Long-distance railway connection of the economic region
By train from Chemnitz to Berlin
There are four journeys a day!
Chemnitz has a connection to the Deutsche Bahn long-distance network again after 16 years. On Sunday, 12 June 2022, the train departed on time at 6.26 a.m. from platform 13 at Chemnitz main station.
In future, the four-car double-decker Intercity trains will run daily from Chemnitz via Dresden to Berlin (BER Airport, main station) and Warnemünde every morning at 6.26 a.m. and 8.26 a.m. The trains stop at the new Berlin airport after two and a half hours. From there, it takes around three hours to Warnemünde (stopover in Rostock). The Chemnitz IC (from Berlin) returns daily at 4.26 pm and 6.26 pm. The connections can be booked at the travel centre, in the DB Navigator and at www.bahn.de in a few weeks' time.
The Mayor of Chemnitz, Sven Schulze, emphasised back in March when the new direct connection was announced that the new long-distance connection was just the first step for him: "Today is an important day for our city and the people of Chemnitz. After 16 years, Chemnitz is finally back on the railway map and has a long-distance connection. Chemnitz, Dresden, Berlin and Rostock will then be directly connected by the IC17. This means that in future you will also be able to reach BER Airport directly from Chemnitz without having to change trains. A reason to celebrate. But not to rest on our laurels. Despite its importance, this can only be a first step. If you want to establish the railway as an attractive and ecological means of transport, you need more connections via Leipzig to the west and also to the south of Germany.
Achieving this is my goal and these connections must not take another 16 years to complete."
The Intercity 2 KISS trains have, among other things:
- 267 seats in 2nd class and 28 seats in 1st class
- barrier-free boarding
- several WCs
- underfloor heating
- air conditioning
- WLAN on board
- two café areas with self-service and service
- a family and toddler area and a changing table
- Large luggage racks
- Adjustable seats with integrated power sockets
- From 2023, mobile phone transparent windows for better reception
- Electronic reservation displays: this enables reservations to be made
History
10 July 2019: Information event on the long-distance railway connection with concrete announcements
The public information event on long-distance rail connections in the city of Chemnitz ended on 10 July 2019 in the packed City Council Chamber with three concrete announcements: Improved trains may be in prospect for the Chemnitz - Leipzig railway line as early as the timetable change in December, and the next planning steps for the electrification of the link have already been funded. In addition, a direct connection via Dresden and Berlin to the Baltic Sea is to be reintroduced shortly.
Eckart Fricke, Group Representative of Deutsche Bahn (DB) for Saxony, announced that - if the client VMS orders them shortly - modern trains could provide a significant improvement on the much-criticised route to Leipzig by the end of the year. This could involve the use of air-conditioned double-decker coaches. Whether the carriages will be provided by DB to the operator Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn (MRB) is part of ongoing discussions.
Plans for the expansion and the associated electrification are also continuing. This was announced by Saxony's Minister of Economics and Transport, Martin Dulig. After the line was finally included in the priority requirements of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan last year, funds from the Coal Commission's package for structural change have also been earmarked for the expansion of the line. This means that the next planning phases have already been financed and planning can continue quickly. However, the railway did not want to commit to a specific timeline. The expansion goal is a half-hourly service on the RE 6 plus long-distance connections beyond Leipzig in the future.
There was also good news for long-distance services to the north: The IC 17 from Rostock/Warnemünde via Berlin (future capital city airport) to Dresden, which will be running from December, is also likely to be extended to Chemnitz from this year. Deutsche Bahn is currently examining whether only individual trains per day or every two hours.
The event was organised at the insistence of Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig. The district councillors of the regional convention and representatives of the long-distance railway initiative, who have been campaigning for better rail connections in the region since 2012, were invited along with interested citizens. The Lord Mayor announced that this would remain the case: "For two decades, planning has been centred around Chemnitz, now planning is finally moving towards Chemnitz. We will persevere!"
Further information
on the homepage of the Free State of Saxony:
17 June 2018
Deutsche Bahn AG has announced that it has given the green light for further planning for the expansion and electrification of the Chemnitz - Leipzig line. Saxony's Transport Minister Martin Dulig has informed us of this.
Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig: "At last, the "yes, but" has turned into "we're getting started"! The signals are now green - for the planning and thus for the expansion of an electrified line to Leipzig. We no longer need to convince anyone of the necessity! I assume that these words will now be followed by deeds.
I would like to thank all my fellow campaigners who have not let up for over a decade and have set the right course, especially in recent months."
August 2016: Expansion of the Chemnitz-Leipzig railway line included in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan
The Federal Cabinet has approved the new Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030 (BVWP). This includes the expansion of the Chemnitz - Leipzig railway line in the so-called potential demand. Mayor Barbara Ludwig was delighted with this development and reaffirmed the commitment of the stakeholders until the Bundestag has made its decision and the projects are actually launched.
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April 2016: Federal Transport Minister Dobrindt commissions review of the Chemnitz-Leipzig line
Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt has commissioned a review of the extent to which electrification and double-track expansion of the Chemnitz-Leipzig railway line can still be included in the government's draft of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan. This is the result of a meeting between the Minister, Mayor Barbara Ludwig and Chemnitz Member of Parliament Detlef Müller, on whose initiative the meeting at the Federal Ministry of Transport was organised.
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April 2016: City Council adopts municipal statement on the draft Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan
At its April meeting, the City Council unanimously adopted the statement of the City of Chemnitz in the participation process for the current draft of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030. In addition, Mayor Barbara Ludwig, Mayor of Construction Michael Stötzer and city councillors once again called for broad participation in the participation process for the draft.
March 2016: Expansion of the railway line to Leipzig not part of the draft bill for the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan
The Federal Ministry of Transport's draft bill brought the bitter setback that the expansion and electrification of the Chemnitz-Leipzig railway line is not planned for the priority needs of the 2030 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan.
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July 2012: Appeal to improve rail connections in the economic region
Representatives from politics, business, culture and sport appealed to decision-makers to create the infrastructural conditions and services to ensure that the region and the city of Chemnitz have a sustainable long-distance rail service.
More than 12,000 signatories responded to this appeal. The signatures collected were presented to the then head of the railway, Rüdiger Grube, at a meeting with the Mayor of Chemnitz, Barbara Ludwig, and representatives of the business community.
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