Positive balance: ICE traffic between Hamburg and Berlin stable!

Positive balance: ICE traffic between Hamburg and Berlin stable!

One and a half weeks after the start of the extensive general renovation of the railway line between Hamburg and Berlin, Deutsche Bahn is drawing positive conclusions. Loud German railway the redirection concept works well. “We have set the course well,” says Stefanie Berk, head of marketing and sales at DB Long-Distance Transport. Overall, the transfer-free ICE connections have made traveling between the two cities easier.

A long ICE 4 train with 830 seats runs every hour, and places like Lüneburg, Uelzen, Salzwedel and Stendal will also benefit from additional connections during construction work. The travel time has increased by around 45 minutes, but this was taken into account in good time in the timetable information both in DB Navigator and on bahn.de. Travelers appeared well informed in the first few days and there were no capacity problems - good news for commuters and travelers alike.

The timetable and the effects of the renovation

The general renovation, which is scheduled to last until the end of April 2026, covers more than 160 kilometers of tracks as well as hundreds of switches and signal boxes. Construction began on August 1, 2025 and resulted in hundreds of canceled trains. Long-distance connections are being rerouted via Uelzen, Stendal and Salzwedel, which also means that commuters on the outskirts of Hamburg have to change to buses.

Daily connections between Hamburg and Berlin have been severely affected, but on paper travelers can still access up to 65 connections, 36 of which are direct. This transfer-free journey takes around two and a half hours, making it a faster alternative compared to driving, which takes more than three hours, according to Google Maps.

Modernization projects and long-term strategies

The general renovation is part of a broader modernization plan that will cover over 4,000 kilometers of tracks by 2036. As part of this, train stations will also be renovated and digital control and security technology will be improved. The total costs are estimated at an impressive 87 billion euros. In order to improve transport connections, Deutsche Bahn has already introduced several measures, such as increasing the quality of long-distance transport and introducing the “digital timetable” in 2025, assuming the tests are successful.

Under the motto “Strong Rail”, DB Long-Distance Transport has the goal of doubling transport performance to over 70 billion passenger kilometers per year by 2030. This, along with a host of new direct connections and improvements to the traveler experience, is a step in the right direction. Innovative technologies such as camera diagnostics are intended to help stabilize the railway's economic situation and increase punctuality, which is of utmost importance, especially at the current time.

When it comes to climate protection, it is a positive trend that all trains have been running on electrified routes using 100% green electricity since 2018. The maintenance depots are also working in a more climate-friendly manner and work is continuing on sustainability measures, for example through CO₂ certificates on the website and in the BahnBonus app.

For all travelers who have to prepare for a longer journey between Hamburg and Berlin - tickets are available from just 14.99 euros, which is a good deal. Good luck on the journey!

For further information on current developments in rail transport, please visit daily news and IBIR.