Europe is set to see a huge boost to its long distance train services, with ambitious plans for new routes given the green light. From next May, passengers will be able to travel by train from Prague to Copenhagen via Berlin.
The new line will operate year-round and will run during the day in both directions. Travel times between Copenhagen and Berlin are expected to take just seven hours, and around another four hours from the German capital to Prague. At the same time train operators will extend a summer season night train that currently links Hamburg and Copenhagen onward to Prague.
The new train service will be operated by a consortium of train companies – namely Deutsche Bahn (DB), Danish Railways (DSB) and Czech Railways (ČD). ComfortJet trains will ply the route and will offer a wide range of amenities, including an on-board restaurant, Wi-Fi, bicycle storage and space for 555 passengers.
The high-speed trains also feature wheelchair lifts, a children’s cinema and radio-transparent windows, which improve mobile connectivity and reception for passengers. The train will stop at major cities like Dresden, Hamburg, and Ústí nad Labem, providing connections to key economic and cultural centres.
The route revives direct train travel between Prague and Copenhagen, which came to an end in 2014, when the last night trains stopped running.
Before that, the Neptun express once connected the two capitals via ferry and train, taking roughly 14 hours.
The new service is a pilot project under the European Commission’s efforts to improve cross-border rail infrastructure and market integration. The partnership between ČD, DB, and DSB reflects growing demand for longer international rail journeys,
“Rail is bringing Europe closer and closer together,” Michael Peterson, DB’s board member for long distance passenger transport, said when the new link was announced.
“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.”