What is the name of Germany’s high-speed intercity train system?

Germany’s high-speed intercity train system is called Intercity Express, commonly abbreviated ICE.

ICE services began in 1991 and connected major German cities using purpose-built high-speed trains and upgraded conventional routes. The system became the flagship long-distance rail service of Deutsche Bahn and later expanded through international connections to neighbouring countries.

The ICE family includes several generations of trains, including the ICE 1, ICE 2, ICE 3, and newer ICE 4. They differ in formation, power systems, speed, and international operating capability, so “ICE” describes a family and service brand rather than one single train model.

ICE is often confused with Transrapid, Germany’s experimental magnetic-levitation system. Transrapid is not the name of Germany’s conventional high-speed intercity railway. Railjet is an Austrian-led service brand, while Thalys was associated with international routes in western Europe.