From Friday, the direct train service from Prague to Hamburg will be suspended: due to extensive engineering works in Germany, EuroCity trains from Czechia will terminate in Berlin for approximately nine months. Travellers should prepare for longer journey times and changes en route.
Rail connections between Prague, Berlin, and Hamburg will be significantly reduced in the coming months due to major modernisation works on the Berlin–Hamburg line. From 25 July 2025 until at least the end of April 2026, all EC trains on this route will operate only between Prague and Berlin – the section further north will be suspended.
Affected services include the direct EuroCity trains Berliner and Hungaria to Hamburg, Kiel, and Flensburg. Passengers wishing to continue their journey from Prague to northern Germany will now need to change trains in Berlin. Deutsche Bahn will provide replacement services via a diversion through Stendal and Uelzen. Journey times will typically be extended by 15 to 25 minutes.
The 278-kilometre section between Berlin and Hamburg is being modernised by German infrastructure operator DB InfraGO. The engineering works will impact not only the line itself but also numerous stations along the route. The line will be completely closed for the duration of the project.
The last direct EC services between Prague and Hamburg will run on Thursday, 24 July (to Germany), and Friday, 25 July (to Czechia). From that point on, Berlin will be the starting and end point for all services.
Trains between Prague and Berlin will continue to run according to schedule. Connections with onward travel from Berlin can already be found via standard journey planners (ČD) and in the “Můj vlak” app. Deutsche Bahn is also providing further details about the line closure and its impact on rail services on its website.
