For many residents in Germany, travelling across Europe often means juggling flights, stopovers and unfamiliar booking systems.
If recent announcements are anything to go by, that could soon change.
From summer 2028, a new direct ICE train will link Berlin with Oslo. Designed to offer a straightforward, comfortable and climate‑friendly all-rail route through northern Europe, it's one of ten cross‑border rail pilot projects currently backed by the European Commission.
A direct line through Northern Europe
Deutsche Bahn has confirmed plans to introduce a daily direct connection from Berlin to the Norwegian capital, travelling via Hamburg, Copenhagen, Malmö and Gothenburg.
Two round‑trip services are planned each day and the journey is expected to take around 14 to 15 hours in total.
The service will be operated by the ICE L, DB’s newest long‑distance train. The “L” stands for “low floor”, indicating step‑free access throughout much of the train. Other features include more space for families and improved mobile‑phone reception.
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The ICE L is scheduled to begin running between Hamburg and Copenhagen from December 2027, laying the groundwork for the full Berlin–Oslo service the following summer.
The project is being delivered in cooperation with Denmark’s DSB and Norway’s Vy, highlighting a growing push for joined‑up rail travel across national borders. According to DB, this is to be one of the longest rail connections in Europe, linking three capital cities on a single train.
A boom in long-distance rail travel
The Berlin–Oslo link is not happening in isolation. It is one of ten pilot projects supported by the European Commission aimed at expanding cross‑border long‑distance rail connections.
The selected pilot routes span much of Europe and include new day and night services linking major cities from Scandinavia to southern Europe. By backing projects like the planned Berlin–Oslo connection, Brussels hopes to encourage rail operators to make international train journeys a realistic alternative to flying.
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At the same time, demand for international rail travel is already rising steadily. DB reports strong passenger growth on established routes such as Munich–Zurich and Frankfurt–Paris, with increases of more than 20 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year.
Since 2019, almost a third more people have chosen trains for journeys within Europe, according to DB, a number which equates to over 25 million additional passengers.
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