knowledge Overview
ICE line 29 connects Berlin with Munich via the VDE 8 (Erfurt–Nuremberg) and Nuremberg–Ingolstadt high-speed lines. Since the timetable change on 14 December 2025 it has run hourly with around 16 train pairs daily and a journey time of about four hours; Ingolstadt is served only every two hours. Trains of the ICE 3 series are used.
Operator
The operator is DB Fernverkehr (DB Long-Distance Transport).
History
Line 29 was reintroduced in December 2017 and initially connected Berlin and Munich with three train pairs daily in under four hours. At the timetable change in December 2018 the Sprinter service was expanded to five train pairs (two-hourly), and in December 2021 it was extended to Hamburg. Since 14 December 2025 the line has again run only between Berlin and Munich, now hourly with 16 Sprinter train pairs and a journey time of around four hours; all trains stop again in Halle and Erfurt.
Major stations
The line serves, among others, the following stations:
- Berlin Hbf
- Berlin Südkreuz
- Halle (Saale) Hbf
- Erfurt Hbf
- Nürnberg Hbf
- München Hbf
Further information
line_frequency: hourly (Sprinter service, approx. 16 train pairs daily)
Rolling stock
Trains of the ICE 3 series are used on line 29, reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h in regular service. The line runs as a Sprinter service with few intermediate stops and uses the Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle high-speed line between Halle and Erfurt as well as the VDE 8 high-speed line between Erfurt and Nuremberg. Together with lines 18 and 28, this produces a half-hourly service between Erfurt and Nuremberg.