SNCF and Deutsche Bahn intend to launch a direct TGV between Paris and Berlin (Germany) “in December 2023”, announced Tuesday in Strasbourg the CEO of the French company, Jean-Pierre Farandou.

“It makes sense because we see that people are willing to take longer and longer journeys.

There are really people who are ready to stay five hours, six hours, seven hours in a train, he explained.

In this case, Paris-Berlin is seven hours.

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One round trip per day initially

“A few years ago, we found it a bit long and we were afraid of not having anyone.

There are more and more people for whom this is not a problem, so much the better!

“Launched the boss of the SNCF, stressing that” taking the train is a way of reconciling mobility and the protection of nature “.

Initially, one round trip per day will be set up on this link via Frankfurt, operated in partnership between SNCF and Deutsche Bahn with German ICE high-speed trains.

The offer could later be supplemented by a second round trip with French TGVs, indicated Alain Krakovitch, TGV-Intercités director at SNCF.

The train, a form of transport on the rise?

"It's quite symbolic of the evolution of our society, and of the desire of many of our fellow citizens to favor the train," noted the manager.

“The observation that we are making today is that Paris-Milan and Paris-Barcelona have astonishing occupancy rates: at Paris-Milan, the offer has doubled with the arrival of Trenitalia [the public company Italian, which came to compete with the SNCF TGVs in December], and despite that, the trains are full, he explained.

We must be able to have the same thing on Paris-Berlin!

“The daily TGV linking Frankfurt to Marseille – via Strasbourg and Lyon – is also a success, noted Alain Krakovitch.

The Paris-Berlin high-speed day train will be added to a night train connection between the two capitals which is to be operated by Austrian railways ÖBB – in cooperation with SNCF and Deutsche Bahn –, also from the end of 2023. "I am convinced that we need more railways in Europe and a strong Europe needs a strong interconnection on the rails", estimated Richard Lutz of Deutsche Bahn, for whom the Rail development is also “essential to achieving climate goals”.

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