photo: doc7austin on X (Twitter)/PKP Intercity Siemens Vectron electric locomotive 6193 060
Rail connections between Germany and Poland are set to expand significantly under the 2026 timetable, with operators introducing new direct services and increasing the number of cross-border trains. The changes strengthen links not only between the two countries but also improve onward connections toward Ukraine.
New Leipzig–Wrocław–Kraków Line Marks Major Step
Deutsche Bahn (DB) and PKP Intercity have launched a new direct EuroCity line linking Leipzig with Wrocław and Kraków, with two of the four daily services continuing to Przemyśl, close to the Polish-Ukrainian border. This is the first time Leipzig and southern Poland have been connected by direct EuroCity trains without transfers.
The new route operates twice daily in each direction and brings journey times of around three and a half hours to Wrocław and approximately seven hours to Kraków. With the latest additions, the total number of EuroCity services between Germany and Poland rises to 34 trains per day, representing a 50% increase compared with previous schedules.
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Beyond the main city pairs, the line also improves access for intermediate locations. Stations such as Riesa and Hoyerswerda in Saxony, as well as Elsterwerda and Ruhland in Brandenburg, gain direct long-distance services. Coordinated connections further improve links from cities including Chemnitz, Dresden, Görlitz, Cottbus and Berlin, including BER Airport.
According to RailwayPro, Michael Peterson, a member of DB’s management board responsible for long-distance passenger transport, said demand for international rail travel continues to rise. "More and more people are traveling by train across national borders. We are responding to the increased demand for connections between Germany and Poland with a significant expansion of rail transport," he said, adding that the new services are important from political, economic and tourism perspectives.
PKP Intercity CEO Janusz Malinowski also pointed to sustained growth in cross-border travel. "The number of passengers traveling on our trains to Germany is growing every year," he said, explaining that the operator is expanding services not only to Berlin but also to other German cities such as Leipzig.
Improved Rail Connectivity Extends to Ukrainian Passengers
The timetable changes also have implications beyond Germany and Poland. As reported by Ukrainian railway outlet UZ-GIS, Ukrzaliznytsia has coordinated schedules with Deutsche Bahn and PKP Intercity to offer faster and more reliable rail journeys between Ukraine and Germany with a single transfer, primarily via Przemyśl.
From December 2025, the number of daily direct train pairs between Germany and Poland will increase from 11 to 17, improving transfer options for Ukrainian passengers heading west. These connections allow travellers from cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia to reach major German hubs, including Leipzig, Dresden, Berlin and Munich, without overnight waits on platforms and with guaranteed transfers.
The improved rail offer reflects the scale of demand. Germany hosts the largest Ukrainian community in Europe, with more than 1.14 million Ukrainians granted temporary protection by the end of 2024. Rail operators say the revised schedules are designed to respond to this sustained travel demand while offering a more predictable and comfortable alternative to long-distance road transport.
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Infrastructure Investment and Strategic Context
German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder linked the service expansion to long-term infrastructure investment. "The new rail service strengthens the good neighborly relations between Germany and Poland and allows more people to discover their neighboring country in an environmentally friendly way," he said, noting that more than EUR 1.1 billion has been invested in cross-border rail infrastructure in Germany alone.
Schnieder also mentioned the broader context, saying that Europe’s current security situation has increased the strategic importance of cross-border rail connections, alongside their economic and cultural role.
The new services will be operated using modernised EuroCity coaches from PKP Intercity, each offering more than 300 seats. Tickets can be booked up to six months in advance, including through international discount offers, with mandatory seat reservations automatically included on cross-border sections.
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