Starting December 14th, Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Polish State Railways (PKP) will increase the number of direct trains connecting Germany and Poland, from 11 to 17 daily return journeys, DB has announced.
The move comes in response to a clear rise in passenger demand for travel between the neighbouring countries, and is designed to offer travellers more frequent and faster cross-border options.
This winter travellers will be able to catch a train between the capital cities of Berlin and Warsaw every two hours, while passengers from southern and western German cities such as Munich, Nuremberg, and Frankfurt can expect travel times to Poland to be cut significantly.
New connections from Saxony
One of the highlights of the expanded service is a brand-new direct route connecting Leipzig with Wrocław and Kraków, running twice a day in each direction.
The journey time from Leipzig to Wrocław is expected to be around three and a half hours.
READ ALSO: Five surprising things about Dresden, a gem on the Elbe River
Chemnitz and Dresden will also be connected to the new long-distance route via stops in northern Saxony.
More trains from Berlin and Munich
Berlin will also see improved connectivity with Poland, with seven daily direct trains running to Warsaw.
There are also plans for a new daily overnight Eurocity service between Berlin and Przemysl via Wroclaw and Krakow, and between Berlin and Chelm via Lodz and Warsaw.Â
READ ALSO:
- What passengers from Germany should know about European train travel
- The destinations you can reach by direct night train from Berlin
The existing Munich–Warsaw night train (“Chopin”) will also receive additional carriages and operate between Munich, Krakow, and Przemysl in future, creating a direct connection between southern Germany and southern Poland.
More international rail connections planned
Earlier this year, DB also announced plans with Austria’s ÖBB and Italy’s Trenitalia to launch new high-speed train services linking Munich with Milan and Rome starting in December 2026.
These services will use Italian Frecciarossa 1000 trains adapted for operation across all three countries.
The Munich to Milan journey will take approximately 6.5 hours, while travel from Munich to Rome is expected to take about 8.5 hours, reducing current travel times by more than an hour on each route.Â
By December 2028, the routes will expand to include Berlin to Milan and Berlin to Naples connections, increasing service frequency to five daily train pairs between Germany and Italy, according to DB.
READ ALSO: 10 tips for travelling with kids in Germany
The new routes are part of the European Commission’s “European Metro” pilot project, which aims to improve cross-border rail travel and reduce reliance on short-haul flights.
Comments