Editing Commuter rail (section)

====Inter-city rail====
{{see also|Inter-city rail}}
[[File:B set departing Panania 20180919 01 (Nimed).jpg|thumb|A [[Sydney Trains B set]] with an upper and lower deck]]
In some European countries, the distinction between commuter trains and long-distance/intercity trains is subtle, due to the relatively short distances involved. For example, so-called "[[Inter-city rail|intercity]]" trains in Belgium and the Netherlands carry many commuters, while their equipment, range, and speeds are similar to those of commuter trains in some larger countries. 

The United Kingdom has a privatised rail system, with different routes and services covered by different private operators. The distinction between commuter and intercity rail is not as clear as it was before privatisation (when InterCity existed as a brand of its own), but usually it is still possible to tell them apart. Some operators, for example [[Thameslink]], focus solely on commuter services. Others, such as [[Avanti West Coast]] and [[London North Eastern Railway|LNER]], run solely intercity services. Others still, such as [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|GWR]] and [[East Midlands Railway|EMR]], run a mixture of commuter, regional and intercity services. Some of these operators use different branding for different types of service (for example EMR brands its trains as either "InterCity", "Connect" for London commuter services, and "Regional") but even for those operators that do not, the type of train, amenities offered, and stopping pattern, usually tell the services apart.

[[Elektrichka|Russian commuter trains]], on the other hand, frequently cover areas larger than Belgium itself, although these are still short distances by Russian standards. They have a different ticketing system from long-distance trains, and in major cities they often operate from a separate section of the train station.

Some consider "inter-city" service to be that which operates as an express service between two main city stations, bypassing intermediate stations. However, this term is used in Australia (Sydney for example) to describe the regional trains operating beyond the boundaries of the suburban services, even though some of these "inter-city" services stop all stations similar to German regional services. In this regard, the German service delineations and naming conventions are clearer and better used for academic purposes.