Deutsche Bahn's new 2026 timetable: What will apply from December 14, 2025

Starting with the timetable change on December 14, 2025, Deutsche Bahn will launch a significantly expanded service – but not all of the news is positive: connections with particularly low occupancy will be significantly reduced – meaning that those traveling on these routes will have to change trains more often or accept longer waiting times in the future.

We reveal what rail travelers need to know about the 2026 timetable . When bookings can start, and what to expect on the rails in the future.

From October 15, 2025, travelers can see the new connections in the timetable information on bahn.de and in the DB Navigator and purchase tickets for the period from December 14 .

Domestic tickets (Super Saver Fare, Saver Fare, and Flex Fare) can be booked up to twelve months in advance , while international tickets can be booked up to six months in advance. This allows for long-term travel planning for Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, or school holidays.

DB wants to significantly simplify ticket purchasing for journeys to and from abroad . In addition to ÖBB and SBB long-distance trains, TGV and Eurostar connections can also be booked directly via DB platforms in the future, for example, journeys from Frankfurt to London or from Paris to Marseille. ÖBB's night trains through Germany will also be available digitally. The full offering for all European railways is not expected to follow until the end of 2026 .

The technical basis is the Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM), which combines price information, savings offers and booking in one system.

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From December 2025, the half-hourly service will apply to 21 cities —double the current number. ICE trains will connect more German cities, and the route network will grow from 900 to 2,300 kilometers, including between Hamburg, Hanover, Kassel , Erfurt, Halle, and Berlin.

Particularly striking are the ICE Sprinter trains, for example, Berlin–Stuttgart via Nuremberg in 4 hours 45 minutes, a record travel time for north-south connections. The Hamburg–Frankfurt and Berlin–Munich routes are also being reinforced by 14 new express trains .

Deutsche Bahn has largely dispensed with so-called " wing" concepts, in which ICE trains are separated or merged at a station. These are prone to delays, according to the statement. At the same time, however, the concepts have enabled "more direct connections," which in turn have been convenient for many commuters and travelers.

DB is standardizing departure and destination stations, intermediate stops, and timetable intervals on its major lines. This will make operations more stable, but will result in the elimination of some direct connections, such as in Kiel, which will now only have a two-hourly service towards Hanover, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart "instead of many unsystematic individual connections."

Other routes will also be significantly reduced: "DB can no longer offer some trains with very low demand due to the economic conditions and high cost increases," the official statement from September 26th reads. Particularly affected are routes where often only 10 percent of seats are occupied, such as Leipzig–Nuremberg via Jena; here, the number of trips per direction will be reduced from five to two .

With the timetable change, the ICE L celebrates its premiere . Initially, it will run between Berlin and Cologne, allowing passengers to experience the benefits of the new long-distance train for the first time.

From May 1, 2026, after completion of the renovation of the Hamburg–Berlin line, the ICE L will take passengers directly to Westerland (Sylt).

Starting in mid-July, it will also operate on the major tourist routes from Cologne and Frankfurt to Westerland, as well as between Dortmund and Oberstdorf . A particularly practical feature: the trains are barrier-free, making travel on these routes significantly more comfortable.

Things are happening not only in Germany: our neighbouring European railways are also relying on new high-speed trains.

From Hamburg , Danish Talgo trains, the Czech ComfortJet and the Swiss Giruno complement the service.

Construction sites continue to lead to timetable changes:

• Hamburg–Berlin: until the end of April 2026, diversions plus 45 minutes.
• Wupper line (Hagen–Cologne): February to July 2026.
• Nuremberg–Passau: February to December 2026.
• Right Bank of the Rhine (Cologne–Frankfurt): July to December 2026.

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