A new long-distance train route is coming to Europe, connecting Czechia, Denmark, and Germany. Due for launch on 1 May 2026, the service will be a team effort between Deutsche Bahn (DB), Danish Railways (DSB) and Czech Railways (ČD).
The year-round, daily service in both directions is expected to take around seven hours from Copenhagen and Berlin, and 11 hours between Copenhagen and Prague. What’s more, in the summer season only, the operators will extend an existing night train between Hamburg and Copenhagen, onward to Prague.
Hej, Hallo, Ahoj👋
— CER🚆 #OnTrackForEurope (@CER_railways) July 9, 2025
International long-distance rail transport is booming, and a new direct rail connection Prague-Berlin-Copenhagen will give it another boost.@DB_Presse, @omDSB, & @ceskedrahy_ are partnering to offer this new direct rail connection, starting on May 2026. pic.twitter.com/TmRqu0cJbz
On-board services
“Rail is bringing Europe closer and closer together,” Michael Peterson, DB’s board member for long distance passenger transport, said commenting on the new link, adding: “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.”
On board ČD’s new 230 km/h ComfortJet trains, the up to 555 passengers (including 99 spots in first class) will benefit from a dining car, children’s cinema, enhanced connectivity with Wi-Fi and radio-transparent windows, wheelchair lifts, as well as room to store up to a dozen bikes.
European rail expansion
The initiative is the first as part of a 10-project pilot scheme by the European Commission, which aims to unpick barriers to long-distance European rail travel and promote environmentally sustainable alternatives to commercial aviation. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, hailed the new connection as “a strong example of progress,” while the Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, said the train is “an important step in decarbonising Europe’s transport sector.”
Although passenger appetite for rail travel is increasing, European railway development labours under a shortage of rolling stock and a complex picture of differing national ticketing systems, infrastructure and regulatory frameworks. The sector has nonetheless seen a number of new entrants and routes in recent years. These include several competing night train operators such as ÖBB Nightjet, European Sleeper, the advent of summer services such as the Espresso Riviera and several routes intending to connect cities in the Iberian Peninsula and France. DB and France’s SNCF have also launched a new direct connection between Berlin and Paris.
Eurostar too is set to experience expansion as the group explores new routes amid heightened rivalry, as new operators such as Virgin Group, DB, Spain’s Renfe and Evolyn have all been vying for access to the Channel Tunnel. Announcing plans for routes to Switzerland and Germany by the early 2030s, Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave has described the growth in popularity of rail as “a new golden age of international sustainable travel.”
