What does the acronym ICE stand for in German high-speed trains?

ICE stands for Intercity-Express, the name used for Germany’s high-speed train service.

The abbreviation is formed from the German and international railway term “Intercity” plus “Express.” Deutsche Bundesbahn introduced the first ICE service in 1991, linking Hamburg, Hannover, Würzburg and Munich. The trains were designed to provide fast intercity travel on newly built and upgraded high-speed lines.

ICE is a service and train family rather than one single model. Successive generations include ICE 1, ICE 2, ICE 3 and the newer ICE 4, with some services extending beyond Germany into countries such as Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

A common mix-up is confusing ICE with TGV, France’s high-speed train family, or Eurostar, the international service using the Channel Tunnel. “Intercity-Express” is the expansion of the acronym; it is not “International Express” or “Intercontinental Express.”