Berlin-Hamburg rail reopens after 10 months, but first-day delays and political criticism cloud the restart

Direct rail services between Berlin and Hamburg resumed early Sunday following a general overhaul that shut the 290-kilometre corridor in August 2025. The reopening came roughly six weeks later than the original 30 April target, which Deutsche Bahn blamed on a harsh winter and frozen ground.

Reopening after 10 months

Goods trains were the first to use the rebuilt line on Saturday evening. The first long-distance passenger service, an Intercity-Express, left Hamburg Hauptbahnhof at 5:36 a.m. with a slight delay. A mid-May partial reopening had already restored through-running between Hamburg and Schwerin, but Sunday marked the return of full connectivity.

Morning delays

Despite the railway extending scheduled journey times during a transition phase that runs until 30 June, passengers faced extra waiting. ICE 604, due to depart Berlin at 9:37 and arrive in Hamburg at 11:35 under the transitional timetable, was announced for an 11:45 arrival – a trip of 128 minutes. Other early services also ran late. Deutsche Bahn had cautioned that a ramp-up of this scale could bring initial teething problems and urged travellers to check departure boards before setting out.

Scope of the overhaul

During the corridor renovation, 165 kilometres of track were replaced and a further 61 kilometres refurbished. Workers installed 249 new switches and modernised 28 stations. While the line was closed, long-distance and freight trains were diverted via Stendal and Uelzen, and regional passengers relied on a fleet of more than 200 replacement buses.

Political pressure

Opposition and coalition politicians used the reopening to press for a frank assessment.

“Amid all the relief about the end of the diversions, we must not gloss over the serious weaknesses of this mammoth project. The balance sheet shows shadow sides that we have to name without any glossing over.”

“For the upcoming corridor renovations, we need reliable schedules and transparent communication that keeps the promises made to citizens.”

Troff-Schaffarzyk, an SPD transport expert, said construction schedules and buffers for critical infrastructure must be calculated more robustly and made crisis-proof.

What happens next

The transitional timetable runs until 30 June. From 1 July, the regular schedule promises a Berlin–Hamburg journey time of 107 minutes. Former DB chief Hartmut Mehdorn once spoke of a 90-minute connection, a benchmark that remains far out of reach as the freshly renovated line settles into service.