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Deutsche Bahn: closing of direct train route Berlin - Hamburg from Aug. '25 until Apr. '26

Posted by (Schwerin) on

Status: Berlin and Hamburg are the two largest cities of Germany. Normally the train connection is every 30 minutes an ICE or other long-distance train with a travel time of appr. 2 hours between the main stations.

Plan: from August 1, 2025 until April 30, 2026 Deutsche Bahn will close the direct route between Berlin and Hamburg completely for 9 months with several impacts for train travelers. Reason for the construction work: General restoration of the Hamburg - Berlin high-speed corridor.

Key take-aways for travelers:

  • Connection offering between Berlin and Hamburg will be reduced to one train per hour, re-routed via Stendal and the journey time will increase to 2:45 to 3 hours. So not a day trip option for the nine months (see illustration).
  • No ICE trains between Hamburg and Schwerin, Rostock and Rügen.
  • Schwerin, Rostock and Stralsund will be served by 2, partly 3 daily IC connections routed via Lübeck. Traverlers to Schwerin will need to switch trains in Bad Kleinen.
  • Ludwigslust and Wittenberge can only reached by bus replacement services.
  • Link to DB detail page in German language
  • Link to an article of regional public media NDR in German language.

Recommendation: Train travelers shall use the DB journey planner or the app which contain the changes and schedules.

Alternatives: Buses such as Flixbus and also rental cars can be alternative travel options - Autobahn A24 is in widely good condition and with only a few speed limits.

Have good and safe journeys.

Posted by
10951 posts

Wow - that is serious. Thanks for this important alert, Mark!

Posted by
4029 posts

Yep, also important for some travelers / cruise passengers is another one with construction works on route Warnemünde - Berlin but I will post that separately after clarification. Some times I do no understand part(s) of messages of Deutsche Bahn - although in German language.

And one good news: Deutsche Bahn aligned with workers union EVG (source), so no strikes expected for this. Elections in Germany coming weekend seemed to be a massive motivator for both sides to close negotiations.

Posted by
4029 posts

Date of closing comes closer, so I bring it up to all travelers' attention.

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks for posting! I was having difficulty finding a direct train. Now I know what's going on.

Posted by
4261 posts

We have some forum members leaving soon for trips to this part of Germany. Thanks for bringing it to the group’s attention. I’ll share the link with a couple of them in a PM.

Posted by
4029 posts

I am glad that it helps some travelers.

Just to complete the recommendation: Flixbus connections are also a fast and reliable option.

Posted by
524 posts

We planed a trip in mid Sept to travel from Berlin to Hannover.. We have not looked or booked trains ahead .Will this route be affected?

Posted by
15544 posts

I'll use the next big junction center since the direct link Berlin and Hamburg is closed...a bit more circuitous and time-consuming but still very doable....Hannover Hbf.

Posted by
4029 posts

Just as info: it is not necessary to travel via Hanover. The illustration shows the replacement route.

First reports show that the replacement buses are well established and communicated but travelers need time and patience. In history of Deutsche Bahn this is the largest bus replacement program that they ever realized (from interview in Schwerin).

Posted by
15544 posts

I am not pressed for time when taking the Hamburg to Berlin connection in either direction..

Going to either is for me the terminus, Endbahnhof. I choose Hannover Hbf for convenience sake regardless of direction, ie towards Schleswig-Holstein, or Magdeburg, Berlin, or Munich, or towards the Lower Rhine.

Changing trains in Bad Kleinen for Schwerin....my first time to Schwerin pre-pandemic I had to change in Ludwigslust for the bus connection...very interesting and certainly an eye-opener sociologically seeing the parts of the town from the bus. It piqued my interest in going to Ludwigslust more so since the picture of its Schloss was on the 95 cent postage stamp and also these small eastern German towns where no visitors go, only German, if any.

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