For decades, travelling between Berlin and Oslo by rail has meant multiple connections, careful planning, and a willingness to navigate different national railway systems. In summer 2028, that will finally change.
A new direct train connection linking Berlin and Oslo is scheduled to launch through a partnership between Germany‘s Deutsche Bahn (DB), Denmark‘s DSB, and Norway‘s Vy. The route will connect Berlin, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Malmö, Gothenburg, and Oslo in a single continuous journey, creating one of the longest direct international rail services in Europe. The project is part of a broader European effort to strengthen long-distance cross-border rail travel and reduce dependence on short-haul flights. Supported by the European Commission as one of ten pilot projects for international rail expansion, the new service reflects a growing demand for slower, more sustainable ways of travelling across the continent.
A Railway Across Northern Europe
The planned route will run from Oslo through southeastern Norway before crossing into Sweden and continuing via Gothenburg and Malmö. From there, trains will pass through Copenhagen and Hamburg before reaching Berlin. Planned intermediate stops are expected to include cities such as Moss, Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg, Halden, Trollhättan, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Lund, Odense, Kolding, and Padborg. The entire journey is expected to take between fourteen and fifteen hours, with two daily departures in each direction planned throughout the year. While the full end-to-end journey will appeal to rail enthusiasts and environmentally conscious travellers, the route may prove equally important for shorter international trips such as Oslo–Copenhagen, Gothenburg–Berlin, or Hamburg–Malmö.
The Return of a Historic Scandinavian Connection
Perhaps the most symbolic aspect of the project is that it restores a direct rail connection between Norway and Denmark for the first time in more than twenty years. For much of the twentieth century, direct rail links helped connect Scandinavia with mainland Europe, but many disappeared as air travel became dominant. The new service represents a reversal of that trend. Rather than treating Scandinavia as a distant edge of Europe, the railway places Oslo, Copenhagen, and Berlin on the same continuous corridor, making rail travel a practical alternative for both tourism and business travel.
Travelling on the New ICE L
The route will be operated using Deutsche Bahn’s new ICE L trains, a next-generation long-distance train designed for international services. The trains feature low-floor boarding, improved accessibility, family areas, restaurant facilities, and modern first-class seating. Because the route crosses several countries with different railway systems, the ICE L’s locomotive-based design offers greater operational flexibility than many existing high-speed train models. Passengers travelling from Berlin to Oslo will be able to remain on the same train throughout the journey, eliminating the need for multiple transfers that currently complicate travel between Germany and Norway.
A Glimpse of Europe’s Rail Future
The announcement has generated considerable discussion among rail travellers. Some observers have questioned whether a fourteen-to-fifteen-hour daytime journey can compete with aviation, while others point out that the route’s real strength lies in the many city pairs it connects along the way. Direct travel between Copenhagen and Oslo, Hamburg and Malmö, or Gothenburg and Berlin could become particularly attractive. The route may become even more significant in the years that follow. The future Fehmarn Belt fixed link between Denmark and Germany is expected to dramatically shorten travel times between Scandinavia and continental Europe, potentially making international rail journeys faster and more competitive. For the Nordic region, the Berlin–Oslo connection represents more than a new train route. It reflects a changing vision of European mobility—one in which travellers can move from the fjords of Norway to the streets of Berlin without boarding an aircraft, experiencing the landscapes of Scandinavia and northern Europe along the way. In an era increasingly defined by climate concerns, rail revival, and the rediscovery of slower travel, the tracks between Berlin and Oslo may become one of the most interesting journeys in Europe.
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