Starting this Wednesday, Deutsche Bahn will release bookings for its new long-distance timetable, which comes with both welcome surprises and unwelcome cuts.
For many passengers, it means stable prices and more high-speed options, but for others — especially in smaller towns — the changes will bring fewer trains.
No ticket price increase — and new discount offer
For the first time in years, Deutsche Bahn will not raise ticket prices.
In addition, travelers who book early will benefit from a 12 percent discount on Sparpreis tickets for reservations made between Friday and Tuesday.
Another improvement: long-distance journeys can now be booked up to twelve months in advance (six months for international routes).
The company says the goal is to give passengers greater flexibility and planning security.
More ICE trains and faster connections
On Germany’s main corridors, things will get busier — but in a good way.
Routes such as Hamburg–Frankfurt and Berlin–Munich will see more ICE services, in many cases running every 30 minutes.
Travel between Berlin and Stuttgart will also speed up thanks to new Sprinter trains with fewer intermediate stops.
Fewer trains for smaller cities
While the big cities benefit, regional areas will lose out.
Deutsche Bahn is cutting some services in smaller towns due to declining demand.
One example: the IC connection from Leipzig via Jena to Nuremberg, which previously operated five times daily, will now run less frequently.
The company attributes the reduction to the popularity of the Deutschlandticket, which has shifted travel behavior toward regional trains.
New international destinations
There’s also positive news for international travelers.
A new EuroCity connection will launch between Leipzig and Kraków, while additional ICE services will connect Germany with Switzerland.
From May 2026, passengers can travel from Prague via Berlin to Copenhagen, and by September, a new ICE route from Cologne to Antwerp will operate four times daily, including a stop at Brussels Airport.
Deutsche Bahn is also simplifying the booking of cross-border journeys.
The company now sells TGV tickets for France and Eurostar services linking London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
By the end of 2026, travelers should be able to book tickets for all major European partner railways directly through the Deutsche Bahn website.
Night train cuts: Paris and Stockholm routes to end
The new schedule brings some disappointments too.
The Berlin–Paris night train, reintroduced only two years ago, will be discontinued after France cut its subsidies, according to the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), which operates the route.
Similarly, the Berlin–Hamburg–Stockholm night train could be scrapped, as Swedish media report that Stockholm’s government also plans to end financial support for the service.
New ICE model to debut on Berlin–Cologne line
One of the highlights of the new timetable is the launch of Deutsche Bahn’s new ICE-L series, featuring step-free boarding for improved accessibility.
The first trains will enter service between Berlin and Cologne, with plans to expand to Berlin–Sylt from May 2026 and later from Cologne and Frankfurt to the North Sea island by July.
Clearer, simpler schedules
Deutsche Bahn also wants to make its timetables more transparent and predictable.
Routes will soon follow a consistent pattern — same origin, same destination, same type of train — to reduce complexity and delays.
Example: from Kiel, an ICE will now depart every two hours to Hanover, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart, replacing a patchwork of inconsistent connections.
The company says the change will lead to greater reliability and fewer disruptions.
