Since the end of 2007, the first ICE has run to Denmark, in cooperation with the Danish state railway DSB. The new services from Berlin and Hamburg to Copenhagen and Aarhus mean that Denmark is now the sixth ICE country, after Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Regular departures for Vienna

On introduction of the new 2007/2008 timetable, Austria was integrated in the regular ICE services timetable: the new line from Dortmund or Frankfurt am Main offers fast and convenient connections to Vienna via Würzburg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau and Linz with departures every two hours. The trains are jointly operated by DB and the Austrian state railways ÖBB.

Reach the Seine in just four hours

DB launched the new high-speed services from Frankfurt am Main and Stuttgart to Paris in cooperation with the French state railway SNCF back in June 2007. Five through ICE connections per day now link Frankfurt with Paris in less than four hours. The TGV service from Munich to Paris is also new.

Technical innovation: the ICE 3 M

A milestone in cross-border passenger transport are vehicles which can be used throughout Europe. Since the end of 2007, these diesel multiple units have been used for regular services to Denmark. The ICE 3 M is licensed for use in Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and France.

Railteam: high-speed travel around Europe

Another contribution towards internationalisation is Railteam, the alliance established by Europe’s leading railway operators in the high-speed sector. The days when railway was regarded as a state sovereign task are long since gone. The ICE meanwhile runs on French tracks and the European train driver’s licence is on its way.

Deutsche Bahn and its six partner railways from France, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, and Eurostar are all working towards one common goal: to be the transport mode of choice for international journeys – by offering a joint high-speed rail network which links the European metropolises.