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Major timetable improvements on the Berlin-Dresden-Prague route

D

doc7austin

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Currently, a construction site at the border (Bad Schandau - Schöna(Gr) - Decin) is affecting timetables. However, that construction will hopefully finish soon.

From June 11 up to eleven long-distance passenger trains are going to connect Dresden with Prague - for the duration of this year's summer season.

What is new?
- The daily ÖBB/CD Railjet Berlin-Graz is returning.
- An extra overnight CD EC service is being introduced.
- Four Sleeping Cars will run on this route (Prague-Leipzig-Zürich, Graz-Vienna-Prague-Berlin, Budapest-Prague-Berlin, and Prague-Amsterdam-Brussels).
- In December 2023 the ÖBB Nightjet Graz-Berlin was permanently rerouted onto this route.

North-South direction (Dresden -> Prague):
EC 259 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 03:01 - Praha hl.n. 05:24
EC 459 (Leipzig -) Dresden Hbf 07:08 - Praha hl.n. 09:24 / through sleeper car group Zürich-Prague
RJ 257 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 08:10 - Praha hl.n. 10:27 (- Graz) / ÖBB/CD Railjet
ES 453 (Brussels -) Dresden Hbf 08:31 - Praha hl.n. 10:56 / European Sleeper train, not daily
EC 171 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 09:10 - Praha hl.n. 11:24
EC 173 (Hamburg -) Dresden Hbf 11:10 - Praha hl.n. 13:24 (- Budapest) / MÁV – START trainset
EC 379 (Kiel -) Dresden Hbf 13:10 - Praha hl.n. 15:24
EC 175 (Flensburg -) Dresden Hbf 15:10 - Praha hl.n. 17:24
EC 177 (Hamburg -) Dresden Hbf 17:10 - Praha hl.n. 19:24
EC 179 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 19:10 - Praha hl.n. 21:24
NJ 457 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 22:08 - Praha-Holosevice 00:18 (- Graz) / ÖBB Nightjet with through car group "Metropol" to Budapest


South-North direction (Prague -> Dresden):
NJ 456 (Graz -) Praha-Holosevice 03:05 -> Dresden Hbf 05:57 (- Berlin) / ÖBB Nightjet with through car group "Metropol" from Budapest
EC 178 Praha hl.n. 06:28 - Dresden Hbf 08:50 (- Berlin)
EC 176 Praha hl.n. 08:28 - Dresden Hbf 10:50 (- Hamburg)
EC 174 Praha hl.n. 10:28 - Dresden Hbf 12:50 (- Flensburg)
EC 378 Praha hl.n. 12:28 - Dresden Hbf 14:50 (- Kiel)
EC 172 (Budapest -) Praha hl.n. 14:28 - Dresden Hbf 16:50 (- Hamburg) / MÁV – START trainset
EC 170 Praha hl.n. 16:28 - Dresden Hbf 18:50 (- Berlin)
RJ 256 (Graz -) Praha hl.n. 17:31 - Dresden Hbf 19:50 (- Berlin) / ÖBB/CD Railjet
ES 452 Praha hl.n. 18:04 - Dresden Hbf 20:28 (- Brussels) / European Sleeper train, not daily
EC 458 Praha hl.n. 18:28 - Dresden Hbf 21:00 (- Leipzig) / through sleeper car group Prague-Zürich
EC 258 Praha hl.n. 20:28 - Dresden Hbf 22:50 (- Berlin)


However, there is one downer.
DB has introduced mandatory reservations to use the EC trains on the cross-border sections between Bad Schandau and Decin for the summer season.
It is not 100% clear to me whether these reservations are issued for free. Moreover, it appears that tickets, issued by CD or ÖBB, are not affected by that mandatory-reservation rule. I recommend to buy the ticket on cd.cz, usually, CD offers cheaper fares on the same train than DB does.
In addition DB Fernverkehr staff is regularly not checking tickets between Bad Schandau and Decin.
 
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RailUK Forums

LNW-GW Joint

LNW-GW Joint

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Presumably the RJ services are extensions of the existing Graz-Wien-Praha trains?
Are there any infrastructure improvements between Dresden and Berlin?
 
8

87015

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There’s nothing extra there except overnights is there, that’s the Railjet that’s run vice an EC for a number of years and it’s still two-hourly.
 
Austriantrain

Austriantrain

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doc7austin said:
However, there is one downer.
DB has introduced mandatory reservations to use the EC trains on the cross-border sections between Bad Schandau and Decin for the summer season.
It is not 100% clear to me whether these reservations are issued for free. Moreover, it appears that tickets, issued by CD or ÖBB, are not affected by that mandatory-reservation rule. I recommend to buy the ticket on cd.cz, usually, CD offers cheaper fares on the same train than DB does.
Click to expand...

Whether compulsory or not, and whether free or not, summer time is really a good time to invest in a seat reservation in most parts of Europe now (Benelux and Switzerland excepted of course, if not traveling internationally). Long-distance services are fuller than they ever where. And the EURO 2024 in Germany will make things worse. Don't save on a seat reservation if you travel for longer distances; it is not worth it. Even at short notice - if you don't get one anymore, it is a good indication that you will have to stand - in general, trains are 100% reservable.
 
D

doc7austin

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31 Dec 2023
Messages
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87015 said:
There’s nothing extra there except overnights is there, that’s the Railjet that’s run vice an EC for a number of years and it’s still two-hourly.
Click to expand...
That Railjet train has not been operating over long stretches during the last two years - mainly due to the construction work between Bad Schandau and Decin.

Austriantrain said:
Whether compulsory or not, and whether free or not, summer time is really a good time to invest in a seat reservation in most parts of Europe now (Benelux and Switzerland excepted of course, if not traveling internationally). Long-distance services are fuller than they ever where. And the EURO 2024 in Germany will make things worse. Don't save on a seat reservation if you travel for longer distances; it is not worth it. Even at short notice - if you don't get one anymore, it is a good indication that you will have to stand - in general, trains are 100% reservable.
Click to expand...
The problem is the high rate of cancellation of trains, operated by DB Fernverkehr.
A reservation becomes worthless, if the train gets cancelled.
Its those train cancellations that lead to severe crowding on subsequent trains.

My experience - if all trains operating normally, there is little chance of having to stand.

Why do passengers sometimes have to stand ? Other seated passengers or passenger groups are often occupying free seats with their bags, food or feets. I have also seen case where groups of 4-5 passengers are simply locking the compartments from the inside (in the EC Berlin-Prague trains) to repel any strangers from trying to get in. Naturally, these compartments are "proactively" unlocked, once the conductor comes around.

My point is -> only 80% of all seats are occupied by people, but the standing passengers do not dare to sit down onto the other 20% of free seats.
 
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P

poffle

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Dublin, Ireland
doc7austin said:
Currently, a construction site at the border (Bad Schandau - Schöna(Gr) - Decin) is affecting timetables. However, that construction will hopefully finish soon.

From June 11 up to eleven long-distance passenger trains are going to connect Dresden with Prague - for the duration of this year's summer season.

What is new?
- The daily ÖBB/CD Railjet Berlin-Graz is returning.
- An extra overnight CD EC service is being introduced.
- Four Sleeping Cars will run on this route (Prague-Leipzig-Zürich, Graz-Vienna-Prague-Berlin, Budapest-Prague-Berlin, and Prague-Amsterdam-Brussels).
- In December 2023 the ÖBB Nightjet Graz-Berlin was permanently rerouted onto this route.

North-South direction (Dresden -> Prague):
EC 259 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 03:01 - Praha hl.n. 05:24
EC 459 (Leipzig -) Dresden Hbf 07:08 - Praha hl.n. 09:24 / through sleeper car group Zürich-Prague
RJ 257 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 08:10 - Praha hl.n. 10:27 (- Graz) / ÖBB/CD Railjet
ES 453 (Brussels -) Dresden Hbf 08:31 - Praha hl.n. 10:56 / European Sleeper train, not daily
EC 171 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 09:10 - Praha hl.n. 11:24
EC 173 (Hamburg -) Dresden Hbf 11:10 - Praha hl.n. 13:24 (- Budapest) / MÁV – START trainset
EC 379 (Kiel -) Dresden Hbf 13:10 - Praha hl.n. 15:24
EC 175 (Flensburg -) Dresden Hbf 15:10 - Praha hl.n. 17:24
EC 177 (Hamburg -) Dresden Hbf 17:10 - Praha hl.n. 19:24
EC 179 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 19:10 - Praha hl.n. 21:24
NJ 457 (Berlin -) Dresden Hbf 22:08 - Praha-Holosevice 00:18 (- Graz) / ÖBB Nightjet with through car group "Metropol" to Budapest


South-North direction (Prague -> Dresden):
NJ 456 (Graz -) Praha-Holosevice 03:05 -> Dresden Hbf 05:57 (- Berlin) / ÖBB Nightjet with through car group "Metropol" from Budapest
EC 178 Praha hl.n. 06:28 - Dresden Hbf 08:50 (- Berlin)
EC 176 Praha hl.n. 08:28 - Dresden Hbf 10:50 (- Hamburg)
EC 174 Praha hl.n. 10:28 - Dresden Hbf 12:50 (- Flensburg)
EC 378 Praha hl.n. 12:28 - Dresden Hbf 14:50 (- Kiel)
EC 172 (Budapest -) Praha hl.n. 14:28 - Dresden Hbf 16:50 (- Hamburg) / MÁV – START trainset
EC 170 Praha hl.n. 16:28 - Dresden Hbf 18:50 (- Berlin)
RJ 256 (Graz -) Praha hl.n. 17:31 - Dresden Hbf 19:50 (- Berlin) / ÖBB/CD Railjet
ES 452 Praha hl.n. 18:04 - Dresden Hbf 20:28 (- Brussels) / European Sleeper train, not daily
EC 458 Praha hl.n. 18:28 - Dresden Hbf 21:00 (- Leipzig) / through sleeper car group Prague-Zürich
EC 258 Praha hl.n. 20:28 - Dresden Hbf 22:50 (- Berlin)


However, there is one downer.
DB has introduced mandatory reservations to use the EC trains on the cross-border sections between Bad Schandau and Decin for the summer season.
It is not 100% clear to me whether these reservations are issued for free. Moreover, it appears that tickets, issued by CD or ÖBB, are not affected by that mandatory-reservation rule. I recommend to buy the ticket on cd.cz, usually, CD offers cheaper fares on the same train than DB does.
In addition DB Fernverkehr staff is regularly not checking tickets between Bad Schandau and Decin.
Click to expand...
I think I've seen posts here that DB are introducing a reservation requirement for all international routes for the summer. I think this is related to the Euros being held in Germany in June/July.
 
D

doc7austin

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Messages
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Location
Kiev
poffle said:
I think I've seen posts here that DB are introducing a reservation requirement for all international routes for the summer. I think this is related to the Euros being held in Germany in June/July.
Click to expand...
The exact rules of this requirement is not yet known, esp. what happens to tickets, issued by train companies outside of Germany.
 
Austriantrain

Austriantrain

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Messages
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doc7austin said:
My point is -> only 80% of all seats are occupied by people, but the standing passengers do not dare to sit down onto the other 20% of free seats.
Click to expand...

Well, at least in Austria it does happen that long-distance trains are full and standing - with really no free seat left. Occasionally, people will be left behind. I don't think Germany is much different.
So my advice stands: DO reserve, if possible.
 
N

nwales58

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doc7austin said:
The exact rules of this requirement is not yet known, esp. what happens to tickets, issued by train companies outside of Germany.
Click to expand...
The reservation flag is set for the cross border station leg already, so the requirement is known. Regardless of who sells the ticket.

Enforcement is what is not known.
 
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doc7austin

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In the last 10 years I have never seen that DB or CD conductors check tickets between Bad Schandau and Decin.
 
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nwales58

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We don't yet know how it will be enforced this year on all these new sections.

FWIW I have had a ticket check leaving Dresden, albeit in first on an overloaded train. In the other direction I recall checks between Prague and Usti.

Worst case, if you are explaining this to your Youtube audience which is less knowledgeable than this forum, is that if you have no reservation you might be chucked off at Bad Schandau to buy one for the next service 2h later.

As you can buy a reservation from DB/ÖBB/agents/wherever including online on the go, that is the recommended way to do it as long as there are reservations left.

If course, when DB is disrupted as it often is, Zugbindung aufgehoben applies and it's a free for all.
 
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Snow1964

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The first of the new ComfortJet trains has been formed. These operate with 230km/h (about 145mph) Vectron locomotives

In December 2025 the ComfortJet in its full nine-car formation, hauled by a single Vectron at up to 230km/h, will be deployed on the Prague – Berlin – Hamburg – Copenhagen route.

It will also be introduced on the Prague – Bratislava – Budapest route and on Prague – Vienna – Graz Railjet services.
Click to expand...

praguemorning.cz

First ComfortJet for Czech Railways Unveiled in Prague

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praguemorning.cz
 
43096

43096

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Snow1964 said:
The first of the new ComfortJet trains has been formed. These operate with 230km/h (about 145mph) Vectron locomotives
Click to expand...
They will operate with 230km/h Vectrons, when they are delivered. Until then they will be powered by 200km/h Vectrons.
 
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