Major changes: Hamburg-Berlin railway line closed from August 2025!

Major changes: Hamburg-Berlin railway line closed from August 2025!

In the summer of 2025, travelers on the important railway line between Hamburg and Berlin will face massive changes. From August 1, 2025, 9 p.m., this 278 kilometer long route will be closed for eight months due to a comprehensive general renovation by Deutsche Bahn. The work, which will last until April 30, 2026, aims to renew tracks, switches and overhead lines and create additional transfer points. In addition, 28 train stations along the route will be modernized and some will be converted into so-called train stations of the future, like Deutsche Bahn reported.

This general renovation must be seen in a larger context of infrastructure investments. The federal government is planning a total of 166 billion euros by 2029 to renovate dilapidated railway lines and motorway bridges. Around 107 billion euros are flowing into rail, which is a significant step towards improving the now often overloaded transport routes tagesschau.de.

Travel times and alternative transport

Long-distance traffic will be severely restricted during the closure. Around 230 trains run on this connection every day, transporting around 30,000 passengers. During the construction work, the direct connection from Schwerin to Berlin will no longer be available. Travelers have to be prepared for longer journey times and replacement buses. The connection from Rostock to Hamburg is offered three times a day by IC, but with a diversion via Lübeck, which increases the travel time by an hour. The new RE85 direct connection between Schwerin and Berlin is offered every two hours and at least provides some relief, although the travel time from Schwerin to Berlin will then be around two and a half hours. as presented by Deutsche Bahn.

The effects of the construction work are far-reaching. Travelers should expect an extension of at least 45 minutes for long-distance connections. There is also talk of constant diversions and bus decisions, which can vary depending on traffic volume. Travelers are asked to check their tickets before traveling as the new connections will automatically adjust to the changed travel times.

Buses and train connections

Up to 170 purple buses will be used for replacement services, covering up to 86,000 kilometers per day. The relevant regional transport lines are also affected, including the Schwerin-Hamburg and Wismar-Berlin routes, some of which use buses to replace trains. During this time, commuters have the option of carpooling or car sharing and should also keep an eye on long-distance bus services.

Deutsche Bahn will provide relevant information on its website and in the “DB Navigator” app, and passengers can request help directly via a service telephone. Passengers should also be aware that for delays of at least one hour, compensation of 25% of the ticket price is possible. However, there are no special cancellation rights for the BahnCard due to these changes. Read more: here.