Inter-city rail
Encyclopedia
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional
trains.
There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country. Most broadly, it can include any rail services that are neither short-distance commuter rail trains within one city area, nor slow regional rail
trains calling at all stations and covering local journeys only. Most typically, an inter-city train is an express train
with limited stops and comfortable carriages to serve long-distance travel.
Inter-city rail sometimes provides international services. This is most prevalent in Europe, due to the close proximity of its 50 countries in a 10,180,000 square kilometre (3,930,000 sq mi) area. Eurostar
and EuroCity
are examples of this. In many European countries the word "InterCity" or "Inter-City" is an official brand name for a network of regular-interval, relatively long-distance train services that meet certain criteria of speed and comfort. This use of the term appeared in the United Kingdom
in the 1960s and has been widely imitated.
. Ideally, the average speed of inter-city rail service would be faster than 100 km/h (62 mph) in order to be competitive with car
, bus
and other methods of transport.
The distance of an inter-city rail journey is usually at least 50 –, although in many large metropolitan areas commuter and regional services cover equal or longer distances.
A distance of 100 – is a common journey distance for inter-city rail in many countries. In many cases, railway travel is most competitive at about 2–3 hours journey time. Inter-city rail can often compete with highways
and short-haul air travel for journeys of this distance.
In journeys of 500 –, the role of inter-city rail is often replaced by faster air travel
. Development of high-speed rail in some countries increases the share of railway for such longer-distance journeys. The Paris-Marseille TGV
(750 km (466 mi), or 3 hours) and Tokyo-Aomori Shinkansen
(675 km (419 mi), or 3 hours 20 minutes) are examples of this type of journey. In conventional non high-speed rail, overnight train
s are common for this distance.
In some countries with a dense rail network, large territory, or less air and car transport, such as China, India, and Russia, overnight long-distance train services are provided and used practically.
In many other countries, such long-distance rail journey has been replaced by air travel except for tourism or hobbyist purposes, luxury train journeys, or significant cost benefit. Discount Eurail Pass in Europe, Amtrak
in the United States, and Indian Pacific in Australia are examples.
Faster high-speed rail of 350 km (217 mi), such as the proposed Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway in China (1300 km (808 mi), or 5 hours) and Tokyo-Sapporo Hokkaido Shinkansen
in Japan (1000 km (621 mi), or 4 hours), may play a significant role in long-distance travel in the future.
link almost every town and city in the People's Republic of China mainland, including Beijing, Guangzhou
, Shanghai, Shenzhen
and Xi'an
, as well as onwards from Shenzhen
into Hong Kong. New high-speed lines from 200 – operation are constructed, and many conventional lines are also upgraded to 200 km/h (124 mph) operation. Currently only one solely inter-city railway exists in mainland China - the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway.
Inter-city railway services crossing the Hong Kong-China border (often known as through trains) are jointly operated by Hong Kong's MTR Corporation
and the Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China
. Currently, Hung Hom Station is the only station in the territory where passengers can catch these cross-border trains. Passengers are required to go through immigration and custom inspections before boarding a cross-border train. There are currently four cross-border train services:
A new border-crossing service, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
, has been approved and has been granted HKD 6.6 billion in funding by the Hong Kong Legco finance committee. The line is now under construction. A new station, West Kowloon Terminus
, will be built in Hong Kong to be served by this new railway.
Rail services that connect the towns in the New Territories with the city centres of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island are provided by the East Rail Line, West Rail Line and Tung Chung Line.
Indian inter-city trains
are run by Indian Railways
. With 63000 km (39,146 mi) of rail routes and 6,800 stations, the railway network in India is the third biggest in the world (after Russia and China) and the biggest in the world in terms of passenger kilometres. Shatabdi Express
, Jan Shatabdi Express
, Rajdhani Express
and Duronto Express
es are the fastest Inter-city services in India among which the Bhopal Shatabdi Express
is the fastest train of India and regarded as prestigious train. All long-distance journeys require a reservation. Future it is going to come up with more expansion.
operates inter-city services between all the 4 major metropolitan areas of Israel
; Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva
and Haifa. However, due to the small geography of Israel, most of the railway services have a more suburban service pattern, with many short stops at stations between the major city centres.
Japan has six main regional passenger railway companies, known collectively as Japan Railways Group or simply as JR. Four JR companies operate the "bullet trains" on very fast and frequent Shinkansen
lines that link all the larger cities, including Tokyo, Yokohama
, Nagoya, Kyoto
, Osaka
, Hiroshima
, Fukuoka
and many more.
Many other cities are covered by a network of JR's "limited express
" inter-city trains on , narrow gauge, lines. Major cities are covered by convenient train services of every one hour or more frequent. In addition to the JR Group, Japan has several major regional carriers such as the Kintetsu
and Nagoya Railroad
s.
Keretapi Tanah Melayu
(Malaysian Railways) operates express trains called KTM Intercity
along Peninsular Malaysia
and into Singapore
. At the Malaysia-Thailand
border, connections to State Railway of Thailand
trains are available. Malaysian trains are not "high-speed", partly because it is a , metre gauge
system. However, it is gradually being electrified, which will raise speeds.
Almost every major towns and cities in South Korea are linked by railway, run by Korail
. Mugunghwa-ho
is the most common and most popular type of intercity rail travel. In addition, Seoul
and Busan
are linked by a high-speed train line known as KTX, which was built using French TGV technology.
, run by Vietnam Railways
, link Hanoi
, Hué
, Danang, Nha Trang
, and Ho Chi Minh City
.
, from Battambang
to Phnom Penh
, running once a week.
, many long-distance inter-city trains are operated under the InterCity
(Intercity, or often simply IC) brand. InterCity (or, initially, "Inter-City" with a hyphen) was first conceived as a brand name by British Rail
for the launch in 1966 of its electrification of the major part of the West Coast Main Line
, notably new express services between London
and the major cities of Manchester
, Birmingham
and Liverpool
. It later became the name of one of British Rail's new business sectors in the 1980s and was used to describe the whole network of main-line passenger routes in Great Britain
, but it went out of official use following privatisation
. InterCity had become an iconic brand in the 1970s thanks in part to a British Rail advertising campaign fronted by Jimmy Savile
.
The principal network of international express trains in continental Europe is called EuroCity
, to distinguish it from the national InterCity networks and to indicate its better support for international journeys even though some IC trains also cross borders.
High-speed railways
have relatively few stops. The German high-speed train service was named InterCityExpress
indicating its evolution from older InterCity trains. Other high-speed lines include the TGV
(France), AVE
(Spain), Treno Alta Velocità
(Italy), Eurostar
(United Kingdom
-France
and Belgium
) and Railjet
(Austria-Hungary).
In Great Britain
, the inter-city rail links are now operated by a number of private companies such as Virgin Trains, National Express, East Midlands Trains, Cross Country and First Great Western. Ireland
's inter-city rail network is maintained by Iarnród Éireann
and Northern Ireland
's is run by Northern Ireland Railways
.
Polskie Koleje Państwowe, a state-owned corporate group, is the main provider of railway services. The PKP group holds an almost unrivaled monopoly over rail services in Poland
as it is both supported and partly funded by the national government.
As of 2008, foreign services operate on the Polish Railways network. These include EuroCity and EuroNight trains operating between Western and Eastern European destinations, most notably the EN Jan Kiepura direct sleeping cars which operate between Russia and Amsterdam, Basel and Munich via Warsaw, Poznan and Germany. These trains generally consist of varied coaches from different rail operators that are added to the train as it passes through their area of operation.
Russia has dense network of long-distance railways all over its vast territory, the longest and most famous being the Trans-Siberian Railway
from Moscow to Vladivostok
. Long distance train of more than 1000 or is common and they keep on running two or three days. Speed is relatively low with 60 or average.
There was a dense system of inter-city railways in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but after the decrease of passenger railroad in North America in the 1960s, the inter-city lines decreased greatly. Today the system is far less dense and is operated by the government-owned Amtrak company, with the exception of Alaska
, which uses the Alaska Railroad
. The most heavily used routes with the greatest rider-ship and schedule frequencies are in the Northeastern United States
, on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor
. About one in every three users of mass transit in the United States and two-thirds of the nation's rail riders live in New York City
. The two busiest passenger rail stations in the United States are Penn Station
and Grand Central Terminal
, both in New York City. Passenger rail outside the Northeast, Northwest
, California
and Chicago
is infrequent and rarely used relative to networks in Europe and Japan.
, and connect many but not all major cities. Ontario Northland Railway
operates passenger server from Toronto Union Station to Northern Ontario. International trains, run jointly by Amtrak
and Via Rail, connect New York with Toronto and Montreal
. Amtrack operates the Amtrak Cascades
service linking Vancouver and Seattle. The White Pass and Yukon Route
links Alaska with the Yukon.
Tourist oriented inter-city service includes the Royal Canadian Pacific
, Rocky Mountaineer
and Whistler Mountaineer
.
operates trains on two routes: Chihuahua
to Los Mochis
, and Guadalajara
to Amatitan
.
In Australia, the national interstate network operated by Great Southern Railway
connects all mainland Australian capital cities except Canberra and Brisbane. Intrastate inter-city trains that traverse shorter distances are operated by V/Line
, CountryLink
, Queensland Rail
and Transwa
. Many of Australia's inter-city trains are not true inter-city services, given their leisurely average speed and primary role to transport people between regional areas and the nearest capital city or for the tourist market. As a result, Australian networks refer to these services as "country" trains. Australians usually fly between capital cities, given the massive distance involved in travel in Australia and the lack of dedication to providing quality rail services by both the Commonwealth
and State governments. The fastest intercity trains in regular service are the tilting train
s used by Queensland Rail
, which have a top speed of 160 km/h and an average of only 80 km/h.
In Australia, electrified interurban commuter railway systems are used to connect urban areas separated by long distances and use heavy rail equipment:
On these systems, services either run as limited-stop expresses in the suburban area (e.g. Blue Mountains services) or as shuttles terminating where the suburban lines end (e,g. Rosewood services).
A large scale non-electric project of four regional lines (Regional Fast Rail
) is operational in Victoria. Current interurban and intercity journeys outside the suburban area are often locomotive-hauled (particularly for longer distance services), due to Victoria's lack of electrification outside of Melbourne
.
has inter-city services on a number of routes, run by Ferrobaires
, Ferrocentral
, and Trenes Especiales Argentinos
. Trains in Argentina are experiencing a revival, since the government intends to re-establish long-distance passenger trains between major cities. High-speed rail is in consideration for the Buenos Aires
- Rosario stretch with links to Córdoba
. See: Buenos Aires-Rosario-Córdoba high-speed railway
are operated by two train companies: Eastern and Western. The western network runs daily trains from Oruro
to Tupiza
, with both espresso (fast) and WaraWara (slow) trains. The eastern rail hub is Santa Cruz de la Sierra
, with connections to Puerto Suarez
and Villamontes
, and international lines to Brazil and Argentina.
ian inter-city services operate on two routes, one from Vitória to Belo Horizonte
and another from Carajás to São Luis.
has inter-city services connecting Santiago
to Chillan
, run by Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado
.
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
trains.
There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country. Most broadly, it can include any rail services that are neither short-distance commuter rail trains within one city area, nor slow regional rail
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
trains calling at all stations and covering local journeys only. Most typically, an inter-city train is an express train
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
with limited stops and comfortable carriages to serve long-distance travel.
Inter-city rail sometimes provides international services. This is most prevalent in Europe, due to the close proximity of its 50 countries in a 10,180,000 square kilometre (3,930,000 sq mi) area. Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
and EuroCity
EuroCity
EuroCity, abbreviated EC, denotes an international train service within the European inter-city rail network. In contrast to trains with the "IC" label, "EC" trains are international trains that meet certain criteria. The EuroCity label replaces the older Trans Europ Express name for...
are examples of this. In many European countries the word "InterCity" or "Inter-City" is an official brand name for a network of regular-interval, relatively long-distance train services that meet certain criteria of speed and comfort. This use of the term appeared in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1960s and has been widely imitated.
Speed
The speeds of inter-city rail lines are quite diverse, ranging from 50 km/h (31.1 mph) in a mountainous area or on undeveloped tracks to 200 – on newly-constructed or improved tracks. As a result, Inter-city rail may or may not fall into the category of high-speed railHigh-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
. Ideally, the average speed of inter-city rail service would be faster than 100 km/h (62 mph) in order to be competitive with car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
and other methods of transport.
Distance of inter-city rail
- 50–100 km
The distance of an inter-city rail journey is usually at least 50 –, although in many large metropolitan areas commuter and regional services cover equal or longer distances.
- 100–500 km
A distance of 100 – is a common journey distance for inter-city rail in many countries. In many cases, railway travel is most competitive at about 2–3 hours journey time. Inter-city rail can often compete with highways
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
and short-haul air travel for journeys of this distance.
- 500–1,000 km
In journeys of 500 –, the role of inter-city rail is often replaced by faster air travel
Air travel
Air travel is a form of travel in vehicles such as airplanes, helicopters, hot air balloons, blimps, gliders, hang gliding, parachuting or anything else that can sustain flight.-Domestic and international flights:...
. Development of high-speed rail in some countries increases the share of railway for such longer-distance journeys. The Paris-Marseille TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
(750 km (466 mi), or 3 hours) and Tokyo-Aomori Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
(675 km (419 mi), or 3 hours 20 minutes) are examples of this type of journey. In conventional non high-speed rail, overnight train
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s are common for this distance.
- 1,000 km or more
In some countries with a dense rail network, large territory, or less air and car transport, such as China, India, and Russia, overnight long-distance train services are provided and used practically.
In many other countries, such long-distance rail journey has been replaced by air travel except for tourism or hobbyist purposes, luxury train journeys, or significant cost benefit. Discount Eurail Pass in Europe, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
in the United States, and Indian Pacific in Australia are examples.
Faster high-speed rail of 350 km (217 mi), such as the proposed Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway in China (1300 km (808 mi), or 5 hours) and Tokyo-Sapporo Hokkaido Shinkansen
Hokkaido Shinkansen
The is a high-speed rail line currently under construction between Aomori and Hokkaido through the Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May 2005, and the initial Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate section is projected to open in 2015. There are long-term plans to extend the line to Sapporo...
in Japan (1000 km (621 mi), or 4 hours), may play a significant role in long-distance travel in the future.
Overview of Inter-city rail by country
Africa
Railways in Africa are still developing or not practically used for passenger purposes in many countries, but the following countries have inter-city services between major cities:- Egyptian National RailwaysEgyptian National RailwaysEgyptian National Railways is the national railway of Egypt and managed by the parastatal Egyptian Railway Authority .-1833–77:...
- ONCFONCFONCF or ONCFM is Morocco's national railway operator. The Office employs around 9,767 employees and has a network of 1,907 km, all standard gauge...
(in French - Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc, National Office for Railways of Morocco) - Shosholoza MeylShosholoza MeylShosholoza Meyl is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa that operates long-distance passenger rail services. It operates various train routes across South Africa, carrying approximately 4 million passengers annually...
(South Africa) - SNTFSNTFNational company for rail transport is Algeria's national railway operator. The SNTF, a state-owned company, currently has a monopoly over Algeria's network of , even though it is currently exploiting only...
(Algeria) - Tunisian RailwaysTunisian RailwaysThe Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens , abbreviated SNCFT, is the national railway of Tunisia and under the direction of the Ministry of Transport. SNCFT was founded on December 27, 1956. Headquartered in Tunis the company employs about 6000 people...
(SNCFT)
China
Trains run by China RailwaysChina Railways
China Railways is the national railway operator of the People's Republic of China, under the Chinese Ministry of Railways.China Railways operates rail commuter and freight transport via several smaller companies....
link almost every town and city in the People's Republic of China mainland, including Beijing, Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Shanghai, Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
and Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, as well as onwards from Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
into Hong Kong. New high-speed lines from 200 – operation are constructed, and many conventional lines are also upgraded to 200 km/h (124 mph) operation. Currently only one solely inter-city railway exists in mainland China - the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway.
Hong Kong
MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...
and the Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China
Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China is a member of the State Council of the People's Republic of China...
. Currently, Hung Hom Station is the only station in the territory where passengers can catch these cross-border trains. Passengers are required to go through immigration and custom inspections before boarding a cross-border train. There are currently four cross-border train services:
- Between Hong Kong and Beijing (Beijing-Kowloon Through TrainBeijing-Kowloon Through TrainThe Beijing-Kowloon Through Train is an intercity railway service between Hung Hom Station in Hong Kong and the Beijing West Railway Station, jointly operated by the MTR of Hong Kong and China's national rail service. The train runs to Beijing and Hong Kong every other day...
) - Between Hong Kong and Shanghai (Shanghai-Kowloon Through TrainShanghai-Kowloon Through TrainThe Shanghai-Kowloon Through Train is an intercity railway service between Kowloon Station in Hong Kong and the Shanghai Railway Station, jointly operated by the MTR of Hong Kong and China's national rail service. The numbers of this train service is T99B and T100B...
) - Between Hong Kong and GuangzhouGuangzhouGuangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
(Guangzhou-Kowloon Through Train) - Between Hong Kong and ZhaoqingZhaoqingZhaoqing is a prefecture-level city of Guangdong province in southern China.-Geography:Zhaoqing is located 110 km northwest of Guangzhou, in the west Pearl River Delta. It lies on the north shores of the Xijiang River, which is flows from west to east, and opposite of Gaoyao...
(Zhaoqing-Kowloon Through Train)
A new border-crossing service, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link Hong Kong Section is a proposed high speed railway connecting Kowloon with the high-speed rail network of China at Shenzhen...
, has been approved and has been granted HKD 6.6 billion in funding by the Hong Kong Legco finance committee. The line is now under construction. A new station, West Kowloon Terminus
West Kowloon Terminus
West Kowloon Terminus is the proposed underground terminus of the Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link . It is the only station in the Hong Kong Section and will connect to the Mainand China Section through a dedicated tunnel...
, will be built in Hong Kong to be served by this new railway.
Rail services that connect the towns in the New Territories with the city centres of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island are provided by the East Rail Line, West Rail Line and Tung Chung Line.
India
Intercity Express (Indian Railways)
The Intercity Express is the Express train service in India which connect and run only between important railway junctions or state capitals.-General Features:...
are run by Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
. With 63000 km (39,146 mi) of rail routes and 6,800 stations, the railway network in India is the third biggest in the world (after Russia and China) and the biggest in the world in terms of passenger kilometres. Shatabdi Express
Shatabdi Express
Shatabdi Express trains are a series of fast passenger trains operated by Indian Railways to connect Metro cities with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business...
, Jan Shatabdi Express
Jan Shatabdi Express
The Jan Shatabdi Express is a more affordable variety of the Shatabdi Express, which has both AC and non-AC accommodation...
, Rajdhani Express
Rajdhani Express
Rajdhani Express is a passenger train service in India connecting New Delhi with other important destinations, especially state capitals. Rajdhani means "The Capital" in Hindi.- History :...
and Duronto Express
Duronto Express
Duronto Express is a category of long distance trains on Indian Railways. The special feature of these trains is that they run non-stop from source to destination, barring technical halts. All Duronto Express trains can be easily recognized by the characteristic yellow-green livery of their...
es are the fastest Inter-city services in India among which the Bhopal Shatabdi Express
Bhopal Shatabdi
Bhopal Shatabdi Express is a train operated by the Northern Railway which runs between New Delhi, the main railway station of India's capital territory, New Delhi. and Bhopal Junction the main railway station of Bhopal City, the state capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The train is...
is the fastest train of India and regarded as prestigious train. All long-distance journeys require a reservation. Future it is going to come up with more expansion.
Israel
Israel RailwaysIsrael Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
operates inter-city services between all the 4 major metropolitan areas of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
; Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station is an Israel Railways terminal in Be'er Sheva on the main intercity line from Nahariya to Be'er Sheva. The station is located in Yitzhak Ben Zvi St. near the Be'er Sheva central bus station and HaNegev Mall....
and Haifa. However, due to the small geography of Israel, most of the railway services have a more suburban service pattern, with many short stops at stations between the major city centres.
Japan
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
lines that link all the larger cities, including Tokyo, Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Nagoya, Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
and many more.
Many other cities are covered by a network of JR's "limited express
Limited express
A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes.- Japan :...
" inter-city trains on , narrow gauge, lines. Major cities are covered by convenient train services of every one hour or more frequent. In addition to the JR Group, Japan has several major regional carriers such as the Kintetsu
Kintetsu
, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
and Nagoya Railroad
Nagoya Railroad
, often abbreviated as , is a railroad company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan.Some of the more famous trains operated by Nagoya Railroad include the Panorama Car and the Panorama Car Super, both of which offer views through their wide front windows...
s.
Malaysia
Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
(Malaysian Railways) operates express trains called KTM Intercity
KTM Intercity
KTM Intercity is the brand name for a group of diesel-hauled intercity train services in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad . Most services operate from Kuala Lumpur Sentral station in the Malaysian capital. A few operate solely along the East...
along Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
and into Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. At the Malaysia-Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
border, connections to State Railway of Thailand
State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
trains are available. Malaysian trains are not "high-speed", partly because it is a , metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
system. However, it is gradually being electrified, which will raise speeds.
South Korea
Korail
Korea Railroad Corporation , promoted as Korail , is the national railroad operator in South Korea.Korail operates passenger and freight trains throughout South Korea...
. Mugunghwa-ho
Mugunghwa-ho
The Mugunghwa-ho or Mugunghwa is a class of train operated by Korail, the national railroad of South Korea. Mugunghwa trains are the cheapest class of trains to operate cross-country. Prior to the introduction of the KTX in 2004, they were the most common passenger train along most railroad lines...
is the most common and most popular type of intercity rail travel. In addition, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
are linked by a high-speed train line known as KTX, which was built using French TGV technology.
Taiwan
Taiwan Island’s coastline is connected by frequent inter-city train services by Taiwan Railway Administration. Taiwan High Speed Rail opened in 2007 covers the most populated west-coast corridor.Vietnam
Trains in VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, run by Vietnam Railways
Vietnam Railways
The railway system in Vietnam is operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways . The principal route is the thousand-mile single track North-South Railway line, running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This was built at the metre gauge in the 1880s during the French colonial rule...
, link Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, Hué
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
, Danang, Nha Trang
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the North by Ninh Hoà district, on the East by the South China Sea, on the South by Cam Ranh town and on the West by Diên Khánh district...
, and Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
.
Cambodia
There is only one train service in CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, from Battambang
Battambang
Battambang is the capital city of Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia.Battambang is the second-largest city in Cambodia with a population of over 250,000. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is well known for being the leading rice-producing province of the country...
to Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, running once a week.
Other Asian countries
Other Asian railway networks running inter-city services:- Bangladesh RailwayBangladesh RailwayBangladesh Railway is the state-owned rail transport agency of Bangladesh. It operates and maintains the entire railway network of the country...
- Islamic Republic of Iran RailwaysIslamic Republic of Iran RailwaysThe Islamic Republic of Iran Railways is the national state-owned railway system of Iran. is an associate of the IR and manages its passenger trains including international trains between Tehran and Istanbul and Tehran and Damascus...
- Myanmar RailwaysMyanmar RailwaysMyanmar Railways ; also spelled Myanma Railways; formerly Burma Railways) is the state-owned agency that operates the railway network in Myanmar. The metre gauge rail network consists of 858 stations, and generally spans north to south with branch lines to east and west. MR also operates the...
- Pakistan RailwaysPakistan RailwaysThis article is about the rail company in Pakistan. For technical details and operations see: Transport in Pakistan.Pakistan Railways is a national state-owned rail transport service of Pakistan, head-quartered in Lahore. It is administered by the federal government under the Ministry of Railways....
- PT Kereta Api Indonesia
- Sri Lanka Government Railway
- State Railway of ThailandState Railway of ThailandThe State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
Western and Central Europe
In EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, many long-distance inter-city trains are operated under the InterCity
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
(Intercity, or often simply IC) brand. InterCity (or, initially, "Inter-City" with a hyphen) was first conceived as a brand name by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
for the launch in 1966 of its electrification of the major part of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
, notably new express services between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the major cities of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. It later became the name of one of British Rail's new business sectors in the 1980s and was used to describe the whole network of main-line passenger routes in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, but it went out of official use following privatisation
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
. InterCity had become an iconic brand in the 1970s thanks in part to a British Rail advertising campaign fronted by Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG was an English disc jockey, television presenter and media personality, best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC music chart show Top of the Pops...
.
The principal network of international express trains in continental Europe is called EuroCity
EuroCity
EuroCity, abbreviated EC, denotes an international train service within the European inter-city rail network. In contrast to trains with the "IC" label, "EC" trains are international trains that meet certain criteria. The EuroCity label replaces the older Trans Europ Express name for...
, to distinguish it from the national InterCity networks and to indicate its better support for international journeys even though some IC trains also cross borders.
High-speed railways
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
have relatively few stops. The German high-speed train service was named InterCityExpress
InterCityExpress
The Intercity-Express or ICE is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries. It is the highest service category offered by DB Fernverkehr and is the flagship of Deutsche Bahn...
indicating its evolution from older InterCity trains. Other high-speed lines include the TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
(France), AVE
AVE
Alta Velocidad Española is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird".AVE trains run on a network of...
(Spain), Treno Alta Velocità
Treno Alta Velocità
Treno Alta Velocità SpA is special purpose entity owned by RFI for the planning and construction of a high-speed network in Italy.-Purpose:...
(Italy), Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
(United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) and Railjet
Railjet
The Railjet is a high speed train of the Austrian Federal Railways , which was introduced with the timetable change of 2008–2009 and operates at speeds of up to , with a planned increase to by 2013...
(Austria-Hungary).
In Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, the inter-city rail links are now operated by a number of private companies such as Virgin Trains, National Express, East Midlands Trains, Cross Country and First Great Western. Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
's inter-city rail network is maintained by Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
's is run by Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland...
.
Poland
Polskie Koleje Państwowe, a state-owned corporate group, is the main provider of railway services. The PKP group holds an almost unrivaled monopoly over rail services in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
as it is both supported and partly funded by the national government.
As of 2008, foreign services operate on the Polish Railways network. These include EuroCity and EuroNight trains operating between Western and Eastern European destinations, most notably the EN Jan Kiepura direct sleeping cars which operate between Russia and Amsterdam, Basel and Munich via Warsaw, Poznan and Germany. These trains generally consist of varied coaches from different rail operators that are added to the train as it passes through their area of operation.
Russia
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
from Moscow to Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
. Long distance train of more than 1000 or is common and they keep on running two or three days. Speed is relatively low with 60 or average.
United States
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, which uses the Alaska Railroad
Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...
. The most heavily used routes with the greatest rider-ship and schedule frequencies are in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
. About one in every three users of mass transit in the United States and two-thirds of the nation's rail riders live in New York City
Transportation in New York City
The transportation system of New York City is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure. New York City, being the largest city in the United States, has a transportation system which includes the largest subway system in the world, measured by track mileage; the world's first mechanically...
. The two busiest passenger rail stations in the United States are Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
and Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
, both in New York City. Passenger rail outside the Northeast, Northwest
Northwestern United States
The Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, to which part of southeast Alaska is also sometimes included...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
is infrequent and rarely used relative to networks in Europe and Japan.
Canada
Canadian inter-city trains are mostly run by Via RailVIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
, and connect many but not all major cities. Ontario Northland Railway
Ontario Northland Railway
The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
operates passenger server from Toronto Union Station to Northern Ontario. International trains, run jointly by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and Via Rail, connect New York with Toronto and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Amtrack operates the Amtrak Cascades
Amtrak Cascades
The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in partnership with the states of Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and the province of British Columbia in Canada...
service linking Vancouver and Seattle. The White Pass and Yukon Route
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
links Alaska with the Yukon.
Tourist oriented inter-city service includes the Royal Canadian Pacific
Royal Canadian Pacific
The Royal Canadian Pacific is a luxury excursion passenger train operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway , inaugurated on June 7, 2000, after the CPR received the royal designation for the service from Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada....
, Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian tour company offering Western Canadian vacation packages that operates trains on four rail routes through British Columbia and Alberta.-Background:...
and Whistler Mountaineer
Whistler Mountaineer
Whistler Mountaineer is a rail way service operated by Rocky Mountaineer Vacations tour company, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada who operate vintage trains over numerous sightseeing routes in Western Canada.-Routes:...
.
Mexico
The Mexican federal government discontinued almost all scheduled inter-city passenger trains in January 2000. FerromexFerromex
Ferromex is a private rail consortium that operates the largest railroad in Mexico.-Description:...
operates trains on two routes: Chihuahua
Chihuahua, Chihuahua
The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It has a population of about 825,327. The predominant activity is industry, including domestic heavy, light industries, consumer goods production, and to a smaller extent maquiladoras.-History:It has been said that the...
to Los Mochis
Los Mochis
Los Mochis is a coastal city in northern Sinaloa, Mexico. It serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Ahome. As of the 2010 census, the population was 256,613, which was 61 percent of the municipality's population....
, and Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
to Amatitan
Amatitan
Amatitán is the head of a municipality in the Mexican state of Jalisco, and is home to one of the world's largest tequila distilleries....
.
Australia
Great Southern Railway (Australia)
Great Southern Railway , owned by Serco Asia Pacific, is a tourism business and rail transport operator in Australia.GSR operates interstate passenger trains aimed at the tourist market:* The Indian Pacific...
connects all mainland Australian capital cities except Canberra and Brisbane. Intrastate inter-city trains that traverse shorter distances are operated by V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
, CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
, Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail, also known as QR, is a government-owned railway operator in the state of Queensland. Under the control of the Queensland Government, Queensland Rail operates the inner-city and long-distance passenger services, as well as some freight operations and gives railway access to other...
and Transwa
Transwa
Transwa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 275 destinations within Western Australia, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south to Esperance in the east along with the regional centres of Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Northam, Geraldton and Albany.Transwa is...
. Many of Australia's inter-city trains are not true inter-city services, given their leisurely average speed and primary role to transport people between regional areas and the nearest capital city or for the tourist market. As a result, Australian networks refer to these services as "country" trains. Australians usually fly between capital cities, given the massive distance involved in travel in Australia and the lack of dedication to providing quality rail services by both the Commonwealth
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and State governments. The fastest intercity trains in regular service are the tilting train
Tilting train
A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest due to...
s used by Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail, also known as QR, is a government-owned railway operator in the state of Queensland. Under the control of the Queensland Government, Queensland Rail operates the inner-city and long-distance passenger services, as well as some freight operations and gives railway access to other...
, which have a top speed of 160 km/h and an average of only 80 km/h.
In Australia, electrified interurban commuter railway systems are used to connect urban areas separated by long distances and use heavy rail equipment:
- In Sydney CityRailCityRailCityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
operates an extensive interurban network of four main routes from Sydney. These run to NewcastleNewcastle, New South WalesThe Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains, the Southern HighlandsSouthern Highlands, New South WalesThe Southern Highlands, also locally referred to as the Highlands, is a geographical region and district in New South Wales, Australia and is 110 km south-west of Sydney. The entire region is under the local government area of the Wingecarribee Shire...
and the South CoastSouth Coast, New South WalesThe South Coast refers to the narrow coastal belt from Sydney in the north to the border with Victoria in the south in the south-eastern part of the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is bordered to the west by the coastal escarpment of the Southern Tablelands, which is largely covered by a...
. CityRailCityRailCityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
has rebranded its interurban commuter services as "intercity".
- In BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
CitytrainCityTrainCitytrain is the brand name of urban, suburban and inter-urban electric passenger railway services in South East Queensland, Australia. Its network, centering in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, is approximately in route length...
operates a smaller interurban commuter network of three lines which connect Brisbane to the Gold Coast in the south, the Sunshine Coast in the north and Rosewood in the west.
On these systems, services either run as limited-stop expresses in the suburban area (e.g. Blue Mountains services) or as shuttles terminating where the suburban lines end (e,g. Rosewood services).
- In PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
a new electric interurban rail line running down the middle of the Kwinana Freeway to serve MandurahMandurah, Western AustraliaMandurah is the second-largest city in Western Australia and is located approximately south of the state capital, Perth.The city attracts a large number of tourists, including many international visitors...
opened on December 23, 2007.
A large scale non-electric project of four regional lines (Regional Fast Rail
Regional Fast Rail project
The Regional Fast Rail project was a rail transport project of the State Government of Victoria, Australia undertaken between 2000 and 2006 aimed at improving the passenger services on the Victorian regional railway network , specifically to reduce travel times, enhance service frequency and...
) is operational in Victoria. Current interurban and intercity journeys outside the suburban area are often locomotive-hauled (particularly for longer distance services), due to Victoria's lack of electrification outside of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
South America
A few countries of South America were once interconnected by international train services, today they are almost non-existent. Most of governments in the continent have favoured roads and automobile transportation since mid-20th century.Argentina
ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
has inter-city services on a number of routes, run by Ferrobaires
Ferrobaires
Ferrobaires S.A. is the commercial name of a public railway company which operates extensive long-distance passenger trains throughout Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. Its official corporate name is Unidad Ejecutora del Plan Ferroviario Provincial , or Executing Unit of the Provincial Railway...
, Ferrocentral
Ferrocentral
Ferrocentral is a private railway company in Argentina, its name being a combination of the Spanish words for "Central Rail." It operates long-distance passenger trains from its base at Retiro Station in Buenos Aires to several locations in northern Argentina...
, and Trenes Especiales Argentinos
Trenes Especiales Argentinos
Trenes Especiales Argentinos is a private railway company in Argentina set up during railway privatisation from 1991.From its base at Federico Lacroze Station in Buenos Aires, TEA operates long-distance passenger rail services into northern Argentina to the city of Posadas in Misiones Province on...
. Trains in Argentina are experiencing a revival, since the government intends to re-establish long-distance passenger trains between major cities. High-speed rail is in consideration for the Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
- Rosario stretch with links to Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
. See: Buenos Aires-Rosario-Córdoba high-speed railway
Buenos Aires-Rosario-Córdoba high-speed railway
The Buenos Aires–Rosario–Córdoba high-speed railway is a project designed to link the Argentine cities of Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba through a high-speed rail network. The plan, announced by President Néstor Kirchner during a press conference at the Casa Rosada on 26 April 2006, would be...
Bolivia
Inter-city train services in BoliviaBolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
are operated by two train companies: Eastern and Western. The western network runs daily trains from Oruro
Oruro, Bolivia
Oruro is a city in Bolivia with a population of 235,393 , located about equidistant between La Paz and Sucre at approximately 3710 meters above sea level. It is the capital of the department of Oruro....
to Tupiza
Tupiza
Tupiza is a city in Potosí Department, Bolivia. It is located at around at an elevation of about 3160 m. The population is 23,100...
, with both espresso (fast) and WaraWara (slow) trains. The eastern rail hub is Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
, with connections to Puerto Suarez
Puerto Suárez
Puerto Suárez is an important inland river port and municipality in Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. It is located 10 km west of the border with Brazil.-Location:...
and Villamontes
Villamontes
Villamontes is a town in the Tarija Department in south-eastern Bolivia.-Location:Villamontes is the administrative center of Villamontes Municipio and situated at , 390 m above sea level, on the left bank of Río Pilcomayo where the river crosses the Sierra del Aguarague mountain range and flows...
, and international lines to Brazil and Argentina.
Brazil
BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian inter-city services operate on two routes, one from Vitória to Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
and another from Carajás to São Luis.
Chile
ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
has inter-city services connecting Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
to Chillan
Chillán
Chillán is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people , the most populated urban center of this province...
, run by Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado
Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado
Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado is the national railway of Chile.The track gauge is Indian gauge in the south and metre gauge in the north.-History:...
.
See also
- Longest train journeysLongest train journeysThis article list longest passenger rail services currently operating and running directly between two cities. It is a collation list of train services and routes that are stopping and non-stop from a distance and time perspective.- Records :...
- PKP IntercityPKP IntercityPKP Intercity is a company of PKP Group responsible for long-distance passenger transport. It runs about 350 trains daily, connecting mainly large aglomerations and smaller towns, also servicing most of the international trains....
- Railway electrification systemRailway electrification systemA railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
s - Railway stations in the Netherlands#Categories (spelling: "intercity")
- Terminal stationTerminal StationTerminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
External links
- The Man in Seat 61 Information on train travel worldwide