A new timetable will apply to the railway from December 15th. Among other things, it brings additional fast connections between Berlin and Frankfurt – but also higher fares for customers.
More sprinters, more connections abroad – but also higher ticket prices: Deutsche Bahn has presented the timetable for the coming year. It applies from December 15th. The trips can be booked from mid-October, then at the old prices. This changes:
More Sprinter connections between Berlin and Frankfurt
With the new timetable, Deutsche Bahn is expanding the fast connections between Frankfurt and Berlin in long-distance transport. From mid-December, six additional so-called sprinters will drive past Hanover and Fulda without stopping in around four hours between the capital and the Main metropolis. This means that, if on time, the sprinters travel around 20 minutes faster on the connection than regular long-distance trains.
Berlin-Paris and other international connections
The new timetable is also intended to provide better connections to foreign destinations in particular. The railway had already announced a direct connection between Berlin and Paris in September, which will be part of the timetable change. A train runs between the two capitals once a day.
In addition, the range of trips between Germany and Poland will also be expanded. “With two additional trains per day, there will be a four-hour service on the Berlin-Wroclaw-Krakow route in the future,” the railway said.
In the summer and early autumn months there is also a late connection between Frankfurt and Brussels. Two more trains will also be running on the Munich-Lindau-Reutin-Zurich route in the future.
“International long-distance traffic is booming,” said Michael Peterson, head of long-distance transport. “People want more rail in Europe.”
Only a few additional domestic connections
Domestically, there are comparatively little changes in the new timetable. Among other things, the railway is setting up an additional direct train between Berlin and Saarbrücken and, from mid-March, between Rostock, Leipzig, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. A second daily direct train will also run between Bremen and Berlin.
The new timetable also brings a new ICE night connection between Berlin and Switzerland. This is only equipped with seats and not with couchettes. There will be no change to the night train service, which the railway offers primarily in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railways.
Train tickets are becoming more expensive
The new timetable can be booked from October 16th and is valid from December 15th. Until then, tickets for next year can still be purchased at the current prices. With the timetable change, the railway is raising ticket prices.
Among other things, the so-called flex prices are becoming more expensive, by around 5.9 percent, according to Deutsche Bahn. With these tickets, customers are not tied to a specific train on the booked connection, but can take any long-distance train on the route that day. The Bahncard 100, with which holders can use long-distance transport unlimitedly and as they wish, will also be more expensive. Here the price increases by an average of 6.6 percent to 4,899 euros per year.
However, the saver and super saver prices, which come with a fixed train connection, will not change when the timetable changes. The prices for the Bahncard 25 and Bahncard 50 discount subscriptions also remain stable.
Riedbahn is finished – tardiness remains for the time being
The renovation of the so-called Riedbahn between Frankfurt and Mannheim should also be completed by the timetable change. If everything goes according to plan, the current full closure on the route will be lifted on December 15th.
Source: Stern
