Overview

• From 14 December, the half‑hour ICE network expands from about 900 to 2,300 kilometers, with more Sprinters including a new Berlin–Stuttgart link and added fast runs on Berlin–Munich and Frankfurt–Hamburg.
• Low‑demand routes are trimmed: Leipzig–Jena–Nürnberg falls from five to two daily trains per direction, and long‑distance stops in Lübeck and Berchtesgaden are removed.
• DB standardizes operations with fixed line patterns, unified stops and fewer train‑splitting maneuvers, ending some long direct links such as Hamburg–Vienna to improve reliability.
• The new ICE L debuts on Berlin–Cologne with step‑free boarding and a 230 km/h top speed, while roughly 40 new or extended cross‑border trips launch, including Leipzig–Kraków, with many TGV and Eurostar fares now bookable via DB.
• Major 2026 works will fully close five corridors for months, punctuality hovers near 60% after targets were relaxed to 70% by end‑2029, and bookings for the new plan open on 15 October.