DB ICE trains stop right under LEJ’s Zentralterminal
Intercity-Express (ICE) long-distance trains call at Leipzig/Halle Airport’s underground station directly beneath the Zentralterminal, so you step off the plane, ride one set of escalators down, and you’re on the national rail network heading toward Berlin, Frankfurt, or Munich without detouring via Leipzig Hbf.
These are full Intercity-Express services run by Deutsche Bahn, sharing tracks with freight and regional trains on the north–south corridor that links Leipzig/Halle with hubs like Berlin Hbf and Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, which is why rail nerds like this stop and also why the station platforms can be loud when a freight consist blasts through at over 100 km/h.
Unlike the S-Bahn, ICE trains at LEJ do not run every 15 minutes; they follow long-distance patterns with gaps of 30–60 minutes or more on some routes, so you treat them like a pre-booked leg on your itinerary rather than something you bank on catching on a whim between a 14:05 arrival into Terminal B and a 15:00 rail connection.
On price, you’re looking at Sparpreis or Flexpreis tickets bought via DB, and many frequent flyers tie their ICE segment into a Rail&Fly-style booking that names “Leipzig/Halle Flughafen” as origin or destination, instead of buying a separate ICE to “Leipzig Hbf” plus a €3–€5 S-Bahn add-on.
Step-by-step from plane to ICE: 1) Deplane in Zentralterminal or B and follow “Airport Railway Station” signs. 2) Take the escalator or lift down one level to the station concourse. 3) Check DB departure boards for your ICE number and platform, usually Gleis 1 or 2. 4) If needed, buy or print your ticket at the red DB machines. 5) Head down one more level to the correct platform and stand clear when non-stopping trains pass at speed.
Complaints from regulars focus on reliability: if there is disruption on the Berlin–Munich or Frankfurt–Leipzig ICE lines, airport stops are sometimes dropped or heavily delayed, so using an ICE for a tight sub-45-minute connection to a flight out of LEJ is asking for trouble compared with the clockwork S-Bahn S5 or S5X.
What regulars actually do: they check the DB Navigator app 30–60 minutes before relying on an ICE to make a connection, keep the S-Bahn in mind as a backup, and aim for an earlier ICE into the airport than strictly needed, so a cancellation or 20-minute delay doesn’t blow the flight; build the buffer and treat the ICE as your main line, not your only line.