Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE (German pronunciation: [iːtseːˈʔeː] ⓘ) and running under this category) is a high-speed rail system in Germany.

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 350 km/h (220 mph),[1] as well as versions ordered by China for the Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway link (CRH 3) and by Russia for the Moscow–Saint Petersburg and Moscow–Nizhny Novgorod routes (Velaro RUS)[2] with further customers being Eurostar as well as Turkey and Egypt.

The ICE network was officially inaugurated on 29 May 1991 with several vehicles converging on the newly built station Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe from different directions.

[5][6][7][8] A notable characteristic of the ICE trains is their colour design, which has been registered by the DB as an aesthetic model and hence is protected as intellectual property.

Originally, the ICE 1 interior was designed in pastel tones with an emphasis on mint, following the DB colour scheme of the day.

One of the goals of the ICE 2 was to improve load balancing by building smaller train units which could be coupled or detached as needed.

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 via either Dortmund Hbf–Essen Hbf–Duisburg Hbf–Düsseldorf Hbf or Hagen Hbf–Wuppertal Hbf–Solingen-Ohligs.

Some ICE 1 units have been equipped with an additional smaller pantograph to be able to run on the different Swiss overhead wire geometry.

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 budget airlines the London service was cancelled.

[13][14] In 2020 Deutsche Bahn placed an order with Siemens for 30 trains, and options for another 60, of the Velaro design and based on the previously procured ICE Class 407.

[15] Referenced by Siemens as Velaro MS ("multi-system"), these trains are called ICE 3neo by Deutsche Bahn and classified as 408.

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.

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the ICE-TD trains were pressed temporarily into supplementary service for transporting fans between cities in Germany.

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.

On 12 December 2021 a new Railjet schedule was introduced by ÖBB between Frankfurt and Vienna on a different route via Stuttgart, Ulm, Biberach, Friedrichshafen, Lindau, Bregenz and Innsbruck.

Six pairs of trains run every two hours and are operated by Swiss Federal Railways with Alstom ETR 610 (Astoro) sets.

[5][6] Unique safety and security requirements for the tunnel (such as airport-style checks at stations) as well as hold-ups in the production of the Velaro-D trains to be used on the route[31] have delayed these plans.

1 German category 1 stations and comparable international destinations of 250.000 passengers per day or more 2 only direct connections shown; travel times as of the DB 2018 timetable 3 ICE Sprinter 4 additional or alternative ICE stops for Berlin at: Berlin Südkreuz, Berlin-Gesundbrunnen, Berlin-Spandau and Berlin Ostbffor Cologne (Köln) at: Köln Messe/Deutz and Köln/Bonn Flughafen Fbffor Frankfurt at: Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fbfand Hamburg at: HH-Altona, HH Dammtor and HH-Harburg 5 EuroCity-Express Service There have been several accidents involving ICE trains.

Trainset 51, travelling as ICE 884 Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen from Munich to Hamburg, derailed at 200 km/h (124 mph), killing 101 people and injuring 88.

The wheel rim penetrated the carriage floor and lifted the check rail of a set of points close to Eschede station.

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.

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.

On 1 March 2008, trainset 1192, travelling as ICE 23, collided with a tree which had fallen onto the track near Brühl after being blown down by Cyclone Emma.

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.

On ICE trains between Paris Est and Frankfurt or Stuttgart, only the fare system from SNCF Voyageurs is used for national trips to Forbach and Strasbourg.

[46] 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.

[54] Eurostar also recently 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.

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.

[63] 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).