Deutsche Bahn in Poland | PolishTrains

At a glance

• Deutsche Bahn operates direct services between Poland and Germany including Berlin–Warsaw with up to 7 daily pairs
• From December 2025, the number of direct cross-border connections increases from 11 to 17 pairs per day
• New routes from December 2025 include Leipzig–Wroclaw–Krakow–Przemysl and overnight Berlin–Przemysl services
• On-board amenities on international routes include Wi-Fi, air conditioning, power sockets and a restaurant car
• The Berlin–Warsaw journey takes under 6 hours; the fastest ICE/EC services cover it in around 4 hours
• Tickets can be purchased up to 120 days in advance via PolishTrains in Polish zloty without registration

Deutsche Bahn trains run on the most popular routes connecting Polish and German cities . Direct connections are made between Warsaw, Poznań, Wrocław, Cracow, Katowice, Gdynia and Berlin, as well as between Zgorzelec and Dresden. It is the Berlin-Warsaw route that is one of the most frequented by passengers. Up to seven pairs of trains run on it every day, and the journey between the capitals takes less than six hours. On board, travellers can expect high standards - comfortable seats, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, power sockets and access to a restaurant car.

The Berlin-Poznan and Berlin-Wrocław connections are also very popular, providing quick access to the western part of the country. Regular EuroCity and IC trains offer a convenient alternative to travelling by car or plane. Deutsche Bahn maintains a high level of punctuality and service quality, offering the possibility to book seats in advance and purchase tickets online. The joint operation of routes by the German carrier and PKP Intercity ensures timetable consistency and ease of travel planning in international systems. As a result, connections from Berlin to Polish cities have become some of the best-rated cross-border routes in Central Europe.

In 2025, the offer of Deutsche Bahn and PKP Intercity will be significantly expanded. As announced, the number of direct long-distance connections between Poland and Germany will increase from 11 to 17 pairs of trains per day, an increase of almost 55% . This is in response to growing demand for rail travel - PKP Intercity alone plans to carry more than 80 million passengers in 2025, 65% more than before the pandemic.

The core of the development will remain the Berlin-Warsaw corridor, which will be strengthened with an additional seventh pair of trains allowing courses every two hours throughout the day.

Also new will be a daily line connecting Leipzig with Wrocław, Cracow and Przemyśl, running twice daily in both directions. One of the trains will continue to Przemyśl, a key border town and important logistics hub. Thanks to coordinated transfers at Leipzig , travel time from Munich, Nuremberg or Frankfurt to southern Poland will be reduced by up to two hours. The new connections in North Saxony will also enable direct access from Dresden and Chemnitz to southern Polish cities, which was not possible until now.

There are also plans to develop EuroCity night trains, which will again connect Berlin with southern Poland. One of the new trainsets will go from Berlin to Przemyśl via Wrocław and Cracow, and the other from Berlin to Chelm via Łódź and Warsaw. On-board service will be provided by PKP, while traction and personnel in Germany will be provided by DB, making these connections a joint venture between the two carriers. In addition, the night line "Chopin" from Munich to Warsaw will be extended with carriages going further - to Cracow and Przemyśl.

Deutsche Bahn announces that it will further strengthen its presence on the Polish market with a focus on modern technology and the development of international connections. In 2025, the carrier completed tests of modern ICE 3 neo trainsets, which reach speeds of up to 320 km/h and have been adapted to run on Polish tracks. There are plans to launch new connections between Berlin and Warsaw, served by these trains, which will significantly reduce travel time between the capitals.

The development of infrastructure and rolling stock is intended to increase Deutsche Bahn's competitiveness vis-à-vis other carriers and facilitate travel between Poland and Germany. By investing in high-speed trainsets and modernising rail routes, the carrier wants to create an alternative to air and car travel, offering passengers greater comfort, price stability and shorter journey times.

The joint activities of both carriers bring tangible benefits to passengers. Connections are served by modern trains that meet European quality standards. The cooperation encompasses not only the operation of routes, but also ticket sales and timetable integration, thanks to which a journey from Poland to Germany can be planned and paid for entirely in one place, e.g. in the PolishTrains service.

The platform allows the purchase of DB tickets in Polish, additionally offering deferred payments, notifications of upcoming departures and telephone support via a helpline. This allows travellers from Poland to use the full Deutsche Bahn offer in a simple, secure and transparent way, without having to visit German sites. DB tickets are available for purchase as early as 120 days in advance, allowing for flexible planning of your journeys. In order to benefit from discounts, there is the option of using the BahnCard, which is also available for people from Poland.