A test of patience for commuters and travelers in the Isar metropolis! Anyone traveling north by train starting in late October should be prepared for significant delays. The popular high-speed route between Nuremberg and Ingolstadt will be completely closed from Friday, October 30, 2026, at 10:00 p.m. through December 12. After roughly 20 years of continuous operation since its opening in 2006, about 170 trains race along this route daily at speeds of up to 300 km/h. Now, Deutsche Bahn is carrying out a comprehensive overhaul of the line. Approximately 70 million euros are being invested in replacing the heavily worn tracks, renewing several sets of switches, inspecting the tunnels, and cleaning the drainage systems.
Long-distance rail diversions: Longer travel times to Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt
For long-distance travel departing from Munich Central Station, the closure means noticeable changes to the schedule. For example, if you’re traveling to Berlin, you can still take an ICE every hour, but the trains will be rerouted via Augsburg and Donauwörth. This will add about 45 minutes to your travel time to Nuremberg. On the route to Hamburg via Kassel, service will be cut in half. Here, ICE trains will run only every two hours, as half of all connections on this route will now terminate in Nuremberg. If you’re planning a trip to Frankfurt, Deutsche Bahn recommends using the direct ICE connection via Ulm and Stuttgart during the specified period to avoid the added stress of transfers.
Rail Replacement Service on the Regional Network: Here’s What’s Next for the Deutschlandticket
You’ll also need to adjust to changes in regional service. Passengers who normally take the RE 1 Regional Express trains on the high-speed route will be rerouted via Treuchtlingen on Regional Railway Line 16 during construction. Passengers who wish to take their usual route via the high-speed line must transfer to replacement buses between Ingolstadt and Nuremberg. These buses take about twice as long as the train, but in addition to the Allersberg and Kinding stations, they also stop at Johannisbrücke and Marktplatz. The buses are coordinated with the train schedules to ensure that your connections in Ingolstadt and Nuremberg are as seamless as possible.
