The direct ICE service between Paris and Berlin will remain suspended, with the disruption currently scheduled to continue until 31 October 2026, Rail Europe told RailwayPRO. Passengers can still travel between the two capitals using several one-change alternatives taking around eight and a half hours, although protection in the event of a missed connection depends on how the journey is ticketed and on the operators involved.
The direct rail link between Paris and Berlin, launched less than two years ago, remains suspended because of technical problems affecting the European Train Control System (ETCS) installed on Deutsche Bahn’s ICE fleet used for services to France.
Rail Europe, the European rail ticket distribution platform, told RailwayPRO that the disruption is currently scheduled to continue until 31 October 2026.
What happens after that date remains uncertain.
“Beyond that date, Rail Europe has not received a confirmed date from its operator partners for the return of the direct service,” the company told RailwayPRO.
Technical issues affect Alstom-supplied ETCS
Deutsche Bahn suspended the direct Paris–Berlin ICE service in early August due to technical problems with the ETCS equipment supplied by Alstom.
The German operator has asked the French manufacturer to resolve the issue, while Alstom has said it is working intensively to enable the direct service to resume as soon as possible. No confirmed restart date has been announced.
The issue is particularly significant because Alstom had previously been contracted by Deutsche Bahn to equip 17 Class 407 ICE 3 trainsets with its Atlas ETCS system for international operation.
The contract, awarded in 2019 and worth more than EUR 30 million, covered the development, installation and integration of ETCS with existing national train protection systems, including the equipment required for operation on the Paris–Strasbourg high-speed line.
One change adds up to around one hour to the journey
The suspension does not leave Paris and Berlin without competitive daytime rail connections.
Rail Europe said passengers still have access to several one-change itineraries, with travellers generally choosing the options offering the shortest overall journey time.
Examples provided to RailwayPRO show journey times ranging from 8 hours 23 minutes to 8 hours 53 minutes.
Among the options currently available are:
Paris Est 06:41 – Berlin Hbf 15:34: 8h53
Paris Est 09:06 – Berlin Hbf 17:34: 8h28
Paris Est 10:53 – Berlin Hbf 19:33: 8h40
Paris Est 11:07 – Berlin Hbf 19:33: 8h26
Paris Est 13:10 – Berlin Hbf 21:33: 8h23
Depending on the departure, passengers can change trains in Frankfurt, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart or Cologne.
Rail Europe does not currently have a ranking of the most frequently used interchange stations, but said that Frankfurt and Cologne are natural transfer points when combining high-speed services.
Before its suspension, the direct train connected the French and German capitals in around eight hours, allowing passengers to make the journey without changing trains.
The direct service was launched by Deutsche Bahn and SNCF Voyageurs in December 2024.
Missed-connection protection depends on the ticket
The requirement to change trains introduces another issue that did not exist on the direct service: what happens when a delay causes a passenger to miss the connecting train.
Rail Europe told RailwayPRO that protection depends on both the way the journey is ticketed and the operators involved.
“As a distributor, Rail Europe does not add automatic connection protection to journeys made up of separate transport contracts,” the company said.
Some European operators participate in the voluntary Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC). Under the agreement, participating operators will generally seek to accommodate passengers on the next available service following disruption, subject to their respective conditions.
Rail Europe therefore advises travellers to check the conditions attached to their specific journey. Passengers can also opt for travel insurance offering additional protection against disruption or cancellation.
Rail Europe expects some impact on demand
Rail Europe does not yet have detailed figures it can disclose on changes in searches or bookings since the direct service was suspended.
The company said, however, that Paris–Berlin remains a popular route and it does not expect overall search interest to be materially affected, particularly because several workable one-change alternatives remain available.
The direct service was still relatively new and demand was continuing to build, although Rail Europe said it had already seen positive momentum, particularly through its B2B business.
Nevertheless, the distributor expects the suspension to have some impact over the coming months.
“A direct train naturally offers a simpler journey, with less risk, fatigue and stress than having to make a connection, particularly for international passengers who may be unfamiliar with the interchange station,” Rail Europe told RailwayPRO.
The need to change trains therefore adds friction to a journey that had been marketed precisely around the convenience of a direct connection between the two European capitals.
Rail remains a viable alternative
Despite the additional interchange, Rail Europe considers rail to remain a competitive option between Paris and Berlin.
The fastest available itineraries currently take around eight and a half hours, while both cities are served from centrally located stations.
There is no single representative fare range for the alternatives. Rail Europe explained that fares are dynamically priced by the individual operators according to demand, availability and travel date, with earlier bookings generally offering access to better prices.
For the time being, however, one of the main advantages introduced with the December 2024 launch has disappeared: passengers can still travel between Paris and Berlin by rail in competitive journey times, but they must now change trains along the way.
The disruption is currently scheduled until 31 October 2026, while Rail Europe says it has received no confirmed information on when the direct ICE service will return beyond that date.
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