Deutsche Bahn 2026 Timetable: What’s New?
Deutsche Bahn has published its 2026 timetable, which will take effect on 14 December. These are the biggest changes.
The new German railway timetable
Deutsche Bahn, the national railway company of Germany, has published its official timetable for 2026, which will go into effect on 14 December 2025, with bookings having already opened.
Below is a summary of the most important new features and major changes in the 2026 timetable that are worth noting for international train travellers.
Introduction of the ICE-L
As mentioned in my bi-monthly roundup on Substack, where I cover the latest railway and train travel news from Europe and beyond (do subscribe if you haven’t yet!), I previously shared the news about the introduction of Deutsche Bahn’s newest high-speed train model, the ICE-L.
Built by Spanish manufacturer Talgo, this train can reach speeds of up to 230 kilometres per hour (145 mph), accommodates 562 passengers, and offers step-free boarding along its entire length.
Deutsche Bahn will initially operate the train on the Berlin–Cologne route.
From 1 May 2026, following the completion of the general renovation of the Hamburg-Berlin line, the ICE-L will also run from Berlin to Westerland (Sylt).
From mid-July onwards, it will additionally serve routes from Cologne and Frankfurt to Westerland, as well as the Dortmund-Oberstdorf route.
The new ICE-L at Berlin Ostbahnhof. ©Deutsche Bahn AG / Oliver Lang
Increase in domestic ICE services on key routes
A new ICE Sprinter service will connect Berlin with Stuttgart.
This special high-speed ICE service – which makes fewer stops along the route compared to normal ICE services – will take the shorter and faster route via the Thuringian Forest high-speed line between Erfurt and Nuremberg, significantly reducing travel times compared to current connections between Germany’s capital and the capital of Baden-Württemberg.
On the Hamburg-Hanover-Kassel-Frankfurt, Frankfurt-Mannheim-Stuttgart, and Berlin-Halle-Erfurt-Nuremberg routes, there will now be an ICE departure in each direction every 30 minutes.
Extra international services from Germany to Poland
Deutsche Bahn and PKP, the national railway companies of Germany and Poland, will increase the number of daily trains between the two countries by 50% in the 2026 timetable, which includes some brand new international train services.
See the previous article on the increase in cross-border train services between Germany and Poland for more information.
New ICE connection to Antwerp
In the 2026 timetable, Deutsche Bahn will introduce a new ICE service between Cologne and Antwerp via Brussels Airport.
The train will operate four times a day in each direction.
Partner railways to debut new rolling stock
Some of Deutsche Bahn’s partner railway companies from neighbouring countries will debut brand-new rolling stock on their international routes to Germany.
České dráhy (ČD), the Czech national railway, will introduce its new ComfortJet trains on the Prague–Berlin–Hamburg corridor.
From 2 May 2026, two daily ComfortJet services in each direction will run between Prague, Berlin, Hamburg, and Copenhagen.
SBB, the Swiss Federal Railways, will operate its modern Giruno trains on EuroCity services from Switzerland to Frankfurt, Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Hamburg.
Trains at the main railway station of Munich. ©AndyBTravels
Deutsche Bahn to simplify international ticketing
Deutsche Bahn will make it easier to book international itineraries on its website.
Soon, the Deutsche Bahn website will also allow bookings for many domestic French TGV services and Eurostar tickets.
By the end of 2026, Deutsche Bahn will offer tickets for all major railways in neighbouring countries directly through bahn.de and the DB Navigator app, using OSDM (Open Sales and Distribution Model), a new standard for data exchange between European railways and ticket sellers.
Conclusion
The 2026 Deutsche Bahn timetable brings good news for international train travellers, including a new ICE connection between Antwerp and Cologne and increased services between Germany and Poland.
Within Germany, travellers can look forward to the introduction of the new ICE-L train on the Berlin–Cologne route, the deployment of Czech Railways’ new ComfortJet trains on the Prague–Berlin–Hamburg corridor, and SBB – the Swiss Federal Railways – operating its modern Giruno trains on routes to Frankfurt, Cologne, and Hamburg.
Deutsche Bahn will also make it easier to book international itineraries on its website, allowing travellers to book connections that include Eurostar and domestic French TGV services.
