Deutsche Bahn to launch three ICE services between Hamburg and Munich in each direction — The Local Germany
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn will introduce a new winter timetable for long-distance trains from December 13, 2026. Tickets for services under the new schedule will be available from October 14 via the DB website, the Navigator app and ticket offices. As The Local Germany reports, the timetable provides for faster domestic connections, more international routes, but also diversions due to infrastructure repairs.
Faster services within Germany
A new ICE Sprinter between Hamburg and Munich will run three times a day in each direction. The journey will take 5 hours and 20 minutes, with stops only in Hanover and Nuremberg. This is 20 minutes faster than current services with more intermediate stops.
A Sprinter between Berlin and Stuttgart will also run three times a day in each direction instead of one service per day. The planned travel time is 4 hours and 45 minutes, with a stop in Nuremberg. Overall, Deutsche Bahn plans around 70 Sprinter services daily across the country. The company will also restore a direct ICE connection between Jena and Berlin, while Bonn will have direct trains to Berlin every two hours for almost the entire year.
New international connections
Deutsche Bahn said the number of international services will exceed 320 per day, about 20 more than before. Direct rail connections from Germany will be available to more than 200 cities in 14 countries.
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From March 2027, seven services per day in each direction are planned between Hamburg and Copenhagen. The number of journeys between Stuttgart and Paris is set to increase from 10 to 12 per day, and between Frankfurt and Vienna from 12 to 14. Direct services from Munich to Milan and Rome are planned for summer 2027 in cooperation with Trenitalia and ÖBB. The expected travel time to Milan will be about 6.5 hours and to Rome about 8.5 hours.
Prices and track repairs
There will be no general increase in long-distance fares with the December timetable change: the cheapest fare will remain at €6.99, while the cost of BahnCard 25 and BahnCard 50 will not change. From October 21, the cost of monthly tickets for long-distance routes, except for the Deutschlandticket, and student monthly passes will be reduced by 25%.
At the same time, repair work will affect a number of key routes. Due to work on the Berlin–Hanover corridor until December 2027, diversions may extend travel time by up to 80 minutes. The Cologne–Frankfurt high-speed line will be closed from May 15 to July 19, 2027, while work on the Frankfurt–Erfurt route will continue from February 6 to May 14 and from August 14, 2027. Deutsche Bahn advises passengers to check the specific route for their travel date in the journey planner.
