Flixtrain adds Berlin-Bremen route and more trains from December

Flixtrain, the long-distance rail operator, will add more trains from Berlin to Hamburg, Frankfurt and several cities in the Ruhr region from 13 December. It will also start a new direct route between Berlin and Bremen. According to The Local Germany, tickets for the new timetable can be booked from 14 October.

What happened

The Local Germany reports that Flixtrain is expanding its network for winter. The changes start with the national timetable change on 13 December. In German this is the Fahrplanwechsel, the yearly date when rail operators across the country switch to new schedules.

Berlin to Hamburg gets the biggest increase. Flixtrain plans to raise the number of daily trains on this route from up to 14 to up to 20. On particularly busy days, trains will run every hour between the two cities. The Local notes that this is one of Germany’s busiest rail corridors. It recently went through major renovation work, with new tracks, switches and overhead lines, plus improvements at dozens of stations. According to the report, those upgrades have not yet made journeys any shorter.

Flixtrain says some of its services on the route will be faster than comparable ICE connections run by Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s state-owned rail company. ICE stands for Intercity-Express, Deutsche Bahn’s high-speed service. Flixtrain adds that exact journey times will vary.

There will also be more trains from Berlin to Cologne, Düsseldorf, Essen, Duisburg and Frankfurt. The new Berlin-Bremen direct connection will run up to ten trains per day.

What it means for you

If you live in Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, Frankfurt, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Essen or Duisburg, or travel often between these cities, you will have more departure times to choose from and another alternative to Deutsche Bahn. This is especially true between Berlin and Hamburg. The new Berlin-Bremen route gives you a direct option on a connection that did not have a Flixtrain service before.

These are the key dates:

• 14 October: tickets for the new timetable go on sale.
• 13 December: the new timetable comes into effect, along with the extra services and the Berlin-Bremen route.

If you are planning trips home or visits over the Christmas period, check Flixtrain’s departures for your route once booking opens. You can then compare times and prices with Deutsche Bahn.

Flixtrain says its refurbished “Comfort” trains have air conditioning and free Wi-Fi, and the ticket price includes a guaranteed seat reservation. With Deutsche Bahn, a reservation is often an extra charge, so this is worth knowing. Some trains also have traditional compartments, which The Local suggests may suit families or anyone who wants a quieter journey.

Flixtrain is still affected by the delays and cancellations that hit Germany’s wider rail network. The Local points out that it runs on the same tracks as Deutsche Bahn, so construction work and network disruptions can still affect its services. Before you travel, check for planned engineering works or disruptions on your route, especially at busy times.

What to watch next

Flixtrain told The Local Germany that it is in its strongest period of growth since it launched. It wants to attract more passengers to long-distance rail. The company is already Deutsche Bahn’s largest competitor in the long-distance market and plans to keep expanding in the coming years.

Flixtrain has ordered 65 new high-speed trains from the Spanish manufacturer Talgo and is investing around €2.4 billion in its fleet. The Local reports that the aim is more trains, more departure times and a wider range of services on some of Germany’s busiest routes. The source does not say when the new trains will enter service or which routes they will run on. Readers who rely on these connections should watch for further timetable announcements from the company.

Source: The Local Germany