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New high-speed Paris to Berlin train will go via Strasbourg

The new high-speed direct rail link will stop in Strasbourg, France's transport minister confirmed on Friday, after a cross-border skirmish over the exact route of the new service.

Published: 1 September 2023 16:26 CEST
New high-speed Paris to Berlin train will go via Strasbourg
Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP

The French and German capitals are set to become more closely linked with the introduction of two new direct rail links – a night train starting in December 2023 and a high-speed TGV service set to begin in 2024.

At present there is no direct rail link between Paris and Berlin, but the French and German rail operators have agreed to open one, with a journey time of around seven hours.

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn in June referred to an “agreement” with France’s SNCF to favour a route via the German town of Saarbrücken, close to the border, rather than via Strasbourg and Karlsruhe.

This caused fury in Karlsruhe and Strasbourg and the towns sent a joint open letter requesting a route change. The idea was also supported by a number of MEPs and EU employees, since Strasbourg is the alternating seat of the European parliament.

But now a compromise appears to have been reached – as the night train will go via Saarbrücken and the TGV train will go via Strasbourg and Karlsruhe.

French transport minister Clément Beaune announced the agreement on Friday, saying: “Even if it takes a little longer than I would have liked, this line will go via Strasbourg.” 

Exact start dates for either the night train or the day service are yet to be confirmed. 

Announcing the link-up back in 2022, German Transport Minister Volker Wissing said: “In view of the major challenges of climate change, rail must play a stronger role in intra-European transport. With the new high-speed connection Berlin-Paris, another attractive alternative to flying is on the way.”

READ ALSO 8 European night trains

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LIVING IN FRANCE

Explained: What to do if you leave your belongings on a train in France

Here's a look at the steps you should take if you discover that you have left an important or treasured item on a French train.

Published: 3 July 2024 14:59 CEST
Explained: What to do if you leave your belongings on a train in France

We’ve all done it. You get home, or to your hotel or office to realise that, when you got off the train, you forgot to pick up your wallet, laptop, or tablet or sometimes even items of luggage.

Or – every parent’s nightmare – one of your children has left behind their beloved cuddly toy, and only realises as the train you’ve just got off leaves the station.

The good news is that all is not, necessarily, lost. 

The first step is to report the missing item to SNCF. You can do this at the station, but if you’ve got home before you realise something is missing, you can report lost property online (you can change the language of the website).

You will need to describe what you’ve lost, when you lost it, and which train you were travelling on – as well as giving your contact details. 

What happens next

First of all, you will be given a declaration number. Keep it safe – it allows you to track the progress of SNCF’s search for your lost property.

Even so – we have to be honest – the investigation relies a fair bit on good fortune. If your lost property is found on the train by a member of staff, or handed in at a station, then there’s a good chance you’ll get it back. 

It may be that your lost property has already been handed in. If so, it will be registered on SNCF’s national lost property database and kept for 30 days at the station where the item was picked up or, for items forgotten on a train, at the station where they arrived.

Deadline

The database is monitored in real-time matching found items with reports of lost property. When your property has been located, you will be informed, and can go to the station where it is stored, or have it sent to your home address, subject to a shipping charge.

If you do collect it from the station, take along proof of ID – and expect to pay a fee of up to €10, depending on the value of the property you have reported missing.

And, after 30 days?

If items of lost property are not claimed after 30 days, it may be handed over to the government’s Administration des domaines, sold to a charitable organisation or destroyed.

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