Eilzug

An Eilzug (pl: Eilzüge, Czech: spěšný vlak, Slovak: zrýchlený vlak, English: Regional fast train) is a type of passenger train in German-speaking countries which roughly equates to a British 'fast-stopping train' or 'semi-fast train'. The term has largely been superseded, but is still used on some lines.

In Germany Eilzug trains were middle-distance trains that usually ran between two conurbations and only stopped at important railway stations. In several public transport systems, there are also metropolitan railways (Stadtbahn, US: rapid transit) where trains on some routes run as Eilzüge, stopping at fewer stations. The successor to the Eilzug in Germany today is the Regional-Express train.

The term Eilzug was introduced first in Bavaria in 1902, and later in Prussia in 1907 and Saxony in 1908, for express trains with no supplementary fare, and which as a rule were formed of older compartment coaches. From about 1919 they only ran with second and third class passenger classes.

From 7 October 1928 a supplement had to be paid for Eilzüge, which was usually half the express train fare. During the 1930s specific coaches or Eilzugwagen were designed and built for them. They were built in various classes until the 1950s.

From 1952 there were also the so-called Städteschnellzüge ('city express trains') that were supplement-free. Later the DB scrapped the Eilzug supplement completely; the DR followed suit in 1991. In the 1960s the concept widened. There were Eilzug trains that worked branch lines and had distinct long-distance duties - known in everyday speech as Heckeneilzug (hedgerow Eilzug) – and so-called Bezirkseilzüge (district Eilzüge), which handled the busy local services in built-up areas. Several of these trains have been called StadtExpress trains since 1995.

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