ÖBB plans train routes between Berlin and Italy (2027+)

Its actually a Trenitalia - DB initiative. But since it passes through Austria the ÖBB is of course also going to be involved. Trenitalia will operate the train till Brennero, then from there on ÖBB will drive the train to Kufstein, where DB will take over.

And since you need to apply for train paths sufficiently in advance, and that info is public in Austria some details have thus become knowns.

According to ÖBB Schienencontrol, new connections between Italy and Germany will start in dec. 2026, namely (in addition to the existing connections Munich - Bologna and Munich - Venice):

From Dec. 13, 2026:

EC 1186
Roma Termini - Firenze S.M.N. - Bologna Centrale -Verona P.N. - Rovereto - Trento - Bolzano/Bozen - Brennero/Brenner 13:14 - Innsbruck Hbf 13:50/13:57 - Kufstein 14:30 - München Hbf

EC 1187
München Hbf - Kufstein 15:30 - Innsbruck Hbf 16:03/16:10 - Brennero/Brenner 16:46 - Bolzano/Bozen - Trento - Rovereto -Verona P.N. - Bologna Centrale - Firenze S.M.N. - Roma Termini

EC 1188
Milano Centrale - Brescia - Peschiera/Desenzano - Verona P.N. - Rovereto - Trento - Bolzano/Bozen - Brennero/Brenner 11:14 - Innsbruck 11:50/11:57 - Kufstein 12:30 - München Hbf

EC 1189
München Hbf - Kufstein 17:30 - Innsbruck Hbf 18:03/18:10 - Brennero/Brenner 18:46 - Bolzano/Bozen - Trento - Rovereto -Verona P.N. - Peschiera/Desenzano - Brescia - Milano Centrale

From Dec. 2027:

EC 1180
Napoli Centrale - Roma Termini - Firenze S.M.N. - Bologna Centrale - Verona P.N. - Rovereto -Trento - Bolzano/Bozen - Brennero/Brenner 19:14 - Innsbruck 19:50/19:57 - Kufstein 20:30 - München Hbf

EC 1181
München Hbf - Kufstein 09:30 - Innsbruck Hbf 10:03/10:10 - Brennero/Brenner 10:46 - Bolzano/Bozen - Trento - Rovereto - Verona P.N. - Bologna Centrale - Firenze S.M.N. - Roma Termini - Napoli Centrale

From Jun. 13, 2027:

EC 1182
Milano Centrale - Brescia - Peschiera/Desenzano - Verona P.N. - Rovereto - Trento - Bolzano/Bozen - Brennero/Brenner 17:14 - Innsbruck 17:50/17:57 - Kufstein 18:30 - München Ost - München Hbf - Nürnberg Hbf - Erfurt Hbf - Halle Hbf - Berlin Südkreuz - Berlin Hbf

EC 1183
Berlin Hbf - Berlin Südkreuz - Halle Hbf - Erfurt Hbf - Nürnberg Hbf - München Hbf - Kufstein 11:30 - Innsbruck Hbf 12:03/12:10 - Brennero/Brenner 12:46 - Bolzano/Bozen - Trento - Rovereto - Verona P.N. - Peschiera/Desenzano - Brescia - Milano Centrale

From Jun, 11., 2028:

EC 1184
Napoli Centrale - Roma Termini - Firenze S.M.N. - Bologna Centrale - Verona P.N. - Rovereto -Trento - Bolzano/Bozen - Brennero/Brenner 15:14 - Innsbruck Hbf 15:50/15:57 - Kufstein 16:30 - München Hbf - Nürnberg Hbf - Erfurt Hbf - Halle Hbf - Berlin Südkreuz - Berlin Hbf

EC 1185
Berlin Hbf - Berlin Südkreuz - Halle Hbf - Erfurt Hbf - Nürnberg Hbf - München Hbf - Kufstein 13:30 - Innsbruck Hbf 14:03/14:10 - Brennero/Brenner 14:46 - Bolzano/Bozen - Trento - Rovereto-Verona P.N. -- Bologna Centrale - Firenze S.M.N. - Roma Termini - Napoli Centrale

Overview of expected travel times

Good news indeed, assuming also the Berlin Hbf to Milan connection includes the night train....another viable travel option.

Berlin to Naples is how many hours? 18? Milan? 12 hours? EaayJet 2 hours?

If find the departure times in Kufstein interesting. Curently the fast services in Innsbruck - Munich (many originating in Italy) all pass through there at xx:26, on the odd hours. The new trains are all timetabled to slot in a similar path on the even hours. This gives an hourly service Munich - Verona most of the day, which is a big improvement.

Berlin to Naples is how many hours? 18?

14.5 hours according to the link posted above.

Berlin to Naples is how many hours? 18? Milan? 12 hours? EaayJet 2 hours?

We should not regard such a train as a kind of airplane on rails. Very few people will use it from the start to the terminus. But it will certainly be well frequented on all its sections: It will cover Berlin-Munich in the same time as the much sought-after DB sprinter. Between Munich and Verona / Bologna, as WengenK rightly says, it will bring the previously sparse service to an almost hourly frequency and passengers for whom the schedule of existing ECs are not suitable will not have to deal with tickets for two or even three different trains anymore. Within Italy, it will be full anyway. And then there are also a few people with a fear of flying or environmental awareness who take the train also for long distances. For the success of such trains, there is a parallel on a smaller scale, namely DB's night ICEs (only seating cars), which almost everyone laughed about when they were introduced, but which are very popular. Normally, nobody uses them to travel the entire route from, say, Munich to Dortmund. But between Munich and Stuttgart they serve as a late evening train, from Stuttgart to FRA as a feeder for early flight departures and from FRA to Cologne / Dortmund as normal early morning trains: within Germany, these trains transport considerably more people than the highly praised ÖBB NightJets.

I have never done Munich to Dortmund but the next station several times, Munich to Düsseldorf or vice versa.

Naples is not on my agenda but 14.5 hrs is still doable, better still 12.5 hours is much easier. Very encouraging that OeBB is offering ever more routes post-pandemic revealing that the market for night trains is certainly increasing.