File:D-A-Independent inter-city rail.png

English: The map shows lines of regularly operated long-distance / inter-city passenger rail services from or to destinations in Central Europe. The open-access passenger rail services are self-sufficient and run by privately owned railway companies for profit.

The rail services are being run in competition with public-sector (i.e. public body or state-owned) passenger railway companies. Companies being fully or by majority owned by the public sector are excluded from the map (as an example, Arriva plc is 100% owned by German state-owned rail company DB AG and operating all over Europe except Germany - this DB AG passenger rail company and all of its subsidiaries in which Arriva holds the majority are excluded from the map). Also excluded from the map are (i.) rail charters, (ii.) motorail services without the possibility to travel without car or motorbike and also (iii.) long-distance passenger rail services that are procured through public bodies and financed through franchise contracts (no self-sufficient operation) - plus finally (iv.) short-distance services (like shuttles, commuter trains, metros, etc...) of any kind.

The map includes all-year round daylight services as well as seasonal / all-year night trains. The operation frequency covers everything between a mimimum of one connection per week up to multiple connections each day (even in the case of seasonal offers). The map shows - in different colors - the different railway lines. Branched railway lines share the same colour as their parent line. For more details, see the legend.