10+ exciting rail updates to experience in 2026
Hugo van Vondelen and Sukriti Kapoor
22 December 2025
Romanian night train with vintage carriages from Bucharest to Vatra Dornei, clicked at the Vatra Dornei station by Hugo van Vondelen
As the final trains of the year roll toward their destinations, all of us at Interrail can’t help but look back on the times that made this year on the rails feel so special.
A few of our favourite memories: celebrating a birthday on the tracks somewhere between Switzerland and Italy, sharing a takeout dinner on a high-speed train after an exhilarating day exploring Pompeii, and drifting through the night in a vintage sleeping car from Bucharest to northern Romania, surrounded by warm wooden interiors and a soft sense of nostalgia.
These are the kinds of experiences that make travelling with the Pass feel unlike anything else — meeting new people across the train car aisle, exchanging stories with the conductor and warming your hands around a cup of coffee while small towns flicker by.
As the year winds down, we’re gearing up for one of our most eagerly awaited moments: the 2026 timetable update. Twice a year, Europe’s railway carriers release new timetables with quicker connections, revived night trains and fresh routes that make distances feel shorter (and more exciting) than ever before.
Dreaming up your 2026 adventures? Here are the rail updates we’re most thrilled to share.
In the main square of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the winged dragon of the Lindwurmbrunnen stands as the city’s most iconic emblem
1. Austria’s Koralmbahn: a high-speed train leap
Austria has unveiled the Koralmbahn, a 130 km high-speed railway line anchored by the world’s sixth-longest railway tunnel. Starting this year, this major new route will slash the travel time between Graz and Klagenfurt from almost three hours to just 45 minutes.
This line will be highly impactful for many trains in Central Europe. ÖBB will operate 26 direct daily trains from Vienna to Klagenfurt, many of which will continue to Villach and Lienz. Westbahn will also run a new train route from Vienna towards Graz, Klagenfurt and Villach starting on 1 March 2026.
International train connections, including the new Railjet connections, from Vienna in Austria to Venice and Trieste in Italy, as well as Ljubljana in Slovenia, will also become significantly quicker.
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or ÖBB
Seat reservations: Optional within Austria; a supplement is required for travel to Italy
Przemyśl Cathedral’s impressive exterior reflects centuries of history, from its Gothic roots to its Baroque transformation
2. Regiojet expands trains to Poland
Following a successful pilot, Regiojet has officially launched its domestic trains within Poland, offering connections between Kraków, Warsaw, Gdańsk, Gdynia and many more destinations.
New train services will also extend to the Czech Republic, starting from Warsaw via Katowice and Ostrava to Prague.
How to find schedules: Regiojet
Seat reservations: Mandatory; available on board the trains
3. Travel eastward on the new EuroNight to Przemyśl
A new EuroNight train departs from three different countries to reach Przemyśl in eastern Poland, offering a remarkable experience – the feeling of travelling across the continent while the world sleeps.
Train coaches from Munich in Germany, Prague in the Czech Republic and Budapest in Hungary merge during the night, turning multiple journeys into one seamless night connection to Poland.
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or ÖBB
Seat reservations: Mandatory
Accommodation options: Seats, couchettes and sleeper cabins
The colourful buildings of the Old Market Square in Poznań glistening in the setting sun
4. From Germany to Lithuania in a single day
The journey to the Baltics is now even easier with a new connection from Szczecin via Poznań and Warsaw in Poland to Vilnius in Lithuania, as well as another new route from Suwałki in Poland to Vilnius.
This addition makes it possible to travel from Hamburg, Leipzig or Berlin in Germany to Vilnius in one day, instead of requiring travellers to make an overnight stay in Warsaw.
Note: To make either of these connections, one still needs to change trains at the border in Mockava in Lithuania due to the difference in track gauge — but this will be a guaranteed transfer as it is sold as a direct train journey from Poland to Vilnius.
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or LTG Link
Seat reservations: Mandatory for travel towards Lithuania
An aerial view of the historic Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków, Poland
5. Germany and Poland: closer than ever
Rail links between Germany and Poland have recently received a 55% increase in service, opening up more ways to explore both countries in one trip. New and restored routes include:
- Leipzig – Wrocław – Kraków – Przemyśl
- Berlin – Poznań – Łódź – Warsaw – Chełm
- Berlin – Poznań – Wrocław – Kraków – Przemyśl
- Munich – Kraków – Przemyśl
- Berlin - Poznan - Warsaw (to operate with a higher frequency of trains)
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or Bahn.de
Seat reservations: Mandatory
The vividly coloured 17th-century houses by the canal in Nyhavn, Copenhagen
6. Next-generation trains between Germany and Denmark
The arrival of new Talgo trains in Germany and Denmark has brought a noticeable upgrade in comfort and accessibility. DSB’s brand-new Talgo trains now glide between Hamburg and Copenhagen, and more train sets will be added through Spring 2026.
Deutsche Bahn will add Talgo trains to its network throughout the year, starting with the Berlin to Cologne route, before expanding to lines bound from Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne to Westerland (Sylt) in Denmark, and from Dortmund in Germany to Oberstdorf in Denmark.
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or Bahn.de
Seat reservations: Mandatory between 26 June and 31 August to/from Denmark, but optional for the rest of the year. Optional within Germany
The Zagreb Art Pavilion, basking in sunshine in the city centre of Croatia’s capital
7. A direct line to Croatia’s capital
Direct Eurocity trains from Munich, Germany to Zagreb, Croatia are making a comeback, with a short transfer in Villach in the other direction till June. The route from Vienna to Zagreb will also regain direct trains in both directions, reconnecting Austria and Croatia with ease. Perfect for anyone craving lakes, mountains and a taste of the Adriatic.
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or ÖBB
Seat reservations: Optional
8. From Alpine lakes to Renaissance streets
A new daily Eurocity will sweep you from Zürich in Switzerland to Florence via Milan and Bologna in Italy, opening up a smooth route straight into Tuscany’s rolling landscapes and Renaissance architecture. Expect cinematic views of turquoise-blue lakes, snow-capped Alps and lush green hills right from your window.
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or Bahn.de
Seat reservations: Mandatory to/from Italy
Aachen Cathedral, an architectural masterpiece where Roman, Gothic and medieval history come together
9. Travel across western Europe overnight
From 26 March 2026, the European Sleeper will run between Paris, Brussels, Aachen and Berlin, reviving overnight rail between some of Europe’s most iconic cities. This fills the gap left by the discontinued Paris to Berlin and Brussels to Berlin ÖBB Nightjet trains.
Their timetable from 26 March 2026:
- 3x weekly Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin – Prague
- 3x weekly Paris – Brussels – Aachen – Berlin
European Sleeper also plans to add an exciting new night train connection from Amsterdam and Brussels to Milan from June 2026, but further details are awaited. Visit the European Sleeper website for more information.
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or European Sleeper
Seat reservations: Mandatory
Accommodation options: Seats, couchettes and sleeper cabins
A postcard view of the Czech capital with the calm Vltava River and the Prague Castle rising in the background
10. More ways to reach Kraków and Warsaw
From 1 March, Leo Express will add two daily trains between Kraków and Warsaw, giving travellers more flexibility between Poland’s cultural capital and its fast-moving metropolis. The number of international trains between Kraków and Prague will also increase, boosting connections to Czech Republic.
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or Leo Express
Seat reservations: Mandatory
11. ComfortJet debuts direct Copenhagen to Prague trains
From 1 May 2026, two daily trains will link Prague in the Czech Republic to Berlin and Hamburg in Germany and Copenhagen in Denmark using ÖBB’s brand-new ComfortJet trains (indicated as Railjet in the timetable). Sleek, modern and already admired on the Prague to Berlin route, these trains will offer the first-ever direct daytime link between the Czech and Danish capital cities.
How to find schedules: Interrail timetable or Bahn.de
Seat reservations: Mandatory between 26 June and 31 August to/from Denmark, but optional for the rest of the year
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