Overview
- The Dresdner Bahn opens between Südkreuz and Blankenfelde, cutting Hauptbahnhof–BER trips to about 23 minutes as the FEX runs every 15 minutes.
- Deutsche Bahn adds 14 ICE-Sprinter services and expands half-hourly ICE coverage to 21 cities, including a new Berlin–Stuttgart Sprinter in 4 hours 45 minutes.
- The first ICE L with step-free boarding enters service on Berlin–Cologne, with further deployments announced in 2026 on routes to Hamburg, Sylt and via NRW.
- Long-distance fares remain unchanged through 2026, while underused links are reduced, including fewer trips via Leipzig–Jena–Nürnberg and the end of stops in Lübeck and Berchtesgaden.
- Extensive works continue into 2026, with the Berlin–Hamburg line closed until April and dozens of major refurbishments planned, and Berlin’s map shifts as S45 ends and Gesundbrunnen and Spandau lose direct BER trains.