New High-Speed Rail Link Between Paris and Berlin

It’s confirmed—a new direct train route connecting Paris and Berlin is in progress. The announcement was made last week in a joint statement by Germany's Deutsche Bahn and France's SNCF rail services.

“I truly believe in the immense potential of rail travel across Europe. Our upcoming direct link between the centers of our two capitals will encourage even more people to choose train travel,” remarked Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn, during a ceremony in Strasbourg, France, on May 24, celebrating 15 years of collaboration between the French and German rail networks.

As European nations seek methods to lower carbon emissions, investment in sustainable rail systems is gaining traction. This new Paris-Berlin connection exemplifies that commitment.

“In light of the climate emergency, rail travel is the ideal transportation option and presents the best alternative for both business and leisure journeys between our two nations,” stated Jean-Pierre Farandou, president of SNCF, in a recent announcement.

Currently, there are a few direct rail links between France and Germany, such as those connecting Frankfurt to Paris, Stuttgart to Paris, and Frankfurt to Marseille.

Paris and Berlin are quite a distance apart, which is why establishing a nonstop high-speed rail service has taken time—the two capitals are separated by 650 miles. Presently, the quickest train journey between them lasts about 7 hours and 30 minutes and requires a transfer in Frankfurt; with multiple transfers, the travel time can exceed 9 hours.

Farandou informed the Agence France-Presse news agency last week that the new route from Paris to Berlin will reduce the travel time to just 7 hours upon its launch in December 2023.