ICE Trains to take New Routes between Germany and Switzerland

From the annual timetable change on December 14th the routes taken by ICE trains between Germany and Switzerland are to be revised, as part of sweeping general changes to ICE services.

The core routes to/from Basel

The three core routes between German cities and Basel, all of which operate every other hour, are to be retained; and they are

1. Basel - Freiburg - Baden Baden - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt Airport - Cologne - Dusseldorf - Essen - Dortmund - Bremen - Hamburg
2. Basel - Freiburg - Offenburg - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt (Main) - Kassel - Hannover - Hamburg
3. Basel - Freiburg - Offenburg - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt (Main) - Kassel - Braunschweig - Berlin

not all station calls have been included in these summaries.

The more impactful changes, for future journey planning, are to the extensions of these ICE routes which serve destinations in Switzerland to the south of Basel

Beyond Basel

Most of the previous services on the Basel ↔ Hamburg  via Frankfurt (Main) route had journeys which travelled beyond Basel to/from Zurich.
A couple of these daily trains had journeys extended further beyond Zurich to/from Chur via Landquart; Plus one train per day took an Interlaken - Bern - Basel ↔ Hamburg via Frankfurt (Main) route  

However, a key alteration on the current timetable is that the trains on this Basel ↔ Hamburg via Frankfurt (Main) route are not travelling beyond Basel, they begin and end their journeys in Basel SBB station.

To/from Zurich and Chur

Heading north to Germany, the following ICE services will typically be available:

• Zurich - Basel to Freiburg - Baden Baden - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt Airport - Koln Hbf - Dusseldorf - Essen - Dortmund - Bremen - Hamburg (1 x train per day)

• Chur - Landquart - Zurich - Basel to Freiburg - Baden Baden - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt Airport - Koln Hbf - Dusseldorf - Essen - Dortmund - Bremen - Hamburg (2 x trains per day)
• Chur - Landquart - Zurich - Basel to Freiburg - Baden Baden - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt Airport - Koln Hbf (1 x train per day)
• Chur - Landquart - Zurich - Basel to Freiburg - Baden Baden - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt (Main) (1 x train per day)
• Zurich - Basel to Freiburg - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt (Main) - Kassel - Braunschwieg - Berlin (1 x train per day)
• Zurich - Basel to Freiburg - Baden Baden - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt (Main) (1 x train per day)

Heading south to Switzerland the new usual service will be:

• Berlin - Braunschweig - Kassel - Frankfurt (Main) - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Offenburg - Freiburg to Basel - Zurich - Landquart - Chur (2 x trains per day)
• Berlin - Braunschweig - Kassel - Frankfurt (Main) - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Offenburg - Freiburg to Basel - Zurich (1 x train per day)
• Frankfurt (Main) - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Offenburg - Freiburg to Basel - Zurich - Landquart - Chur (1 x train per day)
• Hamburg - Bremen - Dortmund - Essen - Dusseldorf - Koln Hbf - Frankfurt Airport - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Baden Baden - Freiburg to Basel - Zurich - Landquart - Chur (1 x train per day)
• Hamburg - Bremen - Dortmund - Essen - Dusseldorf - Koln Hbf - Frankfurt Airport - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Baden Baden - Freiburg to Basel - Zurich (1 x train per day)

The number of trains between Chur and Germany has been doubled, plus both it and Zurich also have new direct links to/from multiple locations, including Koln/Cologne and Frankfurt Airport.
However, Zurich has lost its direct link with Hannover.

To/from Interlaken

Heading north to Germany, the following ICE services will typically be available:

• Interlaken - Spiez - Thun - Bern - Basel to Freiburg - Offenburg - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt (Main) - Kassel - Braunschweig - Berlin (1 x train per day)
• Interlaken - Spiez - Thun - Bern - Basel to Freiburg - Baden Baden - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt Airport - Koln Hbf - Dusseldorf - Essen - Dortmund - Bremen - Hamburg (1 x train per day)
• Interlaken - Spiez - Thun - Bern - Basel - Freiburg - Baden Baden - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt Airport - Koln Hbf - Dusseldorf - Essen - Dortmund - (1 x train per day)

Heading south to Switzerland the new usual service will be:

• Berlin - Braunschweig - Kassel - Frankfurt (Main) - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Offenburg - Freiburg to Basel - Bern - Thun - Spiez - Interlaken (2 x trains per day)
• Karlsruhe - Offenburg - Freiburg to Basel - Bern - Thun - Spiez - Interlaken (1 x train per day)

So there is a lack of balance between these services to/from Germany.
Interlaken has gained direct services to locations in North Rhine Westphalia including Cologne, but a connection in Basel is still required when travelling south.
However, there will be fewer trains between Berlin and Interlaken.

To/from Brig and Visp

Heading north to Germany, the following ICE services will typically be available

• Brig - Visp - Spiez - Thun - Bern - Basel to Freiburg - Offenburg - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt (Main) - Kassel - Braunschweig - Berlin (2 x trains per day)

Heading south the new usual service will be:

• Dortmund - Essen - Dusseldorf - Koln Hbf - Frankfurt Airport - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Baden Baden - Freiburg to Basel - Bern - Thun - Spiez - Visp - Brig (1 x train per day)
• Hamburg - Bremen - Dortmund - Essen - Dusseldorf - Koln Hbf - Frankfurt Airport - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Baden Baden - Freiburg to Basel - Bern - Thun - Spiez - Visp - Brig (1 x train per day)
• Berlin - Braunschweig - Kassel - Frankfurt (Main) - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Offenburg - Freiburg to Basel - Bern - Thun - Spiez - Visp - Brig (1 x train per day)

A huge change from the previous timetable is that both Brig and Visp now benefit from their first direct links to/from Germany by ICE trains!

Though as with the revised trains between Germany and Interlaken, it's obvious that the service isn't balanced.
Brig and Visp have direct services from locations in North Rhine Westphalia including Cologne, but a connection in Basel is still required when travelling north.

The ECE and EC trains

On the new timetable, the daily ECE service on the Frankfurt (Main) - Mannheim - Karlsruhe - Ringsheim/Europa-Park - Freiburg - Basel ↔ Zurich - Arth-Goldau - Bellinzona - Lugano - Chiasso - Como - Milano route is retained.

However, the long-standing EuroCity service on which two Swiss IC trains per day took a north-west Germany - Koln / Cologne - Bonn - Koblenz - Mainz ↔ Switzerland has been withdrawn.

Though two of the departures in each direction on the Basel - Freiburg - Offenburg - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Frankfurt (Main) - Kassel - Hannover - Hamburg route are now ECE services and not ICE services.
Because they will be operated by the brand new Giruno trains.

New connections

On the new timetable, the Swiss national operator, SBB, has restored direct IC services to the Basel - Biel/Bienne - Neuchatel - Yverdon les Bains - Lausanne route.
So journeys by trains between these cities and Germany now require only one connection to be made at Basel SBB station.