Overview
- Deutsche Bahn told reporters it expects the direct Berlin–Paris trains to run without interruption again by the mid-December timetable change but cannot yet give a firm date.
- The service has been suspended since the summer because Alstom’s retrofit and certification of the European Train Control System (ETCS) on the trains ran into technical and interoperability problems.
- Until testing and approvals finish, passengers must continue to change trains in Frankfurt or Mannheim rather than travel direct between the two capitals.
- ETCS is a cross-border signalling standard that must be fully installed and certified for safe, uninterrupted international operation, which is why Deutsche Bahn ties the restart to completed tests.
- The direct route, launched in December 2024 and popular despite an about eight-hour journey, faces commercial pressure to resume but the company says safety checks will set the timeline.