Oslo and Berlin will be connected by rail for the first time in 20 years, with a new direct service set to launch in 2028.
The cross-border cooperation between Norway’s national railway Vy, Denmark’s DSB and Germany’s Deutsche Bahn will launch the route without the need for a single train change.
Deutsche Bahn’s ICE L trains will connect the two capitals via Hamburg, Copenhagen, Malmo and Gothenburg.
The route includes stops in Moss, Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg, Halden, Trollhättan, Gothenburg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Lund, Malmo and Copenhagen airport and Copenhagen H.
Trains, fitted with a restaurant car and a family section, will then continue to Odense, Kolding, Padborg and Hamburg before arriving in Berlin.
According to Vy, travelling from Oslo to Copenhagen will take around seven hours. The full Oslo to Berlin route will take approximately 15 hours.
It’s been more than 20 years since Norwegians could ride a direct train to Copenhagen, said the railway operator.
Round-trip rail journeys are planned to run twice daily from summer 2028, with departure times and ticket prices to be announced closer to the first service.
Gro Bakstad, CEO of Vy, said: “It is fantastic that we are now getting a new, fixed train route in place between Oslo, Copenhagen, Hamburg and Berlin. The collaboration with DSB and Deutsche Bahn means that we will be able to connect Norway more closely to Europe, and in the long term, this could open up direct trains to more European cities.”
Michael Peterson, CEO of DB Fernverkehr, added: “If you want to experience Europe, jump on the train! With high fuel prices, long-distance trains are a good alternative to cars and planes. With the new, international route from Berlin via Copenhagen to Oslo, we are connecting Northern Europe and three capitals by train.”
Read more: New train connects two major European cities by rail for first time in ten years
