Berlin and Paris are getting closer – at least by rail! Starting from December 16th, the two capitals will finally be connected in high speed and without transfers. The ICE trains jointly operated by Deutsche Bahn and the French SNCF Voyageurs will travel via Frankfurt South, Karlsruhe, and Strasbourg. This will also mark the first direct daytime connection between Berlin and the Alsatian metropolis, home to the European Parliament.
“The new ICE connection will give a further boost to the booming international long-distance traffic,” says Michael Peterson of DB. He believes that this will also help the company in achieving climate goals.
Fahrzeit nur acht Stunden
The ICE 3 of the 407 series (444 seats, including 111 in the 1st class) departs from Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 11:54 am and is scheduled to arrive at Paris Est at 7:55 pm. The train leaves Paris at 9:55 am and reaches Berlin at 6:03 pm.
On some sections of the route, the train is expected to reach speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour. Ticket prices start from €59.99, including seat reservation.
With the direct ICE from Berlin to Paris, the daily connections between Germany and France increase from 24 to 26, providing over 320,000 additional seats per year.
Vom Saarland über die Pfalz nach Berlin
Starting from mid-December, there will be an additional ICE connection from Saarland to Berlin, with stops in Saarbrücken, Homburg (Saar), Kaiserslautern, Neustadt/Weinstraße, Mannheim, Darmstadt, and Frankfurt Hbf.
There will now be two direct connections daily from Saarland through Pfalz to Berlin, including the reinstated early morning ICE service that was paused due to construction.
The new service is set to run on a trial basis for two years, as per the announcement by the Deutsche Bahn.