A new high-speed rail connection between Munich and Rome is expected to launch by the end of 2026, as announced by Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national rail operator.
In cooperation with Italy’s Trenitalia and Austria’s ÖBB, the companies revealed that the route would offer a direct service crossing the Alps without the need to change trains.
According to the operators, the journey from Munich to Milan would take approximately 6.5 hours—75 minutes faster than current travel times—while the full trip to Rome would be reduced to around 8.5 hours, saving 105 minutes.
The trains to be used will be Italy’s Frecciarossa high-speed models, marking their first appearance on German tracks.
They added that the service would begin with one train per day, with plans to increase to five in each direction, and to extend the route to include stops in Berlin and Naples.
Travel times are set to fall even further after the scheduled 2032 opening of the Brenner Base Tunnel beneath the Alps, which is expected to reduce journey durations by another hour.
Michael Peterson, a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson, reportedly stated that Europeans were increasingly seeking sustainable, cross-border travel options by rail.
Apostolos Cicikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, was quoted as saying that the expansion of high-speed, international train networks was a key priority for the bloc, calling the new route a strong symbol of progress.