Karlsruhe-Munich: ICE connections no longer apply – change necessary!

Karlsruhe-Munich: ICE connections no longer apply – change necessary!

Deutsche Bahn's construction work is causing significant changes to train traffic between Karlsruhe and Munich. From Thursday evening, July 3rd, travelers will have to change trains in Stuttgart until August 15th, as the two-hourly direct ICE connections will no longer be available. This was confirmed by Deutsche Bahn, which points to the ongoing work on the route between Augsburg and Ulm, which is the reason for this change. Continuous train traffic in the usual form will therefore no longer be possible. The usual journey time from Karlsruhe to Munich was 2 hours and 45 minutes, but when changing in Stuttgart, travelers now have to expect more than three hours, as some connections will be significantly extended as a result of the changes.

The construction work that will take place between May 6th and May 16th on the high-speed line between Wendlingen and Ulm will not only have an impact on regional traffic, but also on long-distance traffic. During this time, timetable changes and train cancellations are expected. Here, too, passengers have to contend with longer waiting times and diversions, as the ICE connections from Karlsruhe to Stuttgart are being diverted and travel times can be extended by around 20 minutes. The ICE 11 and ICE 42 lines are particularly affected, as they have to make additional stops, which also affects travel times. Some trains on the ICE/TGV connection from Paris to Munich are also partially or completely canceled. This makes the journey more uncomfortable for many passengers, as deutschebahn.de reports.

Affected connections and timetable changes

The construction sites not only have an impact on the connection between Karlsruhe and Munich, but also on many other train connections in the region. Here is an overview of the most important changes:

• ICE-Linie 11 (Berlin – Leipzig – Frankfurt – Stuttgart – München): Umleitung mit zusätzlichem Halt in Günzburg und einer Fahrzeitverlängerung um etwa 40 Minuten.
• ICE-Linie 22 (Hamburg – Kassel – Frankfurt – Mannheim – Stuttgart): Entfällt über den Abschnitt Mannheim-Stuttgart.
• ICE-Linie 42 (Hamburg – Köln – Frankfurt – Mannheim – Stuttgart – München): Umleitung zur Fahrzeitverlängerung.
• ICE-Linie 83 (Stuttgart – Karlsruhe – Strasbourg – Paris): Negative Auswirkungen auf die Verbindung, da einige Züge nur zwischen Paris und Karlsruhe verkehren.

There will be heavy diversions and cancellations on the routes during the construction period, which will inevitably lead to longer travel times and unplanned waiting times for travelers. Travelers should find out about their connections in good time on the railway website or in the DB Navigator app. The provider recommends choosing earlier connections to allow enough time for any delays.

However, as tagesschau.de emphasizes, this is not the only construction site in German rail transport. More than 40 railway lines are to be modernized by 2030, which could lead to similar restrictions again and again in the coming years. The Riedbahn between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim in particular will be closed for several months from July 15th, and the ICE high-speed route between Cologne and Frankfurt will also be temporarily closed for almost four weeks from July 16th due to renovation work.

Although improving the infrastructure is unavoidable, the changes require a high degree of flexibility and patience from travelers. The DB is doing everything necessary to keep the impact on passengers as low as possible. Locations for replacement services and information about diversions that have been implemented are provided to provide travelers with orientation in the uncertain phase.

The following applies to all travelers affected by this: Plan your trips in good time and don't be discouraged by the diversions - with a little more time, the journeys can still be managed. Modernizing the railway will ensure better travel in the long term.