Travelling between the capital cities of Denmark, Germany and Czechia directly by train will be possible from spring 2026, announced the railway companies of the three countries involved.
Deutsche Bahn (DB), Danish railways (DSB) and Czech railways (ČD) are partnering to offer the new direct connection, which will start on 1 May 2026, when general overhaul work on the line between Berlin and Hamburg is complete.
"Rail is bringing Europe closer and closer together. Journey times of over four hours are popular with our passengers in international long-distance transport, and we are offering additional attractive services to meet the growing demand," said Michael Peterson, DB Board Member for Long Distance Passenger Transport. "Our strategy of growth in international long-distance transport is truly working."
The connection will be served by ČD's ComfortJet trains – offering an eco-friendly travel option between the three European capitals. Other planned stops in Germany include Dresden and Hamburg.
Year-round, two trains will run in each direction every day, with journey times of seven hours between Copenhagen and Berlin, and 11 hours between Copenhagen and Prague. A seasonal night-time connection will also be offered; a night train is already operated between Hamburg and Copenhagen in the summer, but it will be extended to Prague via Berlin and Dresden from 2026.
One of ten projects
The connection will be served by the new ComfortJet trains, which can reach top speeds of up to 230 km/h and have 555 seats, including 99 in first class.
They are also equipped with an onboard restaurant, radio-frequency-transparent windows, Wi-Fi, a children's cinema, and adjustable seats. There is space on board for 12 bicycles. The trains also have wheelchair lifts.
The new route is the first of 10 pilot projects supported by the European Commission to increase cross-border rail connections. The list of projects, which was presented at the beginning of 2023, also included a night train Amsterdam-Brussels-Barcelona and the reinforcement of the London-Brussels-Amsterdam route.
Another recently announced project on the list is the new direct connection linking Munich, Milan and Rome. Last December, DB and France's SNCF also started services on their new direct connection between Berlin and Paris.
