Trains travelling to Germany in 2026
What will change with the ICE and Nightjet routes
30 December 2025
A lot has happened over the past year. ICE trains now run to Berlin, and Nightjet trains to Austria and Switzerland have been rerouted. The Nightjet to Austria now has new carriages, and the Nightjet to Zurich will have modernized carriages starting in mid-December. 2026 is also shaping up to be a special year.
Erik Leddy, Regisseur of ICE & Nightjet, shares their plans for the coming year.
Engineering work on the railway line
"There will be far fewer construction projects affecting our passengers in the coming year," says Erik. "ICE trains will sometimes divert via Venlo instead of Arnhem, but this will happen much less frequently than in previous years. The work in Emmerich took 80 weeks, but it was completed on May 18. Therefore, starting May 19, night trains to Austria and Switzerland will run via Utrecht and Arnhem again, rather than via Amersfoort or Eindhoven.
"There will be engineering works in Austria until mid-May,'" Erik continues. "As a result, the Nightjet to Innsbruck and Vienna will sometimes depart half an hour earlier. These new departure times have now been incorporated into the planner."
ICE to Munich and Frankfurt
The morning ICE train to Munich consists of two coupled units. This makes the train twice as long as most other trains to Germany, allowing it to carry twice as many passengers. Newly, the train also runs in this extra-long configuration on the return journey.
Erik adds, "Another advantage is that the train leaves Munich two hours earlier and arrives in Amsterdam around 21:30 hrs, which is a convenient arrival time for passengers who need to travel further."
The ICE train to Frankfurt, which departs from Amsterdam at 10.31 hrs, now has two units. The earlier train to Frankfurt, which departs at 8:31, already runs in double formation.
ICE to Berlin
Oscar Labrovic, Regisseur of ICE to Berlin, says that, starting October 2, 2026, construction on the German railway will change the timetable. "The ICE to Berlin will still run seven trains a day to and from Germany. However, only three trains will travel to Hanover. If you want to go to Berlin, you will have to change trains there. Four trains will run directly to Berlin via Hamburg. They will stop at Hamburg-Harburg and Hamburg-Bergedorf stations.
"If you want to take the train to Copenhagen from Hamburg Hbf, for example, you can take the S-Bahn or a local train. This train runs about 15 times an hour between Hamburg-Harburg and Hamburg Hbf.
"This change will take effect in October and continue until December 2027. Although the journey time to Berlin will be longer, you can travel directly to Hamburg with ICE. That's an added bonus!"
ICE in the summer of 2026
Seat reservations will be mandatory again this summer. The mandatory period will run from June 27 to August 31, 2026.
Nightjet news
Erik has two pieces of Nightjet news. "The Nightjet to Basel and Zurich has beautiful, refurbished carriages with four sleeping berths. They have been running on this route since December last year and our passengers are enthusiastic about them!
"What's more, work in Austria is proving beneficial for people who want to travel to Salzburg in comfort and without having to change trains. From 13 June, the Nightjet to Vienna will stop in Salzburg on the way and skip Passau."
The Nighjet route to Zurich
Erik explains that the Nightjet to Basel and Zurich will bypass Frankfurt Hbf for a while, though it will still stop at Frankfurt Airport. "The reason is a special one," he chuckles. "Most people won't be interested in this, so they can skip it.
"Frankfurt Hbf is a terminus station. That means the train has to turn around, which requires an extra locomotive. There isn’t one available in Germany at the moment. A new one will only be available later this year. Until then, this train will travel via Frankfurt Airport to Basel with our locomotive. There, it will be replaced by a Swiss locomotive and continue on to Zurich."
By train on the Betuwe Line
Erik concludes with an interesting fact. "For those who would like to travel on the Betuwe Line, know that in the fall, trains to Germany will run temporarily on this freight railway line between Geldermalsen and Elst. The trains will continue to run via Arnhem."
Would you like to travel by train on the Betuwe Line? Book a ticket for the ICE to Frankfurt or Munich or the Nightjet with a travel date between October 19 and November 1.
