Deutsche Bahn (DB) is offering 100,000 additional tickets at a price of EUR 14.99 for long-distance travel between Hamburg and Berlin following the reopening of the modernized route. Starting June 14, long-distance trains will resume direct service between the two cities, and the number of departures will increase by over 35%.
DB is marking the reopening of the Hamburg–Berlin route with a special offer for passengers. The German operator is putting 100,000 additional tickets on sale for EUR 14.99 for long-distance travel between the two cities.
The promotional tickets can be purchased between June 12 and 14, and travel must be completed by December 12.
Starting June 14, DB’s long-distance trains will once again run directly between Hamburg and Berlin on the modernized infrastructure. The route is one of the most important in Germany’s long-distance network.
Michael Peterson, a member of DB’s executive board responsible for long-distance traffic, stated that the Hamburg–Berlin connection is “a central piece” of the network, with approximately 20,000 passengers per day.
“Starting Sunday, our high-speed trains will once again directly connect the two metropolises, with over 35% more services. As a thank you for their loyalty and patience during the months of construction, we invite passengers to discover Hamburg and Berlin at particularly attractive prices with our special tickets,” he said.
More direct trains between Hamburg and Berlin
The number of direct long-distance trains between Hamburg and Berlin will increase from 38 to 52 daily services. During the summer months, DB will initially offer three trains in each direction every two hours.
With the resumption of direct service, the stations Büchen, Ludwigslust, and Wittenberge are returning to the long-distance network. The detour used during construction, via Stendal, Salzwedel, and Uelzen, will no longer be necessary.
However, DB notes that, after service resumes, some acceptance testing for the new signaling and control systems is still required on the Hagenow Land–Berlin-Spandau section. DB InfraGO is continuing test runs and acceptance testing under load. For this reason, trains will not yet be able to run at normal speed on all sections.
ICE L and Railjet to replace older trains
Between Hamburg and Berlin, DB will now use modern high-speed trains. In addition to the ICE series already in service, passengers will have access to the new ICE L, with step-free access, and the new Railjet trains from the Czech company ČD, DB’s partner on these services.
These trains will replace the older cars previously used by DB and ČD on certain routes.
The resumption of direct service also brings back several important connections. Starting June 14, passengers can once again use the direct Berlin–Westerland connection on the island of Sylt. The step-free ICE L will be introduced for the first time on this tourist route between Germany’s capital and the North Sea island.
Shorter travel time between Hamburg and Dresden
DB is also announcing shorter travel times between Hamburg and Dresden. The new Railjet will cover the entire distance in approximately 3.5 hours, a reduction of 40 minutes compared to the previous schedule.
Trains will run every two hours, with eight daily connections in each direction.
The Berlin–Hamburg route also becomes a central corridor for the new direct European connection between three countries, from Prague via Berlin and Hamburg to Copenhagen. The Railjet will operate on this route three times a day in each direction.
Also starting June 14, direct connections to and from Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, and Vienna will resume, reopening the direct international connections affected by construction work on the corridor.
Work continues at the Hamburg hub
Although the Hamburg–Berlin route has reopened, the modernization of the rail infrastructure continues. DB is announcing new adjustments to long-distance service during the concentrated construction work in the Hamburg hub, between July 18 and August 15.
During this period, ICE trains will run between Hamburg and Berlin at one-hour intervals. The schedule is already available in the DB Navigator app and on bahn.de, and the changes are taken into account when booking tickets.
Share on:
