Deutsche Bahn (DB) has temporarily removed the direct ICE connection between Berlin, Frankfurt, and Paris from its schedule. The company informed the “Tagesspiegel” that the cancellation is due to technical problems concerning the European train signaling system provided by Alstom.
Passengers who had booked tickets for these routes were notified by DB via its app, DB Navigator, and email, with instructions that they must now transfer in either Frankfurt am Main or Mannheim. Notably, the public was not informed about the temporary suspension of the prestigious train service. The exact time when operations can resume remains unclear, although Alstom has stated that they are working intensely to “enable the connection as quickly as possible.”
The direct service had been launched in December 2024 and received significant media attention. At the time of its introduction, the Federal Minister of Transport (non-partisan) Volker Wissing referred to the line as symbolizing “living friendship.” Former DB CEO Richard Lutz emphasized that the ICE Berlin-Paris represented the “good German-French cooperation” and was a “backbone of a united Europe.”
The ICE Berlin-Paris route had previously enjoyed high demand, with an average occupancy rate of around 80 percent. For travelers affected by the current disruption, alternative options include routes requiring transfers, as well as the night trains operated by the Dutch-Belgian startup European Sleeper, which also connects both capital cities directly.
