Nine new railway lines in Europe arriving in 2026.
Europe is investing more and more in railways. Passengers feel this clearly. Research by Hitachi Rail, conducted on more than 11,000 respondents at the end of 2025, showed that a third of Europeans plan to travel more by train within the next 12 months. In the next five years, this share rises to 40 percent, and in large cities even to 49 percent.
The market's response is swift. By 2026, five new international routes will be hitting European tracks, changing the way we travel across the continent.
The Paris – Berlin night train is returning
One of Europe's most popular night routes is getting a new lease of life. After being discontinued at the end of 2025 due to a withdrawal of state funding, the Paris–Berlin route is being taken over by private operator European Sleeper.
The first train is planned for 26 March 2026. The line will run three times a week. Departures from Paris will be in the evening, and arrival in Berlin will be in the morning, making this route a perfect alternative to short flights.
Faster Paris – Munich connection
A new high-speed line between Paris and Munich will also arrive at the end of 2026. The project is being jointly launched by Deutsche Bahn and SNCF.
A daily TGV service already exists, but the new trains will be faster and more frequent. This will further strengthen the France-Germany transport axis, one of the most important for business and conference travel in Europe.
Details of timetables and prices will be published during the year.
Prague – Copenhagen: new daily route with children's cinema
From 1 May 2026, Prague, Berlin and Copenhagen will be connected by a new direct daily service. The journey from Copenhagen to Berlin will take approximately seven hours, and to Prague around eleven.
The route will be served by modern ComfortJet trains from Czech Railways. They offer a restaurant, Wi-Fi, bicycle storage and 555 seats. A special feature is also a children's cinema, which makes this line very attractive for family travel.
During the summer, the existing night train between Hamburg and Copenhagen will also be extended, running all the way to Prague.
Budapest – Belgrade direct again
Following years of track renovation, direct rail service between Budapest and Belgrade will resume operations as early as the beginning of 2026.
Up to six return journeys per day are planned. Some of the trains will be fast EuroCity, connected to Vienna, and the travel time between Budapest and Belgrade is estimated to be about six hours.
For the Southeast European region, this is one of the most important new lines in the past decade.
London – Stirling: a new route to lesser-known Scotland
British low-cost carrier Lumo is introducing a new route between London and the Scottish city of Stirling from mid-2026.
Stirling is a historic city with an impressive medieval castle and the National Wallace Monument, but until now it has lived in the shadow of Edinburgh and Glasgow. A new direct line from London gives it strong tourism potential.
The train will call at Lockerbie, Carlisle, Preston and Nuneaton.
Rail is making a comeback in a big way. And 2026 could be the year when trains become the first choice for an increasing number of European travellers.
Source: Euronews
