The Berlin to Hamburg railway line's operations come to a punctual halt.
The Berlin to Hamburg railway line's operations come to a punctual halt.
The halt in significant diversions and cancellations of trains has ceased: Deutsche Bahn now provides direct trains between Berlin and Hamburg once more. The completion of construction work allows for this. However, do not be surprised if construction commences again on the route soon.
Travelers along the Hamburg-Berlin route can rejoice temporarily: Four months of construction have concluded, and trains now run as usual between Hanseatic City and Spree River, reducing the journey to under two hours again. This morning, the lengthy detour via Uelzen (Lower Saxony) and Stendal (Saxony-Anhalt) ceased for long-distance trains. As per Deutsche Bahn, high-speed trains are operating normally and every half hour between Hamburg and Berlin, stopping at Büchen, Ludwigslust, and Wittenberge.
"With approximately 60 direct trips between the two metropolises, Deutsche Bahn is well-equipped to handle the expected high demand during the holiday season," stated Deutsche Bahn. The bus replacement service between Hamburg and Schwerin/Ludwigslust has also been discontinued, with trains operating unrestricted both in long-distance and regional traffic.
The shutdown affected the Regional Express 1 between Hamburg and Rostock, the Regional Express 8 between Wismar and Berlin, and the Regional Bahn 14 between Hagenow and Parchim in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Construction work to resume from summer
Since mid-August, over 74 kilometers of track and 100 switches were renovated between Hamburg and Wittenberge (Brandenburg). The work was crucial to maintain high-speed train operation on the Hamburg-Berlin route. Besides, bridges were updated, second tracks were built, railway crossings were improved, and train stations were modernized in the area.
Nonetheless, it does not imply the project's completion, as the Berlin-Hamburg route will shut down completely from August 1, 2023, for a nine-month general renovation until April 30, 2026.
Long detours will be required for freight and passenger trains. Long-distance trains will once again pass via Uelzen and Salzwedel, adding at least 45 minutes to the journey time. Deutsche Bahn guarantees comprehensive and high-quality bus substitution service for regional passengers.
During the construction phase, a total of 181 kilometers of track, more than 200 switches, and about 70 kilometers of overhead line will be renovated, according to Deutsche Bahn. Post the general renovation, mobile phone and internet use in the train should significantly improve. The Hamburg-Berlin route is one of the most crucial city direct connections, with 230 trains daily and up to 30,000 passengers.
Timetable change improves connections
The reactivation of the route coincides with Deutsche Bahn's timetable change. With the new train schedule, connections to northern destinations will be enhanced. The extra trip to Copenhagen at 7:03 AM will be available four weeks longer than in the past years, from May 23 to August 31, 2023. The seasonal trip at 6:53 PM from Hamburg will start from April 11 instead of mid-June. All trains from Copenhagen will now depart an hour later. The final departure will be at 6:26 PM each evening, Deutsche Bahn announced.
Additionally, the initial Comfortjet trains of the Czech Railways will operate from Flensburg via Hamburg, Berlin, and Dresden to Prague. They are intended to gradually replace the older Eurocity carriages.
Individuals planning to travel with a Flexpreis ticket in the future will need to pay more than before. According to the railway, prices will escalate by an average of 5.9 percent. With a Flexpreis ticket, customers can board any long-distance train on the particular connection on a given day, ensuring more flexibility. The Spar and Superspar offers remain unchanged. The starting prices remain at 17.99 euros for Superspar tickets and 21.99 euros for Spar tickets.
Deutsche Bahn has announced an average increase of 6.6 percent for the Bahncard 100, which allows travelers to use all DB trains as frequently as they desire. For instance, the regular Bahncard 100 for second class will cost 4,899 euros for a year, while first-class travelers will have to pay 7,999 euros.
Travelers highly appreciate the restoration of direct trains provided by German Railways (Deutsche Bahn), as they no longer need to endure the lengthy detour via Uelzen and Stendal. This is made possible by the completion of a four-month construction project on the Hamburg-Berlin route.
Despite the current celebration, German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) has planned further construction work on the Berlin-Hamburg route, scheduled to commence from summer 2023, which will necessitate detours for both freight and passenger trains.