top"
| '''ICE&nbsp;1:''' || Tz 01 to 20 || [[traction motor]]s use [[thyristor]] [[Frequency changer|frequency converters]]
|-
| || Tz 51 to 71 || traction motors use [[Gate turn-off thyristor|GTO]] frequency converters
|-
| || Tz 72 to 90 || GTO control, fitted for service into Switzerland
|- valign="top"
| colspan=3 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''ICE&nbsp;2:''' || Tz 201 to 244 ||
|- valign="top"
| colspan=3 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''ICE&nbsp;3:''' || Tz 301 to 337 || first series
|-
| || Tz 351 to 367 || second series
|- valign="top"
| colspan=3 |
----
|-
| '''ICE&nbsp;3M:''' || Tz 4601 to 4613 || 7 trainsets, numbers intermittent
|-
| || Tz 4651 to 4654 || owned by [[Nederlandse Spoorwegen]] (NS)
|-
| '''ICE&nbsp;3MF:''' || Tz 4680 to 4684 || refitted for service into France
|-
| '''ICE&nbsp;3MF:''' || Tz 4685 || refitted for service into France, and the United Kingdom via the Channel Tunnel
|- valign="top"
| colspan=3 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''ICE&nbsp;T:''' || Tz 1101 to 1132 || first series
|-
| 7 cars|| Tz 1151 to 1178 || second series
|-
| || Tz 1180 to 1184 || refitted for service into Switzerland
|-
| || Tz 1190 to 1192 || sold to [[ÖBB]]
|- valign="top"
| colspan=3 |
----
|-
| '''ICE&nbsp;T:'''|| Tz 1501 to 1506 ||
|-
| 5 cars|| Tz 1520 to 1524 || originally fitted for service into Switzerland, cab cars switched with Tz 1180 to 1184
|- valign="top"
| colspan=3 |
----
|- valign="top"
| '''ICE&nbsp;TD:''' || Tz 5501 to 5520 ||
|}

=== Interior equipment ===
[[File:First class on a German ICE train to Munich - Flickr - TeaMeister.jpg|thumb|The refurbished 1st class interior of an ICE 1 trainset]]
[[File:2. Klasse des ICE 3 (nach Redesign).jpg|thumb|The 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 a [[headphone]] 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 improved [[mobile 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 on [[Bildschirmtext|BTX]], however this system was eventually taped over and removed in the later refurbishment. The ICE 3 trains feature [[touch 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, they feature 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.

=== Maintenance ===
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 the [[pantograph (rail)|pantograph]] 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, called ''Nachschau''. In this inspection, the brakes, the [[Linienzugbeeinflussung]] systems and the anti-lock brakes are checked.
# After 80,000 kilometres, the train undergoes the ''Inspektionsstufe 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, the ''Inspektionsstufe 2'' mandates a check of the [[electric motor]]s, the [[bearing (mechanical)|bearings]] and the [[driveshaft]]s of the [[bogie]]s and the couplers. This inspection is usually carried out in two modules taking eight hours each.
# About once a year (when reaching 480,000&nbsp;km), the ''Inspektionsstufe 3'' takes place, at three times eight hours each. In addition to the other checkup phases, it includes checks on the [[pneumatics]] systems, and the transformer cooling. Maintenance work is performed inside the passenger compartment.
# The ''1st 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 the ''2nd Revision'', which happens when reaching 2.4 million kilometres. The [[bogie]]s 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<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdr.de/sachsen/6905909.html|title=Neues ICE-Instandhaltungswerk in Leipzig in Betrieb|publisher=mdr|access-date=10 December 2009|language=de}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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.

== Lines in operation ==
[[File:Dunkeltalbrücke-2018-02.jpg|thumb|Third generation ICE running on the [[Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway]]]]
[[File:Bartelsgrabentalbruecke.jpg|thumb|Bartelsgrabentalbrücke of the [[Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway]]]]
<!-- table possible -->

{|class="wikitable"
|-
!rowspan=2|Line
!rowspan=2|Section
!rowspan=2|Stations
!colspan=2|Length
!rowspan=2|Top speed
!rowspan=2|Opened
!rowspan=2|Rolling stock
|-
!km
!mi
|-
|[[Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway]]
|
|
|327
|203
|280 km/h
|1991
|
|-
|[[Mannheim–Stuttgart high-speed railway]]
|
|
|99
|62
|280 km/h
|9 May 1991
|
|-
|[[Karlsruhe–Basel high-speed railway]]
|
|
|182
|113
|250 km/h
|March 1993
|
|-
|[[Hanover–Berlin high-speed railway]]
|
|
|258
|160
|250 km/h
|15 September 1998
|
|-
|[[Cologne–Frankfurt high-speed rail line]]
|
|[[Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof|Frankfurt]] · [[Frankfurt Airport long-distance station|Frankfurt Airport]] · [[Siegburg/Bonn station|Siegburg/Bonn]]
|180
|110
|300 km/h
|30 May 1999
|
|-
|[[Cologne–Aachen high-speed railway]]
|
|[[Köln Hauptbahnhof|Cologne]] · [[Köln-Ehrenfeld station|Köln-Ehrenfeld]] · [[Horrem station|Horrem]] · [[Aachen Hauptbahnhof|Aachen Hbf]]
|70
|43
|250 km/h
|May 2002
|
|-
|[[Nuremberg–Ingolstadt high-speed railway]]
|
|[[Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof|Nürnberg]] · [[Allersberg (Rothsee) station|Allersberg]] · [[Kinding (Altmühltal) station|Kinding]] · [[Ingolstadt Nord station|Ingolstadt]]
|78
|48
|300 km/h
|2 September 2006
|
|-
|[[Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle high-speed railway]]
|
|
|123
|77
|300 km/h
|9 December 2015
|
|-
|[[Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway]]
|
|
|107 
|66
|300 km/h
|10 December 2017
|
|-
|[[Vogelfluglinie]]
|[[Copenhagen–Ringsted Line]]
|
|60
|
|200 km/h
|31 May 2019
|
|-
|[[Wendlingen–Ulm high-speed railway]]
|
|[[Wendlingen (Neckar) station|Wendlingen]] · [[Merklingen - Schwäbische Alb station|Merklingen]] · [[Ulm Hauptbahnhof|Ulm]]
|59.575
|37.018
|250 km/h
|9 December 2022
|
|-
|}

===Lines under construction===
* [[Stuttgart–Wendlingen high-speed railway]] (new line, 250&nbsp;km/h, under construction)
* [[Vogelfluglinie]] (partially new line, partially being upgraded)
** [[Lübeck–Hamburg railway]] (German part, to be upgraded to reach 200 km/h)
** [[Lübeck–Puttgarden railway]] (German part, to be electrified<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.railjournal.com/rolling-stock/danish-parliament-approves-dkr-11bn-rolling-stock-purchase/ |title=Danish parliament approves DKr 11bn rolling stock purchase |author=Denis Bowers |work=International Railway Journal |date=15 June 2018 |access-date=26 June 2020}}</ref> to reach 200 km/h up from the current 160 km/h,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://taz.de/Transeuropaeisches-Verkehrsprojekt/!5690024/ |title=Klatsche für Fehmarnbelt-Querung |author=Gernot Knödler |work=[[Die Tageszeitung]] |date=18 June 2020 |access-date=26 June 2020 |language=de}}</ref> under construction)
** [[Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link]] (tunnel part, will replace the [[Scandlines|Rødby–Puttgarden ferry]], 200 km/h, under construction, completion expected in 2028)<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.railjournal.com/infrastructure/fehmarnbelt-fixed-link-rail-consultancy-contract-awarded/ |title=Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link rail consultancy contract awarded |author=David Burroughs |work=[[International Railway Journal]] |date=7 February 2020 |access-date=26 June 2020}}</ref>
** [[Sydbanen]] (Danish part, new tracks to be laid by 2021, to be electrified to reach 200 km/h by 2024, under construction)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bane.dk/Borger/Baneprojekter/Ringsted_Femern-Banen/Tidsplan |title=Faser i arbejdet |publisher=[[Banedanmark]] |date=22 May 2017 |access-date=26 June 2020 |language=da}}</ref>

===Lines planned===
* [[Frankfurt–Mannheim high-speed railway]] (new line, 300&nbsp;km/h, in planning)
* [[Hanau-Gelnhausen high-speed railway]] (new line, 300&nbsp;km/h, in planning)
* [[Dresden‒Prague high-speed line]]
* {{interlanguage link |Hanover-Bielefeld high-speed railway|de|Neubaustrecke Bielefeld–Hannover}} (new line, 300&nbsp;km/h, in planning)
* [[Nuremberg-Würzburg high-speed railway]] (new line, 300&nbsp;km/h, in planning)
* [[Hanover-Hamburg high-speed railway]]/[[Hanover-Bremen high-speed railway]] (Y-shaped, partially new line, 160 and 300&nbsp;km/h on new sections, 160&nbsp;km/h on an existing section, in planning)
* [[Fulda–Eisenach high-speed railway]]		250 km/h	2030	52 km
* [[Fulda–Frankfurt (parallel new) high-speed railway]]		250 km/h	2035	80 km
* {{interlanguage link |Ostermünchen–Brannenburg–Austrian border high-speed railway|de|Brenner-Nordzulauf}}

== Route planning and network layout ==
[[File:ICE TrainTrack.JPG|thumb|left|ICE track close up]]
[[File:ICE Network.png|thumb|ICE network {{legend|#C20000|High-speed lines for 300 km/h (186 mph)}}
{{legend|#C28800|High-speed lines for 250 km/h (155 mph) or more}}
{{legend|#000080|Upgraded lines for 200–230 km/h (124–143 mph)}}
{{legend|#888888|Conventional lines, often upgraded for 160 km/h (100 mph)}}]]
[[File:Germany - ICE line network, train frequencies and top speeds.svg|thumb|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 French [[TGV]] or the Japanese [[Shinkansen]] 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&nbsp;km/h (186&nbsp;mph) only on some stretches of line and cannot currently reach their maximum allowed speed of 330&nbsp;km/h on German railway lines (though a speed of 320&nbsp;km/h is reached by ICE 3 in France).

The line most heavily utilised by ICE trains is the [[Mannheim–Frankfurt railway]] between [[Frankfurt]] and [[Mannheim]] 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 the [[Munich–Augsburg railway|Munich–Augsburg line]], carrying about 300 trains per day.

{{see also|List of Intercity-Express lines}}

=== North–south connections ===
The network's main backbone consists of six north–south lines:

# from [[Hamburg-Altona station|Hamburg-Altona]] via [[Hamburg Hauptbahnhof|Hamburg]], [[Hannover Hauptbahnhof|Hannover]], [[Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station|Kassel]], [[Fulda railway station|Fulda]], [[Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof|Frankfurt]], [[Mannheim Hauptbahnhof|Mannheim]], [[Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof|Karlsruhe]] and [[Freiburg Hauptbahnhof|Freiburg]] to [[Basel SBB railway station|Basel]] ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#20|line '''20''']]) or continuing from Mannheim to [[Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof|Stuttgart]] ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#22|line '''22''']])
# from Hamburg-Altona and Hamburg and from [[Bremen Hauptbahnhof|Bremen]] to [[Hannover Hauptbahnhof|Hannover]] (where portions are joined) and via Kassel, Fulda and [[Würzburg Hauptbahnhof|Würzburg]] to [[Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof|Nuremberg]] and via [[Ingolstadt Hauptbahnhof|Ingolstadt]] to [[München Hauptbahnhof|Munich]] ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#25|line '''25''']])
# from Hamburg-Altona via Hamburg, [[Berlin-Spandau station|Berlin-Spandau]], [[Berlin Hauptbahnhof|Berlin]], [[Berlin Südkreuz]], [[Leipzig Hauptbahnhof|Leipzig]] or [[Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof|Halle]], [[Erfurt Hauptbahnhof|Erfurt]] to Nuremberg and via Augsburg or Ingolstadt to Munich ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#18|lines '''18''']], [[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#28|'''28''']] and [[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#29|'''29''']]) or continuing from Erfurt via Fulda, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, [[Ulm Hauptbahnhof|Ulm]] and Augsburg to Munich ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#11|line '''11''']])
# from Berlin via [[Berlin-Spandau railway station|Berlin-Spandau]], [[Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof|Braunschweig]], Kassel, Fulda, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Freiburg to Basel ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#12|line '''12''']]) or via Fulda and [[Frankfurt (Main) Süd station|Frankfurt Süd]] to [[Frankfurt Airport long-distance station|Frankfurt Airport]] ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#13|line '''13''']])
# from [[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]] or [[Dortmund Hauptbahnhof|Dortmund]] via [[Duisburg Hauptbahnhof|Duisburg]], [[Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof|Düsseldorf]], [[Köln Hauptbahnhof|Cologne]] and Frankfurt Airport to Mannheim and either via Karlsruhe and Freiburg to Basel ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#43|line '''43''']]) or via Stuttgart, Ulm and Augsburg to Munich ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#42|lines '''42''']] and [[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#47|'''47''']])
# from Essen via Cologne, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Nuremberg and Ingolstadt to Munich ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#41|line '''41''']])

(Also applies to trains in the opposite directions, taken from 2024 network map)

=== East–west connections ===
Furthermore, the network has three main east–west thoroughfares:
# from [[Berlin-Gesundbrunnen station|Berlin Gesundbrunnen]] via [[Berlin Hauptbahnhof|Berlin]], [[Hannover Hauptbahnhof|Hannover]], [[Bielefeld Hauptbahnhof|Bielefeld]] to [[Hamm (Westfalen) railway station|Hamm]] (where train portions are split) and continuing either via [[Dortmund Hauptbahnhof|Dortmund]], [[Essen Hauptbahnhof|Essen]], [[Duisburg Hauptbahnhof|Duisburg]] and [[Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof|Düsseldorf]] to [[Cologne/Bonn Airport station|Cologne/Bonn Airport]] or via [[Hagen Hauptbahnhof|Hagen]] and [[Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof|Wuppertal]] to [[Köln Hauptbahnhof|Cologne]] ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#10|'''10''']], [[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#19|'''19''']])
# from [[Dresden Hauptbahnhof|Dresden]] via [[Leipzig Hauptbahnhof|Leipzig]], [[Erfurt Hauptbahnhof|Erfurt]], [[Fulda station|Fulda]], [[Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof|Frankfurt]], [[Frankfurt Airport long-distance station|Frankfurt Airport]] and [[Mainz Hauptbahnhof|Mainz]] to [[Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof|Wiesbaden]] ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#50|'''50''']])
# from [[Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof|Karlsruhe]] via [[Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof|Stuttgart]], [[Ulm Hauptbahnhof|Ulm]], and [[Augsburg Hauptbahnhof|Augsburg]] to [[München Hauptbahnhof|Munich]]	([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#60|'''60''']])
(Also applies to trains in the opposite directions, taken from 2023 network map)

=== German branch lines ===
Some train lines extend past the core network and branch off to serve the following connections:
# from Berlin to [[Rostock Hauptbahnhof|Rostock]] (line 28, individual services)
# from Berlin to [[Stralsund Hauptbahnhof|Stralsund]] (line 28, individual services)
# from Hamburg to [[Lübeck Hauptbahnhof|Lübeck]] (line 25, individual services)
# from Hamburg to [[Kiel Hauptbahnhof|Kiel]] (lines 20, 22, 28 and 31, individual services)
# from Bremen to [[Oldenburg (Oldenburg) Hauptbahnhof|Oldenburg]] (lines 10, 22 and 25, individual services)
# from Leipzig via Hanover to Cologne (line 50, individual services)
# from Leipzig via Kassel to Düsseldorf (line 50, individual services)
# from Würzburg via Kassel to Essen (line 41, individual services)
# from Munich to [[Garmisch-Partenkirchen station|Garmisch-Partenkirchen]] (lines 25, 28 and 41, individual services)
# from Nuremberg via [[Regensburg Hauptbahnhof|Regensburg]] to [[Passau Hauptbahnhof|Passau]] ([[List of Intercity-Express lines in Germany#91|line 91]], every two hours)

(Also applies to trains in the opposite directions)

=== ICE Sprinter ===
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 between [[Munich]] and [[Frankfurt]] in 1992. [[Frankfurt]]-[[Hamburg]] followed in 1993 and [[Cologne]]-Hamburg in 1994. This service ran as a [[Metropolitan (train)|Metropolitan]] service between December 1996 and December 2004. In 1998, a Berlin-Frankfurt service was introduced and a service between Cologne and [[Stuttgart]] ran between December 2005 and October 2006.

Until December 2006, a morning Sprinter service ran between Frankfurt and Munich (with an intermediate stop at [[Mannheim]]), taking 3:25 hours for the journey. This has been since replaced by a normal ICE connection taking only 3:21 hours.

Starting with the December 2017 schedule change, a new Sprinter line links [[Berlin main station]] and [[Munich main station]] in less than four hours.

{{As of|2018|07}}, the individual ICE Sprinter lines are:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No. || Departure station || Intermediate stops || Destination || Travel time (hh:mm) || Time of day
|-
| 11<br />13<br />17<br />19<br />121<br />123<br />125<br />127<br />129<br />211<br />215<br />221 || [[Köln Hbf]] || [[Frankfurt Airport long-distance station|Frankfurt Airport]] || [[Frankfurt (Main) Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 1:01<br />1:02<br />1:03<br />1:06 || Morning<br />Noon<br />Afternoon<br />Evening<br />Night
|-
| 14<br />16<br />120<br />124<br />126<br />128<br />210<br />220 || [[Frankfurt (Main) Hbf]] || [[Frankfurt Airport long-distance station|Frankfurt Airport]] || [[Köln Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 1:06<br />1:04<br />1:10 || Morning<br />Noon<br />Evening
|-
| 591<br />593<br />595<br />597<br />599<br />691<br />695 || [[Frankfurt (Main) Hbf]] || [[Mannheim Hauptbahnhof|Mannheim Hbf]] || [[Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof|Stuttgart Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 1:18 || Morning<br />Noon<br />Afternoon<br />Evening
|-
| 590<br />592<br />594<br />598<br />690<br />692<br />694 || [[Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof|Stuttgart Hbf]] || [[Mannheim Hauptbahnhof|Mannheim Hbf]] || [[Frankfurt (Main) Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 1:17 || Morning<br />Noon<br />Afternoon<br />Evening
|-
| 1000<br />1004<br />1008 || [[München Hauptbahnhof|München Hbf]] || [[Nuremberg Central Station|Nuremberg Hbf]], [[Erfurt Hauptbahnhof|Erfurt Hbf]], [[Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof|Halle (Saale) Hbf]], [[Berlin Südkreuz]]|| [[Berlin Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 3:55 || Morning<br />Noon<br />Evening
|-
| 1001<br />1005<br />1009 || [[Berlin Hbf]] || [[Berlin Südkreuz]], [[Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof|Halle (Saale) Hbf]], [[Erfurt Hauptbahnhof|Erfurt Hbf]], [[Nuremberg Central Station|Nuremberg Hbf]] || [[München Hauptbahnhof|München Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 4:02<br />3:58 || Morning<br />Noon<br />Evening
|-
| 1031 || [[Hamburg Hbf]] || [[Essen Hbf]], [[Duisburg Hbf]], [[Düsseldorf Hbf]] || [[Köln Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 3:35 || Morning
|-
| 1038 || [[Köln Hbf]] || [[Düsseldorf Hbf]], [[Duisburg Hbf]], [[Essen Hbf]] || [[Hamburg Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 3:38 || Morning
|-
| 1094 || [[Frankfurt Hbf]] || [[Hannover Hbf]] || [[Hamburg Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 3:26 || Afternoon
|-
| 1097 || [[Hamburg-Altona station|Hamburg-Altona]] || [[Hamburg Hbf]], [[Hamburg Dammtor]], [[Hannover Hbf]] || [[Frankfurt Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 3:20 || Morning
|-
| 1533<br />1535<br />1598<br />1631<br />1633 || [[Frankfurt (Main) Hbf]] || [[Erfurt Hauptbahnhof|Erfurt Hbf]], [[Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof|Halle (Saale) Hbf]], [[Berlin Südkreuz]] || [[Berlin Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 3:56<br />3:53 || Morning<br />Noon<br />Afternoon<br />Evening
|-
| 1536<br />1538<br />1636<br />1638 || [[Berlin Hbf]] || [[Berlin Südkreuz]], [[Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof|Halle (Saale) Hbf]], [[Erfurt Hauptbahnhof|Erfurt Hbf]] || [[Frankfurt (Main) Hbf]] || style="text-align:right;"| 3:52<br />3:54 || Morning<br />Noon<br />Afternoon<br />Evening
|}

(Source: Deutsche Bahn AG<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bahn.de/p/view/international/englisch/trains/sprinter.shtml |title=ICE Sprinter, long-distance services |publisher=[[Deutsche Bahn AG]] |access-date=2 June 2018  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210004729/http://www.bahn.de/p/view/international/englisch/trains/sprinter.shtml |archive-date=10 February 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>)

=== Line segments abroad ===
[[File:ICE train at Amsterdam Centraal station.jpg|thumb|ICE train at Amsterdam Central station]]
[[File:Networks of Major High Speed Rail Operators in Europe.gif|thumb|350px|The ICE network is an integral part of Europe's high-speed rail system.]]
[[File:ICE-Linien in Österreich.png|thumb|350px|Lines to and in Austria]]

Some ICE trains also run on services abroad – sometimes diverting from their original lines.

# from [[Frankfurt Hbf]] to [[Amsterdam Centraal]] ([[Netherlands]]) via [[Köln Hauptbahnhof|Köln Hbf]], [[Duisburg Hbf]] and [[Arnhem Centraal railway station|Arnhem Centraal]] (lines 120, 122, 128, 126, 220, 222/121, 123, 127, 129, 221)
# from Frankfurt Hbf to [[Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel-Zuid railway station|Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid]] ([[Belgium]]) via Köln Hbf, [[Aachen Hbf]] and [[Liège-Guillemins]] (lines 10, 12, 14, 18, 16, 314, 316/11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 315, 317)
# from Frankfurt Hbf and [[Stuttgart Hbf]] to [[Gare de l'Est|Paris Est]] ([[France]]) via [[Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof|Karlsruhe Hbf]] and [[Strasbourg-Ville station|Strasbourg-Ville]] (lines 9568, 9572, 9574/9563, 9567, 9571, 9573)
# from Frankfurt Hbf to Paris Est via [[Saarbrücken Hauptbahnhof| Saarbrücken Hbf]] (lines 9550, 9556, 9558/9553, 9555)
# from [[Hamburg-Altona]], [[Kiel Hauptbahnhof|Kiel Hbf]]  and [[Ostseebad Binz station|Ostseebad Binz]] to [[Basel SBB]] and [[Zürich HB]] ([[Switzerland]]) via Frankfurt Hbf and Karlsruhe (lines 73, 75, 77, 79, 203, 205/72, 74, 76, 78, 272)
# from Frankfurt Hbf and Hamburg-Altona to [[Chur]] (Switzerland) via Karlsruhe, Basel SBB and Zürich HB (lines 271, 1271/70)
# from Frankfurt Hbf, [[Berlin Hbf]] and Hamburg-Altona station to [[Interlaken]] (Switzerland) via Karlsruhe and Basel SBB (lines 275, 373/278, 376)
# from Frankfurt Hbf and [[Dortmund Hauptbahnhof|Dortmund Hbf]] to [[Wien Hauptbahnhof|Wien Hbf]] ([[Austria]]) via [[Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof|Nürnberg Hbf]], [[Passau Hbf]] and [[Linz Hbf]] (lines 21, 23, 27, 29, 229/20, 22, 26, 28, 228)
# from Hamburg-Altona to Wien Hbf (Austria) via Berlin Hbf, Nürnberg Hbf, Passau Hbf and Linz Hbf (lines 93, 95/92, 94)
# from Dortmund Hbf to [[Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof|Innsbruck Hbf]] (Austria) via [[Köln Hbf]], Stuttgart Hbf, {{stn|Lindau-Reutin}} and [[Bregenz Hauptbahnhof|Bregenz Hbf]] (line 119), return schedule terminates at [[Münster Hauptbahnhof|Münster Hbf]] (line 118)
# from Berlin Hbf to Paris Est (France) via Frankfurt, Karlsruhe and Strasbourg (line  9590/ 9591)
# from Berlin Hbf to Innsbruck Hbf (Austria) via [[Würzburg Hbf]], Stuttgart Hbf, Lindau-Reutin and Bregenz Hbf (alternative route for lines 118/119)<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.suedkurier.de/region/bodenseekreis/friedrichshafen/bahnhof-friedrichshafen-fernzuege-direkt-wien-basel-innsbruck-koeln;art372474,11591934 |title=Vom Bahnhof Friedrichshafen mit dem Zug ohne Umstieg nach Wien, Basel, Innsbruck oder Berlin |first=Simon |last=Conrads|work =www.suedkurier.de |date=1 October 2024 |access-date=19 October 2024}}</ref>
# from [[Münster Hauptbahnhof|Münster Hbf]] to [[Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof|Klagenfurt Hbf]] (Austria) via Köln, Stuttgart, [[München Hauptbahnhof|Munich Hbf]] and [[Salzburg Hauptbahnhof|Salzburg Hbf]] (line 115), return schedule terminates at Dortmund Hbf (line 114)
# 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)
# from Munich to Zürich via Lindau-Reutin (operated by Swiss Federal Railways as [[EuroCity-Express]])

(Also applies to the opposite directions)

Since December 2006, [[Stuttgart Hbf]] and [[Zürich HB]] have been connected by a bi-hourly service. This service however has been replaced by a daily [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|Intercity]] service since March 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.bahnlinie-von-stuttgart-nach-zuerich-gaeubahn-erfuellt-hoffnungen-nicht.0d418f31-3e36-4576-8b5a-2b0ede226d2b.html |title=Gäubahn erfüllt Hoffnungen nicht |date=4 October 2012 |work =stuttgarter-zeitung.de  |author1=Messner, Wolfgang |author2=Petersen, Michael|access-date=8 June 2016 }}</ref>

The [[Österreichische Bundesbahnen|ÖBB]] in Austria also uses two ICE T trainsets (classified as [[ÖBB Class 4011]]) between [[Wien Hauptbahnhof]], [[Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof]] and [[Bregenz]] (without stops in Germany), although they do not use tilting technology. Since December 2007 ÖBB and DB offer a bi-hourly connection between [[Wien Westbahnhof|Wien Westbf]] and [[Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof|Frankfurt Hbf]]. On 12 December 2021 a new [[Railjet]] schedule was introduced by ÖBB between [[Frankfurt]] and [[Vienna]] on a different route via [[Stuttgart]], [[Ulm]], [[Biberach an der Riss|Biberach]], [[Friedrichshafen]], [[Lindau]], Bregenz and [[Innsbruck]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://wochenblatt-online.de/ein-railjet-auf-der-schwaebischen-eisenbahn-biberach-und-oberschwaben-erhalten-neue-fernverkehrsverbindung-nach-frankfurt-und-wien/ |title=Ein 'Railjet' auf der Schwäbischen Eisenbahn: Biberach und Oberschwaben erhalten neue Fernverkehrsverbindung nach Frankfurt und Wien |date=7 October 2021 |access-date=11 October 2021}}</ref> Since 11 June 2023 a new ICE service is operated by Deutsche Bahn via the same route between [[Dortmund]] and Innsbruck on [[ICE 4 (Deutsche Bahn)|ICE 4]] trains replacing the [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|IC]] 118/119 service.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.schwaebische.de/regional/bodensee/friedrichshafen/ice-haelt-ab-juni-in-friedrichshafen-und-lindau-1557855 |title=ICE hält ab Juni in Friedrichshafen und Lindau |work =www.schwaebische.de |date=21 April 2023 |access-date=3 May 2023}}</ref> 

Since June 2007 ICE 3M trains had been running between [[Frankfurt Hbf]] and [[Gare de l'Est|Paris Est]] via [[Saarbrücken]] and [[Kaiserslautern]]. Together with the [[TGV]]-operated service between Paris Est and [[München Hbf]] via [[Stuttgart Hbf]] (TGV 9576/9577), this ICE line was part of the "[[LGV Est|LGV Est européenne]]", also called "Paris-Ostfrankreich-Süddeutschland" (or [[SNCF TGV POS|POS]]) 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).

From late 2007, ICE TD trains linked [[Berlin Hbf]] with [[Copenhagen]] and [[Aarhus]] via [[Hamburg Hbf]]. These services have been operated since December 2017 by Danish [[DSB Class MF|IC3]] sets as [[EuroCity in Germany|EuroCity]] services.

A [[EuroCity-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 by [[Swiss Federal Railways]] with [[New Pendolino|Alstom ETR 610]] (''Astoro'') sets.

Since December 2024 direct ICE trains are running between Berlin Hbf and [[Gare de l'Est|Paris Est]] via Frankfurt Hbf, [[Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof|Karlsruhe Hbf]] and [[Strasbourg-Ville station|Strasbourg-Ville]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.aviation24.be/railways/new-direct-high-speed-rail-link-between-paris-and-berlin-from-december-2024/ |title=New direct high-speed rail link between Paris and Berlin from December 2024 |first=Bart |last=Noëth |work =www.aviation24.be |date=25 September 2024 |access-date=13 March 2025}}</ref> 

In addition, ICE Trains to [[London]] via the [[Channel Tunnel]] are on the horizon.<ref name="bahn.com"/><ref name="london delay"/> Unique safety and security requirements for the tunnel (such as airport-style checks at stations) as well as hold-ups in the production of the [[Siemens Velaro#Velaro D (DB Class 407)|Velaro-D]] trains to be used on the route<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-08/deutsche-bahn-london-route-delayed-to-2015-as-trains-arrive-late.html |title=Deutsche Bahn London Route Delayed to 2015 as Trains Held Up |date=8 December 2011 |work =Bloomberg |location =New York |author=Webb, Alex}}</ref> have delayed these plans.

=== Intra-Swiss ICE trains ===
To avoid empty runs or excess waits, several services exist that operate exclusively inside Switzerland:
* three services from [[Basel SBB]] to [[Interlaken Ost railway station|Interlaken Ost]]
* two services from [[Basel SBB]] to [[Zürich HB]]
* three service from [[Interlaken Ost railway station|Interlaken Ost]] to [[Basel SBB]]
* one service from [[Interlaken Ost railway station|Interlaken Ost]] to [[Bern railway station|Bern]]
* two services from [[Zürich HB]] to [[Basel SBB]]
* one service from [[Bern railway station|Bern]] to [[Interlaken Ost railway station|Interlaken Ost]]

These trains, despite being officially notated as ICEs, are more comparable to a Swiss [[InterRegio]] or [[RegioExpress]] train, calling at small stations like {{rws|Möhlin}} or {{rws|Sissach}}. As common in Switzerland, these trains can be used without paying a supplement.

== Travel times ==
{{ICE travel times}}

== Accidents ==
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 disaster ===
{{Main|Eschede train disaster}}
[[File:Ice eschede 1.jpg|thumb|Eschede site – remains of ICE&nbsp;884 "Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen"]]

The ICE accident near [[Eschede]] that happened on 3 June 1998 was a severe [[Lists of rail accidents|railway accident]]. Trainset 51, travelling as ICE 884 ''Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen'' from Munich to Hamburg, derailed at 200&nbsp;km/h (124&nbsp;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 of [[railroad switch|points]] 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.

=== Other accidents ===
[[File:4011592 Unfall.jpg|thumb|upright=0.66|Damaged ''ICE T'' trainset 1192]]
On 27 September 2001, trainset 5509 fell off a work platform at the [[Hof, Germany|Hof]] maintenance facility and was written off.

On 22 November 2001, powerhead ''401 020'' caught fire. The train was stopped at the station in [[Offenbach 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 at [[Leipzig]]. Two cars were written off, and the others are now used as spares.

On 1 April 2004, trainset 321 collided with a [[tractor]] that had fallen onto the track at a tunnel entrance near [[Efringen-Kirchen|Istein]], and was derailed. No-one was injured. Trainset 321 was temporarily taken apart, its cars being switched with cars from other ICE 3 trainsets.

Powerhead ''401 553'' suffered major damage in a collision with a car on the [[Mannheim–Frankfurt railway]] in April 2006.

On 28 April 2006, trainset 73 collided head-on with two [[SBB-CFF-FFS Re 460|BLS Re 465]] locomotives at [[Thun]] 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&nbsp;km/h. The emergency brake slowed the train to 56&nbsp;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 powerhead ''401 573'' had to be rebuilt using components from three damaged powerheads (''401 573'', ''401 020'' and ''401 551'').

On 1 March 2008, trainset 1192, travelling as ICE 23, collided with a tree which had fallen onto the track near [[Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia|Brühl]] after being blown down by [[Cyclone Emma (2008)|Cyclone 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 the [[Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line]] near [[Fulda]]. Both powerheads and ten of the 12 cars derailed. The train came to a stop 1300 metres into the [[Landrückentunnel]]. 19 of the 130 passengers suffered mostly minor injuries, four of them needing hospital treatment.<ref>[http://www.wecowi.org/view/ICE-Unfall_bei_Fulda Wecowi.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080601063525/http://www.wecowi.org/view/ICE-Unfall_bei_Fulda |date=1 June 2008 }}, ICE-Unfall bei Fulda (map)</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,565278,00.html |title=Prosecutors Open Investigation into Derailed Train |author= Schmid, Barbara |author2= Dohmen, Frank |work=Der Spiegel |location =Hamburg |date=11 July 2008}}</ref> In October 2008, the company recalled its ICE-T trains after a further crack was found.<ref>"[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3737473,00.html Deutsche Bahn to Recall Part of High-Speed Train Fleet]". ''[[Deutsche Welle]]''. 24 October 2008.</ref>

On 17 April 2010, ICE 105 Amsterdam - Basel lost a door while travelling at high speed near [[Montabaur]]. The door slammed into the side of ICE 612 on the adjacent track. Six people travelling on ICE 612 were injured.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/gesellschaft/bahn-ice-verliert-tuer-bei-voller-fahrt-a-689600.html |title=ICE verliert Tür bei voller Fahrt |date=17 April 2010 |work=Der Spiegel |access-date=31 July 2013}}</ref>

On 17 August 2010, the ICE from Frankfurt to Paris hit a truck that had slid from an embankment on to the rail near [[Lambrecht, Rhineland-Palatinate|Lambrecht]]. The first two carriages derailed and ten people were injured, one seriously.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vosizneias.com/62364/2010/08/17/lambrecht-charedi-man-amongst-rescued-in-germanys-high-speed-train-crash |work=Vos Iz Neias?| title=Lambrecht – Charedi Man Amongst Rescued in Germany's High Speed Train Crash |location =New York |date=17 August 2010 |access-date=18 August 2010}}</ref>

On 11 January 2011, trainset 4654 partly derailed during a side-on collision with a freight train near [[Zevenaar]] in the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/3255816-418/story.html|agency=Associated Press|title=2 trains collide in the Netherlands|date=11 January 2011|work=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=14 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629155837/http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/3255816-418/story.html|archive-date=29 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> There were no injuries.

On 2 May 2017, a trainset was derailed at [[Dortmund Hauptbahnhof]]. Two people were injured.<ref name=Local020517>{{cite web |url=https://www.thelocal.de/20170502/high-speed-train-derails-in-dortmund-disrupting-travel-for-days |title=High speed train derails in Dortmund, disrupting travel for days |publisher=The Local Europe Ab |location=Stockholm |date=2 May 2017 |access-date=3 May 2017}}</ref>

On 12 October 2018, two cars of a trainset caught fire while it was traveling from Cologne to Munich on the [[Cologne–Frankfurt high-speed rail line|Cologne-Frankfurt line]]. Five people suffered minor injuries during the evacuation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fire on German high-speed train forces evacuation|url=https://www.dw.com/en/fire-on-german-high-speed-train-forces-evacuation/a-45865116 |access-date=2022-07-27|date=2018-10-12|publisher=Deutsche Welle|website=dw.com}}</ref>

== Fare structure ==
[[File:ICEtrain-Germany-December2015.ogv|thumb|An ICE train pulling into [[Köln Hauptbahnhof]], December 2014 (video)]]

=== Germany ===
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 ordinary [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|IC]] or [[EuroCity|EC]] 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.

=== Austria ===
[[File:ICE OeBB.jpg|thumb|ICE of the ÖBB (Austrian Railways)]]On the intra-Austrian lines (Vienna-Innsbruck-Bregenz, Vienna-Salzburg(-Munich), Vienna-Passau(-Hamburg) and Innsbruck-Kufstein(-Berlin)) no additional fees are charged.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ÖBB Intercity-Express|url=https://www.oebb.at/en/reiseplanung-services/im-zug/unsere-zuege/ice|access-date=2021-12-12|website=ÖBB}}</ref>

=== Switzerland ===
Likewise, the trains running to and from [[Zürich]], [[Interlaken]] and [[Chur]], as well as those on the intra-Swiss ICE trains (see above) can be used without any surcharge.

=== Netherlands ===
On ICE trains between [[Amsterdam]] and Cologne, passengers travelling nationally within the Netherlands (between [[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam Centraal]] and [[Arnhem Centraal railway station|Arnhem Centraal]]) can use the national [[OV-chipkaart]] scheme but have to purchase a supplement.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ICE supplement {{!}} Individual tickets|url=https://www.ns.nl/producten/en/toeslagen/p/toeslag-ice|access-date=2021-12-12|website=ns.nl}}</ref> Passengers travelling into/from Germany have to buy an international ticket.

=== France ===
On ICE trains between [[Gare de l'Est|Paris Est]] and Frankfurt or Stuttgart, only the fare system from [[SNCF Voyageurs]] is used for national trips to [[Forbach station|Forbach]] and [[Strasbourg-Ville station|Strasbourg]]. Reservation is compulsory for trips to/from and within France.

== Scale models ==
Various ICE train scale models in several scales have been produced by [[Märklin]], [[Fleischmann (model railroads)|Fleischmann]]<ref>{{in lang|de}} [http://www.fleischmann.de/produkte/spur_h0/triebwagen.html Fleischmann.de] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810032437/http://www.fleischmann.de/produkte/spur_h0/triebwagen.html |date=10 August 2009 }}, Fleischmann H0 range</ref>{{primary source inline|date=October 2013}}, [[Roco (model railroads)|Roco]]<ref>{{in lang|de}} [http://www.roco.cc/index.php?id=16&Anfangsposition=27&artikelnummer=51130 Roco.cc] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706220921/http://www.roco.cc/index.php?id=16&Anfangsposition=27&artikelnummer=51130 |date=6 July 2011 }}, Roco ICE 1</ref>{{primary source inline|date=October 2013}}, [[Trix (company)|Trix]], [[Mehano]], [[PIKO]].<ref>[http://www.piko.de/produkt_db/check.php?page=detail&grand_id=3&parent_id=2&child_id=0&id=57195 Piko.de], Piko ICE 3</ref>{{primary source inline|date=October 2013}} and Lima<ref>[http://de.lima.hornbyinternational.com/all-products/zugsets/hl-1009/ HornbyInternational.com]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Lima ICE T</ref>{{primary source inline|date=October 2013}}.

==Possible future service to London==
In January 2010, the European railway network was opened to a liberalisation intended to allow greater competition.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/transport/eu-agrees-liberalise-rail-2010/article-164880|title=EU agrees to liberalise rail by 2010|work=Euractiv|access-date=11 May 2009|archive-date=11 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211090136/http://euractiv.com/en/transport/eu-agrees-liberalise-rail-2010/article-164880|url-status=dead}}</ref> Both [[Air France-KLM]] and [[Deutsche Bahn]] have indicated their desire to take advantage of the new laws to run new services via the [[Channel Tunnel]] and the [[High Speed 1]] route that terminates at London St Pancras International.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1551131/air_france_to_launch_quicker_train_to_paris_as_eurostar|title= Air France to launch 'quicker' train to Paris as Eurostar monopoly ends|website =redorbit.com|publisher= The Independent |location= London |access-date=11 May 2009|first= Michael |last=Savage|date= 11 September 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/magazine/pdf/RHUK/Issue179.pdf|title= £5.2 billion state aid plan to make Eurostar profitable|page= 3|date= 1 June 2009|work= Railway Herald|location= Scunthorpe|access-date= 28 January 2012}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="ES-DB1">{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23419061-german-rival-for-eurostar.do |title=German rival for Eurostar |last=Murray |first=Dick |date=19 December 2007 |work=London Evening Standard |access-date=7 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605063102/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23419061-german-rival-for-eurostar.do |archive-date=5 June 2011  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5018915,00.html |title= Deutsche Bahn gets access to Channel Tunnel |date=16 December 2009 |work=Deutsche Welle |access-date=22 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/World/Story/A1Story20091216-186274.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091222132337/http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/World/Story/A1Story20091216-186274.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 22 December 2009 |title=Deutsche Bahn gets green light for Eurotunnel use |agency =AFP |work=Asia One |location =Singapore |date=16 December 2009 |access-date=22 December 2009}}</ref> [[File:ICE at St Pancras.JPG|thumb|ICE at St Pancras with commemorative decals]] A test run of an ICE train through the Channel Tunnel took place on 19 October 2010.<ref name="rg-ice3-chunnel">{{cite news |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/deutsche-bahn-to-run-ice3-to-britain-this-year.html |title=Deutsche Bahn to run ICE3 to Britain this year |work=[[Railway Gazette International]] |location=London |date=29 July 2010 |access-date=21 August 2010 |archive-date=1 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201082947/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/deutsche-bahn-to-run-ice3-to-britain-this-year.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=rn2010 /> 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,<ref group=note>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".</ref><ref name=rn2010 /> fire safety,<ref group="note">The [[ICE 3#Class 406|DB Class 406]] ICE3M/F<!--multi-system; France--> 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 later [[Siemens Velaro]] ICE-3D [[ICE 3#Class 407|DB Class 407]] sets, which also entered service with Eurostar as the [[Eurostar e320|e320]], include the necessary additional fire-proofing.</ref><ref name="rg-ice3-chunnel"/> and the ICE's [[distributed power]] arrangements. There have been suggestions that French interests have advocated stringent enforcement to delay a competitor on the route.<ref>{{cite news |first= Robert |last= Wright |title= Alstom heads for court over Eurostar trains |work= [[Financial Times]] |location =London |date= 20 October 2010 |url= http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d9258852-db64-11df-ae99-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d9258852-db64-11df-ae99-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |access-date=20 October 2010}}</ref> [[Eurostar]] also chose [[Siemens Velaro]]-based rolling stock; there were concerns that [[Alstom]] (builders of the passenger trains that already use the Tunnel) and the French Government would take the matter to court.<ref name=rn2010>{{cite web |title= Chunnel trains safety dispute 'is moving to courts' |work= RailNews |date= 20 October 2010 |url= http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/general/2010/10/20-chunnel-trains-safety-dispute-is.html |access-date=20 October 2010 |location =Stevenage}}</ref> In October 2010, the French transport minister suggested that the [[European Railway Agency]] (based in France) should arbitrate.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/bussereau-wants-channel-tunnel-dispute-to-go-to-arbitration.html |access-date= 30 October 2010 |title= Bussereau wants Channel Tunnel dispute to go to arbitration |work= International Railway Journal |location= London |date= 30 October 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101101061234/http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/bussereau-wants-channel-tunnel-dispute-to-go-to-arbitration.html |archive-date= 1 November 2010 |df= dmy-all }}</ref> After safety rule changes which might permit the use of Siemens Velaro rolling stock, the French government dismissed their delegate to the [[Channel Tunnel Safety Authority]], and brought in a replacement.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/eurostar-train-procurement-row-heads-for-court.html |access-date= 30 October 2010 |title= Eurostar train procurement row heads for court |work= International Railway Journal |date= 30 October 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101029014834/http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/eurostar-train-procurement-row-heads-for-court.html |archive-date= 29 October 2010 |df= dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-21/france-s-top-channel-tunnel-safety-adviser-loses-job-ft-reports.html |access-date=30 October 2010 |title= French Tunnel Adviser Loses Job After Dispute Over German Trains, FT Says |work= Bloomberg |location =New York |date=21 October 2010}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fender|first1=Keith|title=DB puts London - Frankfurt plans on ice|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/london-frankfurt-cologne-train-deutsche-bahn-db-eurostar-cancelled-shelved-a8394806.html|access-date=6 January 2020|work=The Independent|date=19 February 2014}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/london-frankfurt-cologne-train-deutsche-bahn-db-eurostar-cancelled-shelved-a8394806.html|title=Plans for UK-Germany high speed rail services shelved due to 'significantly changed economic environment'|first=Jon|last=Stone|website=[[Independent.co.uk]]|date=16 June 2018}}</ref>
As of 2025 Eurostar has also in its plans to launch direct train services between London and Frankfurt with the same travel duration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cded0zypxl7o|title=Eurostar plans direct trains to Frankfurt and Geneva|first1=Faarea |last1=Masud |first2=Nick |last2=Marsh|website=www.bbc.com|date=10 June 2025}}</ref>

{{clear}}

== Ridership ==
{{Historical populations
| title= Ridership
| percentages = pagr
| align = right
| pop_name= million riders
| cols = 1
| source=<ref name="whhh">{{cite web |url=http://whhh.fc2web.com/ktx/hikaku.html |title=KTX vs 新幹線 徹底比較 |publisher=Whhh.fc2web.com |access-date=12 October 2015 |archive-date=9 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009122921/http://whhh.fc2web.com/ktx/hikaku.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="siemenspic">{{cite web|url=http://www.siemens.com/press/en/presspicture/?press=/en/presspicture/2016/mobility/2016-06-ICE/im2016060735moen.htm|title=Press Pictures|website=siemens.com}}</ref>
| 1991 |5.1
| 1992 |10.2
| 1993 |14.6
| 1994 |21.3
| 1995 |27.2
| 2000 |41.6
| 2005 |66.8
| 2010 |77.8
| 2015 |80
| 2018 |94
| 2019 |99.2}}
From its inception in July 1991 to 2006, ICE has transported roughly 550 million passengers, including 67 million in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deutschebahn.com/site/hochgeschwindigkeit/de/ice/auslastung/auslastung.html |title=15 Jahre Hochgeschwindigkeit - Auslastung |access-date=14 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518034058/http://www.deutschebahn.com/site/hochgeschwindigkeit/de/ice/auslastung/auslastung.html |archive-date=18 May 2011  }}</ref> The cumulative sum of passengers is roughly 1.25 billion in 2015.<ref name="siemenspic"/>

== Legacy ==
On 5 October 2006, the [[Deutsche Post AG]] released a series of stamps, among them a stamp picturing an ICE 3, at 55+25 euro cents.{{Citation needed|date=October 2013}}

In 2006, [[Lego]] modelled one of its [[Lego train|train sets]] after the ICE.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shop.lego.com/product/?p=B7897|title=LEGO Store – Passenger Train|publisher=LEGO|access-date=12 February 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526210423/http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=B7897|archive-date=26 May 2007}}</ref> 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).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://store.steampowered.com/app/65245/|title=RailWorks 3 Intercity-Express Add-On|publisher=Railwords|access-date=7 June 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614004326/http://store.steampowered.com/app/65245|archive-date=14 June 2012}}</ref> There is also an addon utilising the Munich - Augsburg line using ICE 3 trainsets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://store.steampowered.com/app/208288/?snr=1_7_15__13|title=Train Simulator: Munich-Augsburg Route Add-On on Steam|website=store.steampowered.com}}</ref> 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.
<!-- * The ICE 3 is able to play the [[German National Anthem]] with its [[Frequency changer]]s. This is an unofficial feature and needs modification of the software.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}} -->

== See also ==
* [[List of Intercity-Express lines]]
* [[List of Intercity-Express railway stations]]
* [[High-speed rail in Europe]]
** [[AVE]]
** [[TGV]]
** [[X 2000]]
** [[YHT]]
* [[Rail transport in Europe]]
* [[Train categories in Europe]]
* [[Acela]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{Commons and category inline|ICE|ICE}}
* {{official website}}
* [http://www.bahn.de/p/view/buchung/karten/streckennetz.shtml Network maps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612204011/https://www.bahn.de/p/view/buchung/karten/streckennetz.shtml |date=12 June 2016 }} on the official website of [[Deutsche Bahn]]
* [http://www.railfaneurope.net/ice/ice.html The ICE Pages] on Railfaneurope.net

{{German ICE class}}
{{Deutsche Bahn}}
{{Austrian Federal Railways}}
{{Rolling stock of Denmark}}
{{German EMUs}}
{{High-speed rail}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:High-speed trains]]
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[[Category:Electric multiple units of Germany]]
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[[Category:Siemens multiple units]]
[[Category:Train-related introductions in 1985]]
[[Category:Railteam]]
[[Category:High-speed trains of Austria]]
[[Category:High-speed rail in Belgium]]
[[Category:High-speed rail in Denmark]]
[[Category:High-speed rail in France]]
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[[Category:High-speed rail in the United Kingdom]]
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[[Category:Passenger trains running at least at 250 km/h in commercial operations]]