InterCity
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at major stations only.
The term originated in the United Kingdom, with the InterCity sector of British Rail. Following the privatization of the railways in Great Britain, the term is no longer in official use there, although many people still refer to fast long-distance services as InterCity trains.
In Germany, the InterCity network was launched in 1971 to accompany and eventually replace the Trans Europ Express trains. At first, IC services were first-class only, often using TEE stock and the then-new Class 103 locomotives. Trains ran semi-hourly.
In 1978, it was decided to expand the IC network to services with both first and second class, and so the new scheme, called IC '79 was launched in 1979 with the motto "Jede Stunde, jede Klasse" ("every hour, every class") to emphasize its new structure. Large numbers of air-conditioned open coach cars, the Bpmz 291, were built for InterCity services, which at first were using the TEE colour scheme. In 1985, with many of the TEE trains gone and the introduction of the InterRegio, the network was expanded again, now covering virtually any major city of then-West Germany. It faced further changes after the German reunification and the introduction of the InterCityExpress in the early 1990s.
Today, after the abolition of the InterRegio in 2002, most long distance connections in Germany are either IC or ICE trains; they most commonly offer at least an hourly service. Maximum speed for an IC is 200 km/h.
In a number of countries the payment of a supplement over and above the ordinary fare is required for travel by InterCity trains. For example:
- in Slovakia InterCity fares are considerably higher than those payable for travel by other trains;
- in Croatia the InterCity supplement is fixed and adds around 10% to the ticket cost;
- in Finland the supplement is related to distance and adds around 17% to 27% to the ordinary fare.
- in Italy.
In Switzerland, an Intercity, or IC, is a train that will only stop at large stations (Such as Fribourg, Bern, Lausanne, Geneva and Zürich) This is usually a double-decker train.
According to the railway operators, InterCity trains consume only a third of the energy requirement of passenger airplanes and just a sixth of that demanded by single-occupancy private cars, and are consequently promoted as both energy-efficient and environmentally friendly transport modes.
EuroCity trains are a higher-specification version of InterCity services.
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