A new direct high-speed rail service has begun operating between Berlin and Paris.
The daytime journey between the German and French capitals has a duration of under eight hours.
A total of 444 seats are available on each train with 333 in Second Class and 111 in First. Single tickets are priced from €59.99 (£49.75) in Second and €69.99 (£58.00) in First Class.
The route encompasses stops at Frankfurt (Main) South, Karlsruhe and Strasbourg.
Its introduction was announced in September and is a collaboration between Deutsche Bahn, the German rail operator, and SNCF Voyageurs, its French counterpart.
InterCity Express (ICE) trains will operate journeys along the route, which cuts around two hours off the previous fastest daytime rail connection between Berlin and Paris. It also removes the need to change trains, aiding business travellers to more easily focus on work during the journey.
The new service introduces the first direct daytime rail connection between Strasbourg, the location of the European Parliament, and Berlin.
The service departs Berlin’s central station at 11.54 am and reaches Paris East at 7.55 pm. It calls at Frankfurt (Main) South at 3.52 pm, Karlsruhe at 5.06 pm and Strasbourg at 7.53 pm.
The journey eastward departs Paris at 9.55 am, pulling into Berlin at 6.03 pm. The Strasbourg stop is at 11.40 am. Once across the French-German border, the calls on the way to Berlin are at Karlsruhe (12.34 pm) and Frankfurt (Main) South at 2.04 pm.
Changing in Strasbourg brings opportunities to connect to stations in Switzerland and southern France. From Karlsruhe, Munich and elsewhere in southern Germany can be reached by train.
The service will reach speeds of up to 320km/h (almost 199 miles per hour) on a section of France’s high-speed rail network.
“SNCF Voyageurs and Deutsch Bahn are sending a strong signal regarding the coming together of Europe on the rails,” said Michael Peterson, Head of Long-Distance Passenger Transport at Deutsche Bahn.
“The new ICE connection will give booming long-distance rail traffic an additional boost. We will continue to work with our partners to further facilitate more and better international rail connections. Only with that can Europe reach its climate goals.”
