Train categories in Europe

In Europe, railway companies assign trains to different categories or train types depending on their role, i.e. based on the used rolling stock, their speed, distance of travel, stopping frequency and other criteria. Train categories/types often have specific abbreviations. In addition, different lines or individual trains may be numbered. The abbreviations are usually indicated in timetables, passenger information systems and sometimes also on the destination sign of the train. Some services/trains are named. There is no common classification scheme throughout Europe; each country has its own, although categories of internationally operating trains are used across borders.
A train type is not essentially a trademark name. However, there are trademark names that are also used as train types, such as the VogtlandExpress or the former CityNightLine and Cisalpino.
This article lists European countries with their respective passenger train categories. Goods trains have their own train types and are not considered here. Passenger trains may be broadly split into long-distance and local trains; the latter having average journey times of under an hour and a range of less than. Often, long-distance trains require different tickets and/or seat reservation.
International trains are commonly classified as EuroCity, while domestic Inter-city rail services frequently run as InterCity. Most night trains operate under the EuroNight or Nightjet category.
Exceptionally, trains are neither publicly classified nor numberered in the United Kingdom, but rather the brand of the operating company is used. In Russia, trains are only numbered and the number's digits defines the train's category.

European long-distance and high-speed rail brands

Name	Abbreviation	Service	Region
Alvia		High-speed rail	Spain
Alfa Pendular	AP	High-speed rail	Portugal
Alta Velocidad Española	AVE	High-speed rail	Spain
Avant		High-speed rail	Spain
Avlo		High-speed rail	Spain
Asimenio Velos		High-speed rail	Greece
CrossCountry	XC	High-speed rail	United Kingdom
EuroCity	EC	Long-distance train	Various European countries
EuroCity-Express	ECE	Long-distance train	Germany–Italy–Switzerland
Euromed		High-speed rail	Spain
EuroNight	EN	Long-distance night train	Various European countries
Eurostar	EST	High-speed rail	United Kingdom–France, United Kingdom–Belgium–The Netherlands, France–Belgium–Germany, France-Belgium-The Netherlands
Express InterCity Premium	EIP	High-speed rail	Poland
Frecce	FR, FA, FB	High-speed rail	Italy, Italy–France
Italo	NTV	High-speed rail	Italy
Intercity Direct	ICD	High-speed rail	Netherlands, Netherlands–Belgium
Intercity-Express	ICE	High-speed rail	Germany, Austria, Germany–Netherlands, Germany–Switzerland, Germany–Austria, Germany–France, Germany–Denmark, Germany–Belgium
InterCity Great Western, InterCity East Coast, InterCity West Coast	GW, GR, VT	High-speed rail	United Kingdom
Nightjet	NJ	Long-distance night train	Various European countries
Railjet	RJ	High-speed rail	Austria, Austria–Hungary, Austria–Germany, Austria–Switzerland, Austria–Czech Republic, Czech Republic
Railjet xpress	RJX	High-speed rail	Austria, Austria–Switzerland, Austria–Slovakia
Southeastern Highspeed	SC	High-speed rail	United Kingdom
Train à Grande Vitesse	TGV	High-speed rail	France, France–Switzerland, France–Germany, France–Italy, France–Luxembourg, France–Belgium, France–Spain
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express	VSOE	Luxury train	Different routes
X 2000	X2	High-speed rail	Sweden, Sweden–Denmark

Former

Austria and Germany

Austria

The table below summarizes train categories in Austria:

Name	Abbreviation	Role
Railjet & Railjet Express	RJ & RJX	Long-distance, high-speed rail services, national and international to Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Switzerland. Uses push-pull train sets.
Intercity-Express	ICE	Long-distance, high-speed rail service to Germany.
Eurocity	EC	Long-distance to international destinations.
Intercity	IC	Long-distance
D-Zug	D	Long-distance
Nightjet	NJ	Long-distance, mainly international overnight passenger train services.
Euronight	EN	Long-distance, mainly international overnight passenger train services.
Interregio	IR	Long-distance that also stops at smaller stations.
Cityjet Express	CJX#	Local train that stops only at larger stations. Lines are numbered.
Regional-Express	REX	Local train that stops only at larger stations, but at more than CJX. Some lines are numbered.
Regionalzug	R	Regional train services that usually stops at all stations.
S-Bahn	S#	Local train in urban, suburban and regional transport. S-Bahn'' networks exist in Carinthia, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Upper Austria, Vorarlberg, and Vienna. Lines are numbered.
U-Bahn	U#	Rapid transit in Vienna. A small underground funicular is present in the car-free Tyrolean town of Serfaus. Lines are numbered.

There are also international Long-distance services in cooperation with international federal operators.

Germany

The following train categories exist in Germany:

Name	Abbreviation	Role
Eurocity-Express	ECE	International high-speed, long-distance services on the Frankfurt – Milan and Munich – Zürich routes
Intercity-Express	ICE	National and international high-speed, long-distance services
InterCity	IC	National and some international long-distance services
EuroCity	EC	International long-distance services
EuroNight	EN	International night train services
D-Zug	D	Fast local services with few stops; only operating as part of the Sylt Shuttle plus
Interregio-Express	IRE	Fast local services over longer distances than usual Regional-Express trains
Regional-Express	RE	Fast local services with fewer stops
Flughafen-Express	FEX	Local services connecting airports with the city centre
Metropolexpress	MEX	Fast local services with fewer stops; only existing in Baden-Württemberg
Regionalbahn	RB	Local services, stopping at all stations except where there is a parallel S-Bahn service
S-Bahn	S	Suburban services in major cities, those in Berlin and Hamburg operating on separate networks
U-Bahn / Stadtbahn	U	Rapid transit in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Nuremberg and light rail in several other cities

Private operators

There are further private operators, e.g. Stern & Hafferl that operate the same categories as the Federal Railways. Also, some international operators, e.g. RegioJet, run services to international destinations.

Belgium

In Belgium, the following train categories exist:

Name	Abbreviation	Role
Eurostar	EUR	High-speed trains to Germany, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
EuroCity	EC	International train meeting certain quality criteria.
Train à grande vitesse	TGV	High-speed trains to France.
Intercity Express	ICE	High-speed trains to Germany
International train	INT	Regular international train.
InterCity	IC	A train connecting Belgium's major cities. These trains stop at the most important stations only, sometimes crossing national borders as well.
Rush-hour train	P	Additional scheduled train service that is limited to times at which the demand for a certain route is at its highest. The number of stops varies between trains.
Local train	L	Local trains usually connect larger cities, but will stop at every station along the way. Similar to German Regionalbahn.
S-trains	S#	Suburban train connecting towns and cities around Belgium's major cities of Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi, Ghent and Liege. Stops at every station. Each line will have a number.
Tourist train	T	Additional scheduled train service that is limited to times at which the demand for a certain touristic destination is at its highest. The number of stops varies between trains.
Extra train	EXT	Additional train service, used in case of exceptionally good weather to accommodate more passengers on routes to the coast or in case of special events such as concerts.
European Sleeper		Couchette train to the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic.