Train timetable change - Bremerhaven loses IC connection

As of: October 11, 2024 6:48 p.m

With Deutsche Bahn’s winter timetable, a lot of things are changing in Lower Saxony and Bremen. After a two-year test phase, Bremerhaven lost its only IC connection due to a lack of demand.

From December 15th, this train will instead run from Cologne through the Emsland to Norddeich Mole. The demand for a fast IC connection to Bremerhaven was below expectations, the railway said. Continued operation is no longer possible due to the persistently weak demand. Bremerhaven’s mayor Melf Grantz (SPD) criticized the discontinuation of the intercity connection.

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A new night ICE to Zurich

With the timetable change, Bremen will have a second direct ICE connection to Berlin with a stopover only in Hanover. A new night ICE will in future connect Wolfsburg, Hanover and Göttingen to Berlin, Frankfurt and Zurich. On the weekends there is a new direct ICE from Hamburg via Lüneburg, Uelzen, Celle, Hanover and Göttingen to the Black Forest and Lake Constance.

The timetable changes at a glance:

Additional ICE between Bremen and Berlin: With the timetable change, there will be a second ICE direct connection to the capital – travel time 2 hours and 45 minutes.
IC from Bremerhaven-Cologne canceled: According to DB, the reason is the low demand for the connection. Instead, the Intercity will run from Koblenz/Cologne through the Emsland to Norddeich Mole.
New ICE Bremen-Osnabrück-Cologne: A Eurocity train that runs on the Hamburg-Bremen-Osnabrück route becomes an ICE. The same train will then continue from Cologne to Basel via Frankfurt Airport without changing trains.
Night ICE to Berlin and Zurich: Wolfsburg, Hanover and Göttingen are to be connected to Berlin, Frankfurt and Switzerland with the night ICE.
Weekend ICE to Lake Constance: The direct ICE from Hamburg travels via Lüneburg, Uelzen, Celle, Hanover and Göttingen to the Black Forest and Lake Constance.
Intercity via Uelzen and Lüneburg to Hamburg: The IC between Magdeburg and Hamburg will in future travel via Uelzen and Lüneburg instead of via Wittenberge and Ludwigslust.

The new timetable applies from December 15th. All changes are available on the Deutsche Bahn website. The connections can be booked from October 16th. The pre-booking period for domestic trips is to be extended from six to twelve months.

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