Hamburg–Berlin corridor to reopen in two stages

Track renewal on the Hamburg–Berlin corridor, where Deutsche Bahn is replacing rails, switches and signalling as part of a route-wide overhaul before the line fully reopens on June 14. Photo: DB.

GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn will reopen the Hamburg–Berlin corridor in two stages, with trains returning on the Hamburg–Hagenow Land section from May 15 and full traffic on the route from June 14.

The first phase restores traffic on the northern section, allowing services towards Schwerin, Rostock and Stralsund to return to their normal timetable, while long-distance Hamburg–Berlin trains remain diverted until the full reopening.

Corridor closed for full overhaul

The line has been closed as part of a full-scale corridor overhaul, with DB renewing track, switches and signalling along one of Germany’s busiest rail axes.

The works form part of DB’s wider programme of upgrading entire corridors during extended closures to improve reliability and capacity.

Weather delays pushed reopening to June

Prolonged frost and near-continuous snow cover since early January delayed parts of the programme, delaying full reopening beyond the original spring target.

Once the corridor fully reopens in June, long-distance, regional and freight services will return to their normal routes, with DB planning more passenger services than before the closure, including additional open-access services alongside the regular ICE timetable.