• ICE L will operate to Northern Europe from the end of 2027
• New direct connection in cooperation with Norwegian Vy and Danish DSB
• Today, over 25 million passengers travel abroad on 300 long-distance services every day
•Passenger numbers up by around 30 per cent since 2019
(Berlin, May 9th 2026) It will be one of the longest rail routes across Europe: From summer 2028, Deutsche Bahn (DB) will offer a new daily direct service between Berlin and Oslo via Hamburg, Copenhagen, Malmö and Gothenburg, in cooperation with the Norwegian company Vy and the Danish company DSB. The service will be operated with the ICE L, DB’s newest train. Two daily return services are planned. The journey time for the entire route from Berlin to Oslo will be around 14–15 hours.
From December 2027, the ICE L will already be operating between Hamburg and Copenhagen. The new direct service Hamburg–Copenhagen–Oslo is one of ten pilot projects supported by the European Commission for new cross-border long-distance rail connections. Particularly in light of the current oil crisis, rail travel is also proving popular for journeys to other European countries, with stable offers and reliable prices.
Michael Peterson, Member of the Management Board for Long Distance Passenger Transport at DB: “If you want to experience Europe, hop on a train! With fuel prices so high, long-distance trains remain a great alternative to driving or flying. With our new international service from Berlin via Copenhagen to Oslo, we’re connecting Northern Europe even more closely – and linking three capital cities by rail.” (....)