European travellers are set for a major boost next year as the continent’s long-distance rail network will run a new line. From May 2026, passengers will be able to hop on a train from Copenhagen, running through Berlin to Prague. The service, which will run in both directions, will offer year-round travel in just a matter of hours.
Three different railway networks – Deutsche Bahn (DB), Danish Railways (DSB) and Czech Railways (ČD) – have partnered to offer the service, while the line between Berlin and Hamburg is under construction. To get from Copenhagen to Berlin, it is expected to take around seven hours, and around eleven hours between Copenhagen and Prague.
Under current plans, additional stops in popular cities may be available, as well as a night service in the summer.
While on the new line, passengers will be able to access a plethora of amenities such as a dining car. Up to 555 travellers can hop onboard, who will have access to radio-transparent windows to improve reception for those using their phone onboard, as well as a children’s cinema.
The new project is the first of 10 selected by the European Commission to encourage cross-border travel train routes, enabling travellers to easily jump from city to city.
Michael Peterson, DB’s board member for long distance passenger transport, said: “Rail is bringing Europe closer and closer together.”
He added: “Journey times of over four hours are popular with our passengers in international long distance transport, and we are offering additional attractive services to meet the growing demand.”
In December last year, the Berlin-Paris route was launched, as plans to launch a Munich-Milan-Rome link in the next few years were unveiled.
As rail travel for short destinations becomes increasingly popular, more rail lines have been announced. In June, Polish Railways launched a new route in the summer months which connects Warsaw to Split across Croatia’s coast.
The popular Espresso Riviera has also returned, which links Rome to the French Riviera via an overnight service.
