Inter-city rail services are train services which cover larger distances than commuter trains. In the United States they are operated by Amtrak over a network which is much less dense than the European one.
In continental Europe, the word InterCity is used as a brand for certain long distance trains. These trains call at the major stations only; there are many more smaller stations served by local and regional trains only. Despite the term originating in the United Kingdom, following privatisation the term is no longer used there officially, although many people still refer to InterCity trains.
In many countries InterCity trains require a supplement to be paid in addition to the regular ticket cost. For example, in Slovakia the special InterCity fares are much higher than fares for other trains, whereas in Croatia the InterCity supplement is fixed and adds around 10% to the ticket cost. According to the railway operators, InterCity trains require only a third of the amount of energy spent by passenger airplanes and a sixth of the energy spent by single-passenger cars, and are boasted as energy-efficient and friendly to the environment.
The principal network of inter-city trains in mainland Europe is called EuroCity, distinguished from the InterCity network by its better support for international travels, even though IC trains also traverse borders.
High-speed railways have particularly few stops. The German high-speed train line was named InterCity Express indicating evolution from older InterCity trains.