It is served by long-distance trains, mostly ICE services running on the Cologne–Frankfurt high-speed rail line.

It features a large dome containing a lounge area and a ticket hall, and is connected to the airport by a skyway that crosses the Autobahn 3.

Above the station The Squaire, a one-billion-euro complex (containing office space, hotels, convention centres and other facilities), has been built.

The slab is supported by steel beams, which transfer their loads on to 4.5 metres (15 ft) thick trusses.

[5] Until early 2007, the station was located in the middle of a large trench covered only by the biaxially curved glass dome.

The long-distance station is located about 200 metres from Terminal 1, between the Autobahn 3 and the Bundesstraße 43, which both run parallel to it on either side of it.

On the mezzanine, between the platform and distribution level, there are among other things, a Deutsche Bahn lounge for first class passengers and frequent travellers.

Despite the high cost of the reconstruction of the existing station it was forecast that the capacity would not be sufficient in the medium term.

Although a feasibility study found that would have had positive returns, this option was rejected due to its high cost.

[10] The project was jointly implemented by Deutsche Bahn and Flughafen Frankfurt/Main AG (Frankfurt/Main Airport Company, FAG, now Fraport).

[6] Among the guests were the Minister of Transport, Matthias Wissmann, the Hessian Premier Hans Eichel, Frankfurt's mayor, Petra Roth, Deutsche Bahn CEO, Johannes Ludewig and the chairman of FAG, Wilhelm Bender.

The causes of increase were unforeseen difficulties during construction, a fire and subsequent improvements in the level of services provided.

Federal Transport Minister Franz Müntefering, Deutsche Bahn CEO Johannes Ludewig, and FAG Chairman Wilhelm Bender and other invited guests rode in an ICE T into the station.

Lord Mayor, Petra Roth and the Hessian Minister of Transport, Dieter Posch attended the ceremony.

After completion of the high-speed line to Cologne in 2002, this figure was expected to rise to nine million passengers annually.

[5] Before the commissioning of the station had been completed, its opening was delayed by a major fire in the check-in area in November 1998.

On 1 March 2007, the foundation stone was laid for a controversial project called Frankfurt Airrail Centre to be built on a slab over the station.

The glass dome has been retained in the centre and on each side is the foyer of the hotel and the connection to the office wing.

After a pre-qualification phase a short list of seven investor groups were eventually invited to apply to carry it out.

In March 1999, an international selection committee chose two companies to finally develop the project: e-Pfa-Immobilienmanagement (Wiesbaden) and TERCON Immobilien Projektentwicklungs GmbH (Munich).