Berlin-Hamburg train route to close fully for nine months

An arterial line of Germany’s railway network, the Berlin-Hamburg route is set to close entirely for nine months starting August 1. Here’s what passengers should prepare for:

Berlin-Hamburg train route to close from August 1

Starting on August 1, 2025, the train route running between Berlin and Hamburg will be entirely closed until April 30, 2026.

The disruption comes as Deutsche Bahn continues major construction works across Germany’s national track network. Renovation works on dilapidated sections of the line should lead to fewer delays once the route reopens.

The summer months will see multiple routes close across the country, including those between Berlin and Rostock, Leipzig and Dresden, and Berlin and Amsterdam.

Hamburg-Berlin route will be served with replacement buses

In the meantime, the two-hour high-speed train between the two German cities will take an extra 45 minutes, as the services will be diverted around the closure.

For those travelling on regional transport, replacement buses will be in operation. Around 210 replacement buses have been earmarked to serve the route during the nine-month renovation period.

These buses are currently in production and will be kitted out with internet and USB charging ports. Buses replacing regional trains that run longer stretches of the Berlin-Hamburg route will also have toilets on board.