Travelling between Paris and Berlin is set to become a lot easier within a few months. Even though the two European capitals have been linked through a nighttime service operated by the Austrian Federal Railways since last year, that connection is temporarily paused due to technical problems.
However, from 16 December, German and French rail operators, Deutsche Bahn (DB) and SNCF respectively, will operate a high speed train between Berlin and Paris. The new connection will allow voyagers to travel between the two capitals in just 8 hours and without transfers.
Travellers wanting to already make the journey are able to do so at the moment, but the route takes 9 hours and several changes, making it less attractive for people to choose the more sustainable option of travelling by train rather than by plane – respectively producing 2 kilograms and 200 kilograms of CO2 emissions.
“This new connection is further proof of the Franco-German friendship and contributes to a shared goal of our two countries: more CO2-free mobility,” commented Alain Krakovitch from SNCF.
“This is the first daytime direct connection between the capitals of Germany and France, and it is also a symbol of a growing Europe,” said Michael Peterson, DB Board Member for Long Distance Passenger Transport.
With the new collaboration between the two rail operators, the journey will become a lot more user friendly. The train will run between Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Paris Gare de L’Est, while stopping in Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Frankfurt Süd. The entire trip will take approximately 8 hours, with one train running in each direction on a daily basis. The high speed connection will depart Paris at 9:55 am and Berlin at 11:54 am.
Each train will be able to transport 530 passengers, with second class fares starting at 59 euros and first class tickets at 69 euros. Thanks to the price range, the train will be able to compete with the flight connections between the two cities. Ticket sales will start on 16 October.
