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The InterRegio, often shortened to IR, is a train service in use in some European countries with Swiss Federal Railways operating the most dense network. InterRegio trains are semi-fast long-distance trains with more stops and usually lower prices than more upscale long-distance trains such as the Intercity.
The InterRegio system was also introduced to the Danish railways in the early 1990s and became an alternative to the InterCity services, with no seat reservation required. However, unlike other countries, InterRegio trains in Denmark only operates on Fridays and Sundays, to support the heavy flow of passengers that travel on those days. These InterRegio services also have fewer stops than the InterCity services, which goes against the original InterRegio concept of long-distance trains with more local stops. There are no specific rules for the composition for these trains, and both old and new material has been used for InterRegio services.[ citation needed ]
The InterRégió trains were introduced in Hungary on 12 December 2009. InterRégió trains run mainly on regional lines, but their function is national as well. The trains operate along the lines Sárbogárd–Szekszárd–Baja and Kecskemét–Baja–Dombóvár. InterRégió trains use air-conditioned MÁV 6341 DMU-s which were built by the Russian Metrovagonmash.[ citation needed ]
In Poland, interREGIO trains were introduced by Przewozy Regionalne (PR) in spring of 2009, the first IR train connecting Białystok with Warsaw. The fare is similar as TLK-branded fast trains of PKP Intercity.
In the beginning these trains operated mostly on Fridays and Sundays along the routes: Wrocław-Kraków, Kraków-Przemyśl, Poznań-Olsztyn, Poznań-Warsaw and Bydgoszcz-Warsaw. Since June 2009 there are more interREGIO trains on routes; most of them are available through the whole week, some of them only on weekends. More routes were introduced, some of which are especially made for students, like Kielce-Częstochowa-Wrocław.
InterREGIO in Poland mostly uses older electric multiple units (usually ED72, EN71 and EN57), with newer units on some routes (ED73 and ED59 between Warsaw and Łódź, 14WE between Kraków and Warsaw). Some IR trains are serviced with single- and/or double-decker cars and locomotives.
As of 1 January 2009 [update] , all IR trains in Poland are second class-only, even though PR's regulations include a first-class fare for interREGIO trains and in service are first-class coaches, yet declassified.
On 3 March 2012, the Szczekociny train collision occurred, with 15 deaths and 50 injured.
Since 1 September 2015 IR trains are only on routes Łódź – Warszawa and Ełk – Grodno (Belarus), due to company's economics and restructuring. [1] The rest were withdrawn or replaced by Twoje Linie Kolejowe express trains.
Portugal's national railway company Comboios de Portugal (CP) operates some Interregionais, which before 2001 were known as "Directos" or "Semi-Directos". These trains offer a faster option than regional trains but slower than intercity trains. They operate along the lines Porto-Régua-Pocinho, Figueira da Foz-Porto-Valença, Porto-Coimbra, Lisboa-Tomar, Lisboa-Caldas da Rainha and Caldas da Rainha-Coimbra. The Interregional service is operated by CP Regional using CP 2240 EMU-s, Spanish rented CP 592 DMU-s and locomotives CP 2600 with Arco coaches bought to Renfe in 2020 and refurbished by Comboios de Portugal.[ citation needed ]
The InterRegio in Switzerland was first introduced in 1997. They replaced some of the former fast trains with their own identity (InterRegio).
InterRegio trains are now very commonplace in Switzerland. The abbreviation is IR in a 45°-edgy font, white letters on red ( 
). Since the early 2020s, most IR services are numbered and each has a distinct colour.
The ICN runs as an InterCity (IC) train but sometimes with halt frequencies in the same manner as an IR (Geneva/Lausanne-St. Gallen/Basel route) and sometimes as IC trains (Basel-Chiasso). When ICN services first began on 28 May 2000, the ICN was placed as an InterRegio train. As of 2023, SBB RABe 511 or RABe 502 operate as IR services on several routes, while some routes are operated by SOB RABe 526, BLS RABe 528 or other.
As of the December 2023 timetable change, [update] the following InterRegio services exist, operated by SBB CFF FFS, BLS and SOB:
: Chur – Landquart – Bad Ragaz – Sargans – Buchs SG – Altstätten SG – Heerbrugg – St. Margrethen – Rorschach – St. Gallen – Gossau – Flawil – Uzwil – Wil SG – Winterthur – Zürich Airport – Zürich Oerlikon – Zürich HB [2] 
: Lucerne – Sursee – Zofingen – Bern – Fribourg/Freiburg – Romont FR – Palézieux – Lausanne – Morges – Nyon – Geneva – Geneva Airport [3] 
: Zürich HB – Baden – Brugg AG – Aarau – Olten – Bern [4] 
: Basel SBB – Liestal – Sissach – Gelterkinden – Olten – Zofingen – Sursee – Luzern [5] 
: Basel SBB – Rheinfelden – Stein-Säckingen – Frick – Brugg AG – Baden – Dietikon – Zürich Altstetten – Zürich HB [6] 
: Basel SBB – Liestal – Sissach – Aarau – Lenzburg – Zürich HB [7] 
: Zürich HB – Zug – Luzern [8] 
: Konstanz – Kreuzlingen – Weinfelden – Frauenfeld – Winterthur – Zürich Airport – Zürich HB – Thalwil – Baar – Zug – Rotkreuz – Lucerne [9] 
: Geneva Airport – Geneva – Nyon – Morges – Lausanne – Vevey – Montreux – Aigle – St-Maurice – Martigny – Sion – Sierre/Siders – Leuk – Visp – Brig [10] 
: Bern – Burgdorf – Wynigen – Herzogenbuchsee – Langenthal – Olten [11] 
: Bern – Lyss – Biel/Bienne [12] 
: Bern – Kerzers – Ins – Neuchâtel – Chambrelien – Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane – Les Hauts-Geneveys – La Chaux-de-Fonds [13] 
(Treno Gottardo): Basel SBB – Olten – Lucerne – Arth-Goldau – Schwyz – Brunnen – Flüelen – Erstfeld – Göschenen – Airolo – Ambri-Piotta – Faido – Lavorgo – Bodio TI – Biasca – Castione-Arbedo – Bellinzona – Cadenazzo – Tenero – Locarno [14] 
(Aare–Linth): Bern – Burgdorf – Herzogenbuchsee – Langenthal – Olten – Zürich Altstetten – Zürich HB – Thalwil – Wädenswil – Pfäffikon SZ – Siebnen-Wangen – Ziegelbrücke – Walenstadt – Sargans – Bad Ragaz – Landquart – Chur [15] 
(Treno Gottardo): Zürich HB – Zug – Arth-Goldau – Schwyz – Brunnen – Flüelen – Erstfeld – Göschenen – Airolo – Ambri-Piotta – Faido – Lavorgo – Bodio TI – Biasca – Castione-Arbedo – Bellinzona – Cadenazzo – Tenero – Locarno [16] In Belgium, InterRegio (IR) trains were slower than the fast IC trains, and usually called at more stations along a route. Their journey was usually not as long as IC trains, but still traveled further than the local (L) trains. Most IR trains had hourly frequencies, some having only services every two hours (although this is mostly true only for weekend services). All trains in Belgium shared the same cost structure, so taking an IR train cost the same as an IC or L train for the same route. The only difference lay in the number of station stops they called at. In December 2014 the InterRegio was withdrawn, InterRegio lines were either converted to InterCity or local train or cancelled completely.[ citation needed ]
InterRegio trains were also commonplace in Germany from 1988 to 2003. They travelled and mainly connected regions in Germany. Most of the InterRegio lines have been replaced by InterCity lines; a few were replaced by the newly established Interregio-Express (IRE) type. However, Interregio-Express lines belong technically to the short distance train category, and tend to be shorter. InterRegio trains were very popular as they could be used without supplement.
DB gradually retired the concept in favor of more expensive InterCity (IC) or Intercity Express (ICE) trains with several former IR lines also being split up and downgraded to regional services.[ citation needed ]
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane introduced interregional trains (Italian : treni interregionali) in 1993, with express trains and some direct trains classified under this category. The name was abandoned in 2006 and the services subsequently operated as either CityExpress (CExp) or regional trains (R/REG). Since 2010, the former interregional trains received the new category treno regionale veloce (RV/RGV), lit. 'fast regional trains'.
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) intends to introduce the InterRegio category for long-distance services on routes that are currently only served by regional trains and routes currently served by long-distance trains only. The introduction of this scheduled for December 2025. [17]
Swiss Federal Railways is the national railway company of Switzerland.
Zürich Altstetten railway station is a railway station in the Altstetten quarter of the Swiss city of Zürich. The station is located on the Zürich to Olten main line and is the junction for the Zürich to Zug via Affoltern am Albis line.
The IC 2000 is a double-deck push-pull train in Switzerland and is run by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) as part of its InterCity service. Top speed is 200 km/h. The train set can be composed of up to 10 coaches and provides close to 1,000 seats, according to SBB. In 1997-2004, the consortium, made up of Schindler Waggon, Pratteln and Alstom delivered 341 coaches to SBB, of which about 320 coaches are still in use as of December 2009.
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains generally call at major stations only.
Basel SBB railway station is the central railway station in the city of Basel, Switzerland. Opened in 1854, and completely rebuilt in 1900–1907, it is Europe's busiest international border station. Basel SBB is owned by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). The other major railway station is Basel Badischer Bahnhof, operated by the German railway company Deutsche Bahn, on the north side of the Rhine from the city centre.
The Voralpen-Express (VAE) is a named train connecting small to medium-sized cities and villages in Central and Eastern Switzerland, carrying this name since 1992. It is operated by Südostbahn (SOB) and runs every hour as an InterRegio (IR) between St. Gallen and Lucerne, bypassing Zurich. Its name derives from the fact that it traverses the Prealps.
The High Rhine Railway is a Deutsche Bahn railway line from Basel Badischer Bahnhof in the city of Basel to Konstanz on Lake Constance. It was built by the Grand Duchy of Baden State Railways as part of the Baden Mainline, which follows the Rhine upstream from Mannheim Hauptbahnhof to Konstanz. The line derives its name from the High Rhine, which it follows between Basel and Waldshut and on a short section in Schaffhausen.
Olten railway station is a major hub railway station in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland, at the junction of lines to Zürich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Biel. As a result, Olten is a railway town and was also the site of the main workshop of the Swiss Central Railway, which became a major workshop for the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). It is the southern terminus of the Basel Regional S-Bahn S3 and S9 lines, the northern terminus of the Lucerne S-Bahn S8 line, and the western terminus of the Aargau S-Bahn S26 line.
Lucerne railway station is a major hub of the rail network of Switzerland, in the city of Lucerne in the canton of Lucerne. It is a terminal station serving domestic and international traffic on several rail lines, and is situated in a city centre and waterfront location on the south side of Lake Lucerne.
The Südostbahn – commonly abbreviated to SOB – is a Swiss railway company, and a 1,435 mmstandard gauge network in Central and Eastern Switzerland. It resulted from the merger of the original SOB with the Bodensee–Toggenburg railway (BT) at the end of 2001.
Rail 2000 is a large-scale project of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) established in 1987 to improve the quality of the Swiss rail network for the New millennium. It includes measures to accelerate a number of existing connections and the modernisation of rolling stock. The federal government decision to support the project in 1986 was approved by a referendum in 1987. In 2004 the first phase was completed consisting of around 130 projects with a budget of around CHF 5.9 billion.
Zürich Airport railway station is a railway station serving Zurich Airport in Switzerland. The station is located underneath the Airport Centre, the main ground-side passenger terminal of the airport, which is in the canton of Zürich and the municipality of Kloten.
Arth-Goldau railway station is a railway station in the Swiss canton of Schwyz and municipality of Arth. The station is located in the centre of the village of Goldau, which forms part of Arth.
Biel/Bienne railway station serves the bilingual municipality of Biel/Bienne, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland.
Pfäffikon SZ railway station is a junction station serving Pfäffikon, the principal town of the municipality of Freienbach, in the canton of Schwyz (SZ), Switzerland. The station is situated at the northern edge of the town, between the town centre and Lake Zurich.
Aarau railway station serves the municipality of Aarau, capital town of the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. Opened in 1856, it is owned and operated by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS).
Baden railway station serves the municipality of Baden, in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. Opened in 1847, it is owned and operated by SBB-CFF-FFS.
Lenzburg railway station is a railway station in the municipality of Lenzburg in the Swiss canton of Aargau.
The St. Gallen–Winterthur railway line is a standard gauge railway line between St. Gallen and Winterthur, connecting the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau and Zürich. The 57.1 km (35.5 mi) long line was opened between 1855 and 1856 in four stages by the former St. Gallen-Appenzell Railway and belongs to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). It is part of the West-East main line in Switzerland.
The InterCity are mainline trains in Switzerland connecting the country's major agglomerations, the range of services of which is located between InterRegio (IR) and EuroCity (EC). These trains are generally equipped with air-conditioned equipment, a CFF restaurant or a CFF bistro, a mini-bar service, a quiet area and a business area in 1st class as well as a family area or, occasionally, a family car in 2nd class.