Deutsche Bahn has announced that the direct Intercity Express (ICE) service between Berlin and Paris will resume after a six-month hiatus, no later than mid-December. “The exact date can only be given after the necessary tests have been completed,” Deutsche Bahn said.
Services were suspended this summer due to an error in the information systems. Passengers travelling between the two capitals had to change trains in Frankfurt am Main or Mannheim.
The cause was identified as a problem with the train control technology on the ICE 407 series, specifically with a certain version of the European Train Control System (ETCS) used in the Siemens Velaro D. Different implementations of ETCS were found across the EU: around 80 variants in total and five versions in Germany alone.
Experts focused on onboard ETCS equipment from the French manufacturer Alstom; questions arose over certification, and TÜV Rheinland found formal errors. The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) opened an official case, while no evidence of quality defects or safety-related shortcomings has been identified.
The new timetable, provisionally effective from 13 December, already includes the restored service: the train departs Berlin at about 7:00 and arrives at Paris Gare de l’Est at 14:50 with stops in Halle (Saale), Erfurt and Strasbourg. After that date one ICE will run daily in both directions.
Timetable: the new schedule is provisionally set to take effect from 13 December; Deutsche Bahn will announce the exact start date after the tests are completed. The source did not provide details on any changes to ticket sales or procedures for already booked journeys.
