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German Rail Restarts Northern Long-Distance Routes on Reduced Schedule After Storm ‘Elli’

A new bout of freezing rain on Monday threatens renewed travel disruption as operations remain fragile.

Overview

  • Deutsche Bahn says long-distance trains on all main northern corridors resumed Sunday morning, though only with a reduced timetable and lingering cancellations.
  • Secondary and regional lines in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony remain curtailed as snowdrifts and frozen switches hinder operations; THW teams are clearing access points and test runs precede reopenings.
  • Speed limits are in place on key high-speed sections, including Cologne–Frankfurt and routes near Hannover and Berlin, which may cause delays and missed connections.
  • Ferry links to most East Frisian islands restarted, but JuistNorddeich services are suspended on Sunday due to low water and access to the Baltrum harbor at Neßmersiel remains difficult.
  • Meteorologists lifted many storm alerts for Sunday, yet the DWD warns freezing rain could spread across large parts of Germany on Monday; avalanche risk stays high in the Alps, with three deaths reported in Savoy.