DB Reports Stable ICE Traffic Between Hamburg and Berlin
One and a half weeks after the start of the general renovation of the Hamburg–Berlin railway line, Deutsche Bahn (DB) has issued an initial assessment of operations, reporting that long-distance ICE services between the two cities are running as planned.
One and a half weeks after the start of the general renovation of the Hamburg–Berlin railway line, Deutsche Bahn (DB) has issued an initial assessment of operations, reporting that long-distance ICE services between the two cities are running as planned.
The company states that the diversion concept in use is performing well. Hourly direct ICE 4 services, each with 830 seats, continue to run without transfers between Hamburg and Berlin. During the renovation period, the towns of Lüneburg, Uelzen, Salzwedel and Stendal also receive additional ICE stops.
Stefanie Berk, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at DB Long-Distance said:
The diversion concept, which has already proven successful in previous construction projects, is working. We thank all travelers for their understanding and patience.
Journey times have increased by about 45 minutes, a change reflected in DB’s online timetable and the DB Navigator app, so passengers are able to plan accordingly.
Over the first ten days of the project, DB reports that passengers appeared well-prepared for the adjusted schedule, and no capacity problems were recorded. The timetable offers up to 65 daily connections, of which 36 are direct.
The centre-to-centre train journey of around two and a half hours remains quicker than driving, with Google Maps estimating over three hours by car for the same route.
During the renovation works, low-fare tickets between Hamburg and Berlin remain available, with prices starting from 14.99 EUR.
