Overview
- The nationwide schedule adds more half‑hourly ICE corridors, extra Sprinter runs and standardized rolling stock, while trimming lightly used services.
- With the Anhalter Bahn back in service, Berlin–Halle drops to about 1:07, Berlin–Leipzig to 1:15, and long‑distance stops return in Lutherstadt Wittenberg.
- Planned 2026 network overhauls will restrict traffic on corridors such as Nürnberg–Passau (from Feb 6), the Wupperstrecke (from Feb 7) and Hamburg–Hannover (May 1–Jul 10), requiring diversions and longer journeys.
- Operational fixes accompany the change: S‑Bahn line S6 resumes continuous service from Dec 14 after landslip repairs, and Eurobahn stops coupling RB69/RB89 in Hamm to improve punctuality, requiring a change for Münster.
- The Riesbahn (Donauwörth–Aalen) is elevated for a decade of upgrades as a future diversion route for the 2034 Ulm–Augsburg renovation, with initial track and turnout renewals slated from spring.