A Summary of Major Maintenance and Construction Projects

The vast majority of the work to improve railway lines, which impacts on the frequency and journey times info as per the journey guides, is completed over one Sat/Sun period.
So if you can't find a usual route or a train departure online, it can be worth having a look at the links to the national construction work, which you will find below.
You may then have to translate what you'll find, but it can be worth the effort to discover what's occurring and to glean whether you'll need to take a bus for part of the journey, or whether trains are being diverted.
Alterations to the usual service are often not particularly obvious when looking up the journey on a ticket booking service.

The information included below is a guide to the the more extensive construction projects which are impacting on train services for a week or more.
Therefore these are the projects which are good to be aware of if you're planning a rail pass itinerary and want to avoid any hassle, or are wondering why a typical connection isn't available on multiple dates.

Also worth knowing is that many major construction work projects, which require timetable alterations, aren't confirmed until around two months ahead.

These are the upcoming rail construction projects which;

• last more than a weekend, so also impact on Monday to Friday travel
• affect long-distance express trains
• result in trains being diverted, with longer journey times (which impacts on connections)
• Or, are being substituted by buses for part of the journey.

1: Innsbruck ↔ Feldkirch

Due to construction work, no long-distance trains will run between Ötztal (west of Innsbruck) and Bludenz (east of Feldkirch) from October 6, 2025 , to November 3, 2025.
This route is used by all long-distance trains which typically travel between Innsbruck and both Bregenz and Zurich.
A rail replacement bus service will be provided.
Night trains will be rerouted.
Due to the construction work, there may be some restrictions on seat reservations.

2: Salzburg ↔ Kufstein

Due to construction work by Deutsche Bahn, some long-distance trains will not run between Salzburg Central Station and Kufstein Station from November 14, 2025 (9:00 p.m.) to November 19, 2025 (5:00 a.m.).
Rail replacement bus services will be provided. Some long-distance trains will have their schedules changed.
Night trains will be rerouted.

The work is being carried out by DB because between Salzburg and Kufstein, the trains on the Wien - Linz - Salzburg ↔ Kufstein - Worgl Innsbruck - Feldkirch - Bregenz / Zurich route, travel on a route through southern Germany.

(1) Until January 26th approximately one third / 33% of the Intercités trains on the Paris - Brive - Limoges - Toulouse route have been temporarily taken off the timetable due to track reconstruction work.

(2) On Mondays to Fridays from August 18th to October 19th the trains on the Paris Austerlitz - Les Aubrais - Tours won't be available for most of the day.
No departures from Paris Austerlitz direct to Tours between 07:29 and 17:22.
No departures from Tours direct to Paris Austerlitz between 06:12 and 17:12.

1: Berlin ↔ Rostock ↔ Warnemünde
Work on the main route between Berlin and the north is having the following impact.
From April 5th to November 29th, all trains between Berlin and Warnemünde will only operate from/to Rostock Central Station, alternative local transport service will be provide between Rostock and Warnemünde.

2: Hamburg ↔ Berlin
From Aug 1st 2025 to April 30th 2026
Due to the renovation of the Hamburg - Berlin route, there will be maximum of 1 x express (ICE) train per hour between the two cities and journey times will be extended by around 45 minutes.
The EC trains on the Hamburg - Berlin ↔ Praha route and the Hamburg - Berlin ↔ Budapest route will be turning around in Berlin and won't be serving Hamburg.

3: Berlin ↔ Erfurt
From September 24 (midnight) to December 13, 2025 (midnight) construction work will be taking place at multiple locations between these two locations.
As a consequence between these dates:

• Trains will be diverted between Erfurt / Leipzig and Berlin, leading to extended journey times of between 45 and 60 minutes.
• Due to the diversion, trains between Erfurt / Leipzig and Berlin won't be calling in Südkreuz or Lutherstadt Wittenberg
• All ICE trains which typically take the Frankfurt - Erfurt - Berlin route will be cancelled, leaving Frankfurt - Kassel - Berlin as the only service between Frankfurt (Main) and Berlin
• At least an hourly service will still be available on the Munich - Nuremberg - Erfurt - (Leipzig) - Berlin route.

4: Nuremberg ↔ Munich
From November 10 (10 PM) to November 21, 2025 (9 PM)

• ICE trains will not be calling at Ingolstadt
• The trains on the Hamburg - Hanover - Nuremberg - Munich route, will only travel between Nuremberg and Munich every two hours, instead of the regular hourly service. Plus the journey time between Nuremberg and Munich will increase by 35 mins.
• All trains on the Berlin - Erfurt - Nuremberg - Munich route, will travel Augsburg. so the trains which are normally non-stop between Nuremberg and Munich will be 35 mins slower
• The trains on the Dortmund - Frankfurt - Nuremberg - Munich route will have their usual capacity and will also be 35 mins slower between Nuremberg and Munich.

5: Karlsruhe ↔ Basel
From November 14 (midnight) to December 7, 2025 (11:59 PM) the capacity of this route will be reduced.
As a consequence between these dates:

• The ICE trains on the Hamburg - Bremen - Cologne - Frankfurt - Karlsruhe - Basel route will start and end at Karlsruhe Hbf
• The ICE trains on the Hamburg - Kassel - Frankfurt - Karlsruhe - Basel - Zürich route will also stop in Offenburg.
  The ICE trains on the Berlin- Kassel - Frankfurt - Karlsruhe - Basel route will not be affected.

6: The main station in Cologne
From November 14 (9 PM) to November 24, 2025 (5 AM) a new signalling system is being installed at Koln Hbf which will prevent all long-distance trains from calling at the station.
The ICE and IC trains will instead be calling at Koln Messe/Deutz, Koln-Ehrenfeld or Koln Sud.
Though S-Bahn local trains will still be available between these stations and Koln Hbf.

7: Hamburg ↔ Hannover
The enhancement project on the Hamburg <> Berlin routes finishes on April 30th, so from May 1st to July 10th, 2026 the work is transferred to the Hamburg <> Hannover route.
The core consequences will be:

• No long-distance trains will be calling in Celle, Uelzen, Lüneburg, Verden and Nienburg
• The ICE trains on the Hamburg - Hannover - Kassel - Frankfurt (Main) / Wurzburg routes will be diverted between Hannover and Hamburg extending journey times by 45 minutes
• There will be no IC or ICE trains between Hamburg and Bremen during this time.

8: At Stuttgart
Work towards the opening of the new main station in Stuttgart will be stepped up in 2026.
Therefore from June 26th to September 11th inclusive fewer long-distance trains will be able to use Stuttgart Hbf.
The core consequences will be:

• Only one ICE train per hour between Stuttgart and both Mannheim (routes to the north) and Munich (routes to the south)
• Trains to/from Austria will call at Essingen/Neckar station instead of at Stuttgart Hbf
• There will be no direct trains at all between Stuttgart and Heidelberg, a connection will be required at Vaihingen (Enz)
• Therefore the IC and ICE trains which travel via Heidelberg and typically terminate at Stuttgart, will be terminating at Heidelberg
• The IC Trains between Stuttgart and Zurich will be beginning and ending their journeys at Stuttgart-Vaihingen station.

1: Inverness ↔ Kyle of Lochalsh

From Monday 20 October 2025 to Sunday 09 November 2025, the railway to the Kyle of Lochalsh is being extensively renewed.
As a consequence:

• An amended train service will operate between Inverness and Dingwall only calling Beauly, Muir of Ord and Conon Bridge.
• Buses also replace trains between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh calling all stations to Stromeferry, then Kyle of Lochalsh.
• A minibus service will operate between Stromeferry and Kyle of Lochalsh, calling Duncraig, Plockton and Duirinish.

2: Milton Keynes ↔ Northampton / Rugby (and Aylesbury)

From Saturday 27 December 2025 to Sunday 04 January 2026 work is taking place between Milton Keynes Central and Northampton / Rugby with buses replacing trains.

As a consequence Chiltern Railways will be altering its timetables as follows:

Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 December

• An increased / enhanced service will operate between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone
• No trains will run between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and London Marylebone via Amersham

Monday 29 December to Friday 2 January

• An increased / enhanced service will operate between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone
• No trains will run between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and London Marylebone via Amersham
• A shuttle train service will run between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham.

Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 January

• An increased / enhanced service will operate between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone
• No trains will run between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and London Marylebone via Amersham
• Replacement buses will run between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham.

3: London Liverpool Street station

From Saturday 27 December 2025 to Thursday 01 January 2026 work on the lines will require a shut down of Liverpool Street station.
Greater Anglia trains will be turned around at Stratford,

Transfers between Stratford and Liverpool Street will be by the Central line of the Underground as the Elizabeth line will also not be available between Stratford and Liverpool Street.

4: London Waterloo station

Engineering work is taking place in the London Waterloo area, closing various lines from Saturday 27 December to Sunday 4 January.

On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 December, no trains will run between Clapham Junction and London Waterloo.

From Monday 29 December to Friday 2 January, a reduced and amended service will run to / from London Waterloo. The other trains will to start / terminate at other stations

On Saturday 3 January, a reduced and amended service will run between Barnes and Clapham Junction.
Some trains will be amended to start / terminate at Woking / Basingstoke / Clapham Junction instead of at London Waterloo.

On Sunday 4 January, buses will replace trains between Barnes and Clapham Junction.

5: At Cambridge

From Saturday 27 December 2025 to Sunday 04 January 2026 work is being carried out to the south of Cambridge station
Replacement buses will therefore be operating between;

• Royston and Cambridge North covering Thameslink and Great Northern services
• Ely and Stansted Airport covering CrossCountry trains, Cross Country trains will start and begin at Cambridge
• Stansted Airport and Cambridge North covering Greater Anglia trains
• Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds covering Greater Anglia trains

Until December the Bressanone/Brixen ↔ Lienz route is closed between Bressanone/Brixen and Brunico/Bruneck due to reconstruction work
Bressanone/Brixen is on the Innsbruck - Bolzano - Trento - Verona route and Lienz has trains which take a Klagenfurt - Villach - Spittal - Lienz route.

1: Until June 30th 2026 València Joaquín Sorolla station is closed due to expansion works so all trains are being diverted into Valencia Nord station.

2: A replacement bus service is operating between Palencia and Venta de Baños due to improvement works
The route is used by MD services that travel between Madrid and San Sebastian.
The Alvia services are not affected.

These are the upcoming major works on the railway lines, that will be impacting on international railway routes over sustained periods of time.

From October 20 to November 2, 2025, buses replace trains between Arnhem in The Netherlands and Emmerich in Germany.
The ICE trains on the Amsterdam ↔ Frankfurt (Main) route will be diverted and won't be calling in Dusseldorf, Duisburg and Arnhem, but will instead be calling at Monchengladbach and Venlo.
The travel time between Germany and Amsterdam will be 30mins longer than usual.

From October 6, 2025 to November 3, 2025, Railjet trains will be replaced by buses between Ötztal (west of Innsbruck) and Bludenz (east of Feldkirch).

Due to construction work the daily 'Transalpin' EC train may be replaced by buses between Stainach-Irdning and Bischofshofen from September 8 to October 5.

Then from October 6, 2025 , to November 3, 2025 this train will be replaced by buses between Ötztal (west of Innsbruck) and Bludenz (east of Feldkirch).

From September 19 (9 a.m.) to September 26, 2025 (7 p.m.) AND from October 27, 2025 (9:00 PM) to November 7, 2025 (4:00 AM) the EC trains Hamburg-Berlin-Dresden-Prague only run on the Berlin* <> Dresden and Decin <> Prague sections and therefore won't be calling in Bad Schandau.
A replacement bus service will be set up between Dresden and Usti nad Labem, with connections to EC trains from/to Berlin and the Czech Republic.
*= The trains are being turned around in Berlin and won't be serving Hamburg until April 30th 2026.

During these dates the Nightjet sleeper services on the Berlin ↔ Wien/Vienna and Berlin ↔ Budapest routes, will be suspended.

Until December 13th the daily EC trains which usually travel daily in both directions on a Wien - Graz - Maribor - Ljubljana ↔ Trieste route, will only be available between Ljubljana and Trieste.

Until December 1st construction work has closed the railway between Villach in Austria and Jesenice in Slovenia and this route is used by all trains which travel between southern Austria and Ljubljana - and on to Zagreb.
A bus replacement service has been provided between Villach and Jesenice.

Due to construction work, trains EC 331, EC 332, EC 333, EC 334, EC 335 and EC 336 will not run between Linz/Donau Hbf and Ceske Budejovice from October 1, 2025, to November 4, a rail replacement bus will be provided.
These EC trains usually provide a Linz ↔ Praha/Prague service.

From October 17 (10 p.m.) to October 24, 2025 (3:30 a.m.) construction work is leading to a bus replacement service being provided between Berlin and Rzepin.
As a consequence the EC trains which typically take a Berlin – Frankfurt (Oder) – Rzepin ↔ Poznań – Warsaw route will only be travelling between Rzepin and Warsaw.
Also the EC trains which typically take a Berlin – Frankfurt (Oder) – Wroclaw – Krakow – Przemysl route, will only be travelling between Wroclaw and Przemysl.

From February 7th 2026 until December 12th 2026, Deutsche Bahn will be enhancing the railway in south-east Germany which links Nuremberg to Passau via Regensburg.
Hence between during this time these ICE routes won't be available;

• Hamburg - Hannover - Kassel - Wurzburg - Nuremberg - Regensburg - Passau ↔ Wels- Linz - Vienna
• Berlin - Halle - Erfurt - Nuremberg - Regensburg - Passau ↔ Wels - Linz - Vienna; this service will be switched to a Berlin - Halle - Leipzig - Erfurt - Nuremberg - Munich - Kufstein - Worgl - Innsbruck route.

From Feb 7th to July 10th the services which will be available are:

• One ICE train per day taking a Munich - Regensburg - Passau ↔ Wels - Linz - Vienna route.
• One ICE train per day which will take a Frankfurt (Main) - Wurzburg - Nuremberg - Ingolstadt - Regensburg - Passau ↔ Wels Linz - Vienna route.
• One ICE train per day which will take a - Cologne - Bonn - Koblenz - Mainz Frankfurt Airport - Frankfurt (Main) - Wurzburg - Nuremberg - Ingolstadt - Regensburg - Passau ↔ Wels Linz - Vienna route.
• One ICE train per day which will take a - Dortmund - Essen - Dusseldorf - Cologne - Bonn - Koblenz - Mainz Frankfurt Airport - Frankfurt (Main) - Wurzburg - Nuremberg - Ingolstadt - Regensburg - Passau ↔ Wels Linz - Vienna route.

This is around half of the usual service.
Note that trains travelling via Nurnberg will be diverted on to a longer route via Ingolstadt.

From July 11th to December 12th the services which will be available are:

• One ICE train per day taking a Cologne - Frankfurt Airport - Frankfurt (Main) - Wurzburg - Nuremberg - Regensburg route
• One ICE train per day taking a Hamburg - Hannover - Kassel - Wurzburg - Nuremberg - Regensburg route
• Two EC trains per day taking a Munich - Simbach ↔ Wels - Linz - Vienna route.

The Nightjet trains on the Amsterdam ↔ Vienna and Hamburg ↔ Vienna routes will still be available, but will be diverted.

From June 14th to October 14th this route is being enhanced to enable a single line to be double tracked.

The services which typically use it are:

(1) Zurich - Buchs ↔ Feldkirch - Innsbruck - Salzburg - Linz - Vienna services by Railjet trains
Some of these trains will be cancelled and the remaining trains won't be extended to travel beyond Vienna to and from Bratislava and Budapest.

(2) The Zurich - Buchs ↔ Feldkirch - Innsbruck - Zell am See - Seltzhal - Graz service will only be operating between Innsbruck and Graz.

(3) The night trains between Zurich and both Vienna and Budapest will be diverted.

This route is to be unavailable from May 30th to July 27th.

The trains which use it include the EC services on these two routes:

(1) Basel - Bern - Thun - Spiez - Visp - Brig ↔ Domodossola - Stresa - Milan
(2) Geneva - Lausanne - Sion - Brig ↔ Domodossola - Stresa - Milan

From July 27 to August to September 3rd 2026 the regional Tilo train service on the hourly Locano - Lugano - Chiasso ↔ Como - Milano route will be having to turn around in Como so won't be serving Milano.

From August 24h to September 3rd 2026 the route between Como and Milano will be completely closed, so the EC trains on the routes between both Zurich and Luzern and Milano will also be unable to arrive at and depart from Milano.