Travellers between Paris and Berlin still have workable rail options despite the suspension of the direct daytime ICE service, with several alternative connections taking around eight and a half hours with one change.
Deutsche Bahn suspended the direct ICE service until further notice due to a technical fault linked to the European Train Control System supplied by Alstom, with affected passengers currently required to change trains in Frankfurt or Mannheim.
Current timetables
Current timetables show a range of alternative journeys from Paris, including:
06:41 Paris Est to 15:34 Berlin Hbf, 8h53, one change
09:06 Paris Est to 17:34 Berlin Hbf, 8h28, one change
10:53 Paris Est to 19:33 Berlin Hbf, 8h40, one change
11:07 Paris Est to 19:33 Berlin Hbf, 8h26, one change
13:10 Paris Est to 21:33 Berlin Hbf, 8h23, one change
These connections run via Mannheim, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe or Stuttgart from Paris Est, as well as a further option from Paris Nord via Cologne.
Rail Europe sells all of these alternative routings through a single booking platform, a feature the company says is relatively unusual in the market and one that becomes more valuable when a direct service is disrupted.
The disruption is a reminder that European rail travel does not depend on any single direct train, with multi-operator platforms allowing agents and travellers to compare and book alternative connections across the network when services change.
