Unlike the French TGV or the Japanese Shinkansen systems, the vehicles, tracks and operations were not designed as an integrated whole; rather, the ICE system has been integrated into Germany's pre-existing system of railway lines instead.
I modsætning til det franske TGV eller det japanske Skinkansen-system, er togene og sporene ikke designede som et integreret koncept, men i stedet er ICE-systemet blevet integreret i Tysklands eksisterende togsystem.