ICE 10 (Berlin – Cologne)

ICE line 10 connects Berlin hourly via Hanover, Bielefeld and the Ruhr area with Cologne; together with line 19 this produces an hourly service between Berlin and Cologne.

Updated 2026-10-28 · rev 5

Profile

Concept kind: Rail line
Opened: seit Sommerfahrplan 1997 (zwischen Berlin und Köln eingerichtet)
Termini: Berlin Ostbahnhof – Köln Hbf (einzelne Züge Koblenz Hbf)
Structure: Ausbaustrecke Berlin–Hannover und weiter über Minden–Bielefeld–Hamm; Flügelzugbetrieb in Hamm über das Ruhrgebiet (Dortmund–Essen–Duisburg–Düsseldorf) bzw. über das Bergische Land (Hagen–Wuppertal–Solingen) nach Köln
Maximum speed: bis zu 280 km/h (ICE 2)
Status: In Betrieb
Operator: DB Fernverkehr AG
Owner: Deutsche Bahn AG (Betreiber: DB Fernverkehr AG)
Depots: ICE-Werk Berlin-Rummelsburg (ICE 2)
Rolling stock: ICE 2, ICE 4 (7-teilig)
Headway: Stundentakt (mit Linie 19 gemeinsamer Berlin–Köln-Takt)

Overview

ICE line 10 is the most important east–west connection between Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia. It runs hourly from Berlin Ostbahnhof via Berlin Hbf, Hanover, Bielefeld and Hamm westwards; in Hamm the trains are split: one part runs via Dortmund, Bochum, Essen, Duisburg and Düsseldorf to Cologne, the other via Hagen, Wuppertal and Solingen to Cologne. Individual morning and evening trains continue to Koblenz. Trains of the ICE 2 series and seven-car ICE 4 units are used.

Operator

The operator is DB Fernverkehr (DB Long-Distance Transport).

History

Line 10 was established at the summer 1997 timetable as an ICE connection between Berlin and Cologne. Since 24 May 1998 the trains have run as wing trains that are split in Hamm: via Dortmund–Essen–Duisburg–Düsseldorf or via Hagen–Wuppertal–Solingen to Cologne. With the timetable change in December 2023, the Bergisches Land branch was reduced to a two-hourly service, so that together with the Ruhr area branch an hourly service is maintained.