Deutsche Bahn (DB) is continuing to improve its ICE offer with its 2023 timetable. Of course, this applies to domestic German lines, but it can also be an advantage for French travellers who prefer the train. For example, the densification of the Cologne-Munich line to two ICEs per hour. As for trains passing through StuttgartThey will fast connections with the DB/SNCF Paris-Strasbourg-Stuttgart line. This will significantly improve access to the Bavarian capital from France. Especially as the Stuttgart-Munich route will be 15 minutes faster.
DB also strengthens its ICE services to Frankfurt airport. With 60% of seats to the Lufthansa hub, the rail company is offering a fast, environmentally-friendly alternative to short-haul flights within Germany. The ICE Basel-Frankfurt Airport-Cologne-Dortmund service, for example, has been extended to Hamburg. Passengers landing in Frankfurt will be able to travel quickly by train to cities in the north, including Bremen. But also Munich and Augsburg in Bavaria.
In 2023, Deutsche Bahn will receive 37 new ICE trainsa record. The number of seats on ICE trains will gradually increase by around 19,000 over the year as a whole. On particularly popular routes, such as Hamburg-Basel, DB will be introducing its XXL-ICE 4 with 13 cars. With a length of 374 metres and room for 918 passengers, the XXL-ICE can carry five times more people than a medium-haul aircraft. The Basel-Hamburg route is accessible to passengers from the east of France thanks to a connection at Offenbourg, 20 km from Strasbourg.
On the high-speed lines between France and Germany, no densification is planned. On the other hand, DB is continuing to expand its network to other European countries. In particular between Stuttgart and ZurichIn December, there will be an additional round trip (8 connections per day). In October 2023, the number of daily trains between the two cities will increase to 13. From March onwards, DB, in cooperation with Polish rail operator PKP, will be offering a Sixth daily service between Berlin and Warsaw. In addition, the journey time will increase by around ten minutes from December, giving a total journey time of 5 hours 45 minutes.
Michael Peterson, Managing Director, Long Distance Passenger Traffic, said in his presentation: "With the new winter timetable, Deutsche Bahn is clearly setting the course for growth. Our passengers will benefit directly from investments in infrastructure and new vehicles. By 2023, our train fleet will have grown by three new ICEs every month. That's a record.
