Railway companies in Europe assign their trains to different categories or train types depending on their role. 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 50 kilometres. Goods trains have their own train types. The names of these train types have changed continually over the course of time. A train type is not essentially a trademark name. However, there are trademark names that are also used as train types (e.g. CityNightLine, Cisalpino, VogtlandExpress).

European long-distance and high-speed rail brands

Austria

Germany

Switzerland

Private operators (Austria, Germany)

Belgium

Croatia

There are several different ranks of passenger trains operating inside Croatia by HŽ Putnički prijevoz (Croatian Railways' sub-division responsible for passenger transport), as follows. InterCity (IC) InterCity trains represent the fairly limited amount of trains in Croatia. They operate on long routes and usually serve only the largest stations along the way. Currently, the only InterCity serices in Croatia are Zagreb – Budapest and Zagreb – Osijek InterCity Nagibni (ICN) InterCity Nagibni (InterCity Tilting) services are connecting Zagreb with Split using tilting trains. Thanks to their tilting mechanism they can run faster than conventional trains and represent only daytime connections between Zagreb and Split, also serving decent amount of larger stations along their route. Contrary to regular overnight fast trains between Zagreb and Split with scheduled travelling time of circa 8 hours in total, tilting trains on the Zagreb–Split route (lines M202 and M604) offer passengers a faster journey with a riding time of about 6 hours. Brzi (B) Fast trains operating on medium to long distances, serving only stations in larger settlements along the track. Their purpose is very similar to InterCity trains. Ubrzani Ubrzani (lit. "accelerated") trains operate on medium to long distances and their purpose is to serve destinations which have justified number of passengers. Functionally, they are similar and use the same rolling stock as the slower passenger trains, but they skip certain smaller stations. Putnički Putnički (lit. "passenger") trains cover short, medium and long distances and generally serve all stations along their route, representing the largest part of passenger trains on the nationwide level. They are mainly used by local residents traveling between smaller settlements and larger centres/railway hubs or by those who want to continue their journey further using mostly well-adjusted transfers – in both cases for daily migrations (school, work, hospital, shopping, etc.) or other reasons. These trains usually have daily frequencies that meet the needs of the local population. Prigradski Prigradski (lit. "suburban") trains operate exclusively on the Zagreb Commuter Rail corridor and have the most frequent daily schedules above all types of train lines in Croatia. They are run by light motor sets that can be started and stopped quickly, and like the most of regional/local trains, they serve every station along their way. On the train lines operating within suburban areas of other larger towns, certain number of regional/local trains play the role of suburban trains. Since large number of fast, semi fast, regional and local trains have commuter-oriented schedules, they often offer passengers daily migration to the large city areas from more distant towns and settlements – between 50 and 100 km (31 and 62 mi) – and vice versa. This can, for example, refer to the railway connection of the Central Croatia's wider region with Zagreb metropolitan area. Categories of the trains which connect Croatia to other European countries include "fast trains", EuroCity, EuroNight and Nightjet.

Czech Republic

Denmark

Danish State Railways

Arriva

Nordjyske Jernbaner (North Jutland Railways)

Local trains

Light rail

Metro

Finland

NOTE: Long-distance trains are identified (in passenger information systems) by train number prefixed with the train type abbreviation (e.g. "IC 90"). However, the Helsinki region commuter trains are identified by their "route letters" only (e.g. "K") and usually do not show their train number to passengers at all.

France

SNCF use a different system of trains categories, based on politics wishes and commercial trademarks. Categories do not necessarily match with distance.

Hungary

Long-distance trains

Eurocity (often Railjet)

Intercity

This trains make connections with Intercity trains from smaller towns. Air conditioned, allowed to travel with bike or wheelchair.

Local trains

Italy

Categories without * are operated by Trenitalia.

International quality services

These trains are long distance international services generally with mandatory reservation. They are operated by different companies such as Thello (Italy-Paris).

High-speed trains

Long-distance services

Regional and local trains

These categories are also used by regional railways (generally isolated from the national railway network). These trains are financed by administrative regions:

Circumvesuviana (Naples area)

Circumvesuviana (a group of narrow-gauge railways connecting towns to the south-east of Naples) has a special classification: accelerato, diretto and direttissimo, which was the former classification used by FS. Diretto is also used by Società Subalpina Imprese Ferroviarie for the cross-border Domodossola–Locarno railway.

Ireland

Four different train categories are operated in Ireland by NI Railways and Iarnród Éireann.

Luxembourg

Because of its small size and its location, Luxembourg has more international trains than national ones.

International trains

International trains connecting Belgium and Switzerland through Luxembourg and France (Brussels-South – Basel/Chur/Zurich). Long-distance trains from either Belgium (InterCity J: Brussels-South – Luxembourg) and Germany (Cologne – Luxembourg). Long-distance trains from Belgium (InterRegio m: Luxembourg – Liège/Lier) High-speed train from France (Paris – Luxembourg) Night service from France (Nice – Luxembourg) and Spain (Port-Bou – Luxembourg) Regional train from Lorraine, France (Longuyon – Luxembourg ; Longwy – Esch-sur-Alzette – Thionville ; Nancy – Luxembourg, French extension to Épinal and Remiremont) Regional train from Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (Trier – Luxembourg, German extension to Wittlich and Cochern) Regional trains from Belgium, circulating in rush-hour only (Virton – Rodange, Arlon – Rodange) Regional trains from Belgium (Arlon – Rodange – Virton/Gedinne/Libramont)

National trains

Long-distance train between Luxembourg and either Diekirch or Troisvierges (extension from Troisvierges with the Belgian IR m) Regional trains, including extensions to border stations in France (Volmerange-les-Mines, Audun-le-Tiche, Longwy) and in Belgium (Athus)

Luxembourgish? Foreign?

Some trains are considered both Luxembourgish (by the CFL, according to their map) and from the border country the train is from or crossing (like L and P trains from Belgium, TER from France, RE from Germany), no matter if these trains are really from Luxembourg or not, making these trains more difficult to classify. These difficulties are due to the assimilation of each train as Regionalexpress or InterRegio in Luxembourg (similar name in Germany and Belgium, specific name in France).

Netherlands

Also see Rail transport in the Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Comboios de Portugal (state owned operator)

Long distance services

Medium distance services

short distance services

Leisure services

Fertagus (private operator)

Romania

Current

They can also be put into circulation without first class or second class services. They can also be put into circulation without first class services. The average commercial/train speed is at least 45 km/h. Convenient connections with other passenger trains will be provided at the main railway stations and junctions. The average commercial/train speed is at least 45 km/h. Convenient connections with other passenger trains will be provided at the main railway stations and junctions. They can also be put into circulation without first class or second class services. It has stops in railway stations that serve localities with a number of 2,500 inhabitants together with the neighboring areas, ensuring the need for mobility in that area. Provides connections to/from interregional trains. The average commercial speed is in principle at least 40 km/h. They can also be put into circulation without first class services. It has stops at all stations, halts and stops along the route, if the platforms are laid out in compliance with the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI). Regional trains will be requested and routed at a sufficient time interval to allow boarding/disembarking of passengers to/from connecting trains at railway stations/junctions. The average commercial speed is in principle at least 35 km/h. They can also be put into circulation without first class services. The average commercial speed is in principle at least 30 km/h. They can also be put into circulation without first class services. Source: https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/250943

Former

Russia

Train category is defined by its number's digits.

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Ukraine

Day-time trains

Overnight trains

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom's railway network is unusual in not publicly numbering or classifying its trains, except by the brand of the operating company. This may approach a classification system on lines where the express and local services are operated by different companies: In scheduling, trains are classified as express, local, sleeper, international or metro trains. However, these are not shown in passenger-facing publications, and express trains can have stopping sections calling at consecutive minor stops, acting as a local service on the section. For example, all trains run on the Thameslink core between London St Pancras and London Blackfriars, no matter express or local, call at all intermediate stations between them, creating a frequent metro-like service as an alternative to London Underground for travelling in central London. For most longer distance services (such as the inter-city trains operated by CrossCountry), advance tickets are sold and seat reservations can be made. While on shorter services (e.g. South Western Railway Weymouth – London services), sometimes only counted-place reservations can be made but not for a specific seat for advance tickets, and on even shorter suburban services (e.g. South Western Railway Guildford – London stopping services), no reservation can be made at all and no advance tickets can be sold.

Bulgaria

Train categories in Bulgaria use the simplified model of the previous century. At the beginning of rail transport in Bulgaria there were only three categories of passenger trains: Бърз пътнически влак (БПВ) – Barz patnicheski vlak (Fast passenger train), the equivalent of the current Fast train; Обикновен пътнически влак (ОПВ) – Obiknoven patnicheski vlak (Regular passenger train), the equivalent of the current Passenger train and Смесен пътнически влак (СПВ) – Smesen patnicheski vlak, the equivalent of Mixed train. Using this basis BDŽ now provides extended variety of these simple categories.

Former Yugoslavia

Footnotes and References