Here we document the evolution of Germany’s premium long-distance rail service from the early days of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) to today’s Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG). Immerse yourself in the decades of a class of trains that revolutionized travel in Germany and made the country mobile.
Photo by Gerhard Lieberz: 601 004 as IC 163 (Wiesbaden–Munich) on May 30, 1978, in Wiesbaden.
The IC ’71 System: Design and Network Nodes
On September 26, 1971, the Deutsche Bundesbahn initiated a structural overhaul of long-distance rail service with the introduction of the Intercity network. The system was based on four routes served at two-hour intervals. The systematic interconnection of these routes at designated hubs was groundbreaking from both a scientific and an operational perspective. The hub stations of the resulting 3,700-kilometer network were Dortmund, Cologne, Hanover, Mannheim, and Würzburg. This provided travelers with direct, time-saving connections on the same platform.
With this concept—which was unique worldwide at the time—the Deutsche Bundesbahn revived the high-speed rail concepts of the prewar era, though the focus was no longer on traffic to and from Berlin but rather on connecting the country’s most important economic centers.
In the initial phase, the service was offered exclusively as premium service reserved for first-class passengers. The rolling stock initially consisted of Class 601 diesel multiple units originally built for TEE trains; after the installation of a gas turbine, four of these units achieved a top speed of 160 km/h (Class 602). Starting in 1973, DB put six additional Class 403 electric multiple units into service, each with 183 seats. The six-axle Class 103 express locomotive was also available for these trains.
The IC ’79 Concept: Systematic Hourly Schedule and Class Integration
Photo by Klaus Ratzinger: 103 181 pulling IC 515 on April 29, 1984, on the Augsburg–Munich line—which was still double-tracked at the time—near Augsburg-Hochzoll.
Under the operational motto “Every hour, every class,” DB fundamentally reformed the IC system for the 1979 summer schedule. The switch to a strict hourly schedule and the integration of second-class cars into the timetable led to a massive increase in transport capacity and passenger numbers. In terms of rolling stock, this era was marked by the increased use of air-conditioned open-plan cars of the Bpmz type as well as the Class 103, which, with a maximum permitted speed of 200 km/h, formed the technological backbone of the network. The IC ’79 concept is regarded in transportation planning as the direct precursor to today’s integrated regular-interval timetable in Germany.
To mark the 150th anniversary of the German railways, service was further improved with the 1985 summer schedule. The well-established IC network was now served by five lines instead of four. This led to increased train service on the very heavily traveled Rhine route, as well as train schedules tailored to demand that spared the majority of travelers the need to transfer. In addition, Frankfurt Airport was integrated into the IC network. Beginning in 1987, the world’s first mass-produced three-phase AC mainline locomotive, the Class 120, gradually replaced the Class 103.
It was not until the full opening of the new Hannover–Würzburg and Stuttgart–Mannheim lines in 1991 that the ICE replaced the Intercity as the Bundesbahn’s premier train. After the ICE had taken over the original roles of the IC trains, Interregio services were gradually reclassified as IC trains.
Structural Change Beginning in 1994: The Era of Deutsche Bahn AG
Photo by Peter Pfister: 120 108 on the Nuremberg–Stuttgart Intercity (IC) on September 12, 2018, at the former Eichholz block section.
With the railway reform taking effect on January 1, 1994, and the merger of DB and DR to form Deutsche Bahn AG, the role of the Intercity within the train class hierarchy changed. Due to the ongoing expansion of the Intercity-Express (ICE) network, the IC gradually moved to the second tier of the SPFV. Its primary function shifted to providing comprehensive service to regions not served by the new high-speed lines, as well as to operating cross-border EuroCity (EC) routes. The corporate design also reflected this change: The classic color scheme of purple-red/beige or oriental red gave way to today’s traffic-red and light-gray IC color scheme. In the 2010s, the Intercity 2 (double-decker reversible trains) marked a technological turning point in rolling stock procurement for the IC network.
Our Archive’s Collections and Research Focus Areas
Our archive serves as a resource center for those interested in history and technology. We organize our collections into the following subject areas:
Timetable and Network Chronology: A systematic collection of printed timetables, route guides, and network diagrams for reconstructing route alignments and train paths.
Rolling Stock & Traction: Technical documentation and development histories of influential locomotives (including the BR 103, 111, 120, and 218) as well as the UIC-X and UIC-Z car classes.
Operational Image and Text Archive: Historical photographs and contemporary technical reports on the operational infrastructure of IC service.
Our archive not only preserves and safeguards our own records but, as an open archive, also specifically accepts external collection items that are thematically relevant to our area of focus. Our curator will be happy to assist you with your inquiry.