A new direct long-distance train is planned to connect Oslo, Copenhagen, Hamburg and Berlin from summer 2028, creating one of Europe’s longest international passenger rail routes.
The service is being developed through a partnership between DSB, Norway’s Vy and Deutsche Bahn. It will mark the first direct train connection between Denmark and Norway in more than 20 years.
For European passengers, the project strengthens the growing network of cross-border daytime rail services linking northern and central Europe. The route will connect three capitals — Oslo, Copenhagen and Berlin — while also serving major cities in Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
The planned Oslo–Berlin journey time is expected to be around 14 to 15 hours, while the trip between Copenhagen and Oslo should take about seven hours.
The service is expected to operate with two daily departures year-round. Trains will be formed of Deutsche Bahn’s new ICE L coaches, delivered by Talgo and similar to DSB’s new EuroCity coaches. Onboard facilities are planned to include a restaurant car, family coach and first class.
The route is currently planned to stop in Norway at Oslo, Moss, Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg and Halden; in Sweden at Trollhättan, Gothenburg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Lund and Malmö; in Denmark at Copenhagen Airport, Copenhagen Central, Odense, Kolding and Padborg; and in Germany at Hamburg and Berlin.
The announcement follows the recent launch of improved international connections between Copenhagen, Berlin and Prague, reflecting a wider effort by European operators to build longer and more attractive cross-border rail corridors.
