TopazJan 5
lars' transport world
My 🇩🇪 #Germany 🚅 diagram has been updated for 2026! It focuses on long-distance train lines that run at least three times a day. Providing a more interpretable alternative to #DB 's official #IC and #ICE diagram with a stronger focus on the system (regularly running connections and their frequency instead of the sole line definition) was my initial motivation for starting creating diagrams a couple of years ago.
My diagram: https://larstransportmaps.com/2026/01/04/systematic-long-distance-services-in-germany-2026/
Official: https://cms.static-bahn.de/wmedia/redaktion/aushaenge/streckenkarte/Liniennetz-ICE-IC-2026-Stand-09-2025.pdf
(edit: image)
Jan 4 at 9:08amWeb
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
The 2026 timetable has brought a systematisation of some single trains, which leads to more lines on my diagram. Many single trains haven't been shown before, but are now grouped together as they run at least three times a day. Examples are the ICE Sprinter lines 3 and 4. Systematisation also took place on the lines between Berlin and Munich. In contrast, there are fewer trains on some lines like 26 (Karlsruhe-Frankfurt-Gießen-Kassel-…), 34 (Frankfurt-Siegen-Dortmund) or 61 (Leipzig-Nuremberg).
Show threadSchleifleistenbruchJan 4
@larstransportworld Thank you very much!
Just my two cents: ICE 15 doesn't stop at Angermünde. There are still single trains (IC 2238/2239) to Warnemünde.
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
@Schleifleistenbruch Thank you for pointing that out! Feedback is always appreciated. I'm not sure how the Angermünde error occurred. Warnemünde was an easy error to make, as the IC 2238/2239 only runs in the summer and does not connect to Berlin, unlike the IC 17 line. 😉 Both errors will be corrected soon.
Show threadOskar KirmisJan 8

@larstransportworld They also killed the first and the last IC train between Hannover - Magdeburg - Leipzig, which basically ruins the only long distance train connection Magdeburg had and it's connection to the hubs (Hannover, Leipzig) after ¨20:30.

Sadly, you cannot rely on the connection atm (many cancellations for some reason in the past ~6 months), so you should not plan to use the last train either.

Kills DB for many business trips (-> have to use the car -> cannot work -> money lost)

Show threadAndré LampeJan 4
@larstransportworld Bad Oeynhausen is on this map! \(ˆ˚ˆ)/ #OWL
Show threadIgelJan 4
@larstransportworld Very well done! Your map looks much nicer than the official one, which is confusing.
For the purpose of planning train travels within Germany, though, it's sometimes enough when there is a connection even once a day. So it could be helpful to see those as well.
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
@igeluff I understand the desire to show all daily connections. It is, of course, possible to do this. However, in the case of Germany, it would make the diagram much more difficult to read, given that there are still many single trains and many exceptions to the regular lines. It would be on a larger scale and fulfil a different purpose. I'd prefer a separate version of it.
Show threadIgelJan 4
@larstransportworld you are probably right. I didn't know how many trains there were. I just found this map and as you said, it already exists: https://www.deviantart.com/costamiri/art/Transit-diagram-of-regional-rail-in-Germany-2024-1006737243
And I just noticed that this map is about regional trains...
Transit diagram of regional rail in Germany 2024 by Costamiri on DeviantArt

Show threadrail 🦊Jan 4
@larstransportworld can we get Poland's diagram this year? 🙏
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
@rail I am honoured by the additional country wishes, but there are so many 'left'! 😭
Show threadrail 🦊Jan 4
@larstransportworld  I can imagine yeah
Show threadnumber137Jan 4
@larstransportworld 🙏
Show threadStadler BLÅHAJ Evo Jan 4
@larstransportworld nice map! :3

if you don't mind me asking, what software/tooling was used in the creation of these? :3
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
@memdmp I use Affinity Designer.
Show threadbitbonkJan 4
@larstransportworld How do I find the official one you posted on the bahn website?
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4

@bitbonk You'll find all diagrams here: https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz

This one is the long-distance: https://cms.static-bahn.de/wmedia/redaktion/aushaenge/streckenkarte/Liniennetz-ICE-IC-2026-Stand-09-2025.pdf

Fern- und Nahverkehr der Bahn: Streckenkarten und Liniennetzpläne

Sie suchen eine Streckenkarte oder Liniennetzkarte der Deutschen Bahn? Hier finden Sie sie in der Übersicht.

Show threadFoxhkron  Jan 4
@larstransportworld This is soooo much more readable than the official DB diagram

https://cms.static-bahn.de/wmedia/redaktion/aushaenge/streckenkarte/Liniennetz-ICE-IC-2026-Stand-09-2025.pdf
Show threadrenkeJan 4
@foxhkron urgh, this makes my head hurt. DB should pay @larstransportworld and take his map...
Show threadBart LouwersJan 4

Looks amazing!

The original though...

Show threadCab T. HanksJan 4
@larstransportworld And we see: The Capital of Germany is Frankfurt am Main 🤭
Show threadLars HanischJan 4
@larstransportworld Flensburg 😢
Show threadFeyterJan 4

@larstransportworld Is this an issue of the visualization or a example of how not integrated EU countries are in public transportation.

Every Person in German basically needs to get to Berlin first, to get on a new line to head of to Poland.

Same for Cologne and France...

Show threadMagnus AhltorpJan 4
@larstransportworld Has Lübeck completely lost any long-distance trains? There used to be quite a few 10-20 years ago, even to Czechia if I remember correctly.
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
@ahltorp That's right — unfortunately, there won't be any long-distance trains until the Femern Belt connection opens.
Show threadTorf und SchneeJan 4
@larstransportworld How does it go with reliability?
Show threadMartin NeunerJan 4

@larstransportworld It's a great diagram! Really gives you an idea on what long distance trains in Germany could look like in a Taktfahrplan :)

One small correction: The ICE weekend connections via Munich to Garmisch no longer run all the way to Innsbruck. All ICEs to Garmisch, end in Garmisch.

Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
@mfritzn Thank you for bringing this to my attention. There were a lot of changes to the ICE trains that run infrequently this time. Unfortunately, I missed this one.
Show threadAnigmaJan 4
@larstransportworld Ich glaub da ist ein Fehler beim ICE15. Zwischen Berlin Gesundbrunnen und Eberswalde sollte der soweit ich weiß eigentlich noch in Bernau halten.
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
@Anigma Danke für die Rückmeldung. Ich kann jedoch auf die Schnelle keine ICE finden, die in Bernau halten. Hast du ein Beispiel?
Show threadAnigmaJan 4
@larstransportworld Hmm, stimmt leider scheinbar. Hab grad nochmal in die ICEs nach Stralsund und Ostseebad Binz geschaut und die haben scheinbar mit dem Fahrplanwechsel Bernau als halt gestrichen. Sorry für die Störung.
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
@Anigma kein Problem 😊 Es gab dieses Mal viele Anpassungen bei der Haltepolitik, da geht schnell etwas unter.
Show threadMorgan RoseJan 4
@larstransportworld hello
Show threadMark AsbachJan 4
@larstransportworld Not entirely on point, but I‘m tagging this with #gischat as map lovers might be interested. #maps
Show threadSpiegelMixJan 4
@larstransportworld the map makes easily visible, that an ICE connection from Dortmund (through Kassel) to Leipzig is still missing
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 4
@spiegelmix Yes, there is kind of a 'lack' in the middle of Germany. IC 51 connects Cologne, Dortmund with Kassel and Erfurt. It is kind of an alternative with one change in Erfurt, but it runs only three times a day. Given that it takes the same time to go via Hanover (with the ICE, change and IC), I assume that the situation won't change much.
Show threadMicrofractal 🫖Jan 4
@larstransportworld This looks sooo cool!
Show threadeverton137Jan 4
@larstransportworld Danke schön! #DB should hire you!
Show threadNicoJan 4
@larstransportworld sehr schönes Diagramm! Kleiner Hinweis: Es gibt nun auch regelmäßige ECs von Leipzig über Elsterwerda und Hoyerswerda in Richtung Polen, gibt es einen Grund warum die nicht drauf sind?
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 5
@PanPride97 Leider verkehren die EC nach Polen - wenn ich richtig informiert bin - nur zweimal täglich (und ich stelle zwecks Übersichtlichkeit nur Verbindungen dar, die mindestens dreimal täglich verkehren). Deshalb ist dort einfach die braun gestrichelte Linie.
Show threadNicoJan 5
@larstransportworld
Tatsache. So oft wie ich den in der Auskunft gesehen habe ist da ein falscher Eindruck entstanden xD
Danke für die Antwort ^^
Show threadMoss (the τεχie) <(fsm)>{{Jan 5

@larstransportworld
Schön!

Warum ist da eine (Neben-) Verbindung Dresden <-> Chemnitz im Plan, aber nicht Leipzig <-> Chemnitz? Zu nah?

Show threadlars' transport worldJan 5
@Moss_the_TeXie Zwischen Leipzig und Chemnitz fahren "nur" REs, nicht? Diese sind nicht dem Fernverkehr zugeordnet und deshalb nicht eingetragen.
Show threadKrist van BesienJan 5

@larstransportworld there is some weirdness going on with ICE services to Switzerland. For example the services from Interlaken are 1 to Berlin, and 2 to the Ruhr. But there are no trains from the Ruhr to Interlaken... So Northbound one ICE 12 and two IC 43, in the other direction 3 ICE 12. From Brig: NB two ICE 12, SB two ICE 43, one ICE 12

This kind of asymmetry is not very Swiss....

Show threadlars' transport worldJan 5
@krist Indeed, I am very unhappy with that. I somehow had to simplify this on the diagram. There are three trains per day to Interlaken and three trains to Brig, but they are assigned to different lines. So I just referred to the majority. I hope it will be better for 2027.
Show threadDirk HenkelJan 5

@larstransportworld Oh, interesting change: the ICE line 20 doesn't go to Zurich anymore, but already ends in Basel - as many of the train runs last year already did due to heavy delays.

Apparently, they realized that it became too random whether a train starting in Hamburg could enter Switzerland in a time frame matching the swiss timeliness standards (or the SBB enforced that change?).

Show threadlars' transport worldJan 5
@qpButterfleyes In summary, more ICE trains now run beyond Basel SBB. However, this only applies to lines 13 and 42. As far as I know, the trains on line 20 seem to have a longer travel time due to construction works. They arrive 30 minutes later at Basel SBB and depart 30 minutes earlier in 2026. ICE trains cannot take over the slot of the Swiss IC Basel–Zurich (or Chur) 30 minutes earlier or later; one reason for this is that the TGV Paris–Basel–Zurich sometimes occupies this slot. (1/2)
Show threadlars' transport worldJan 5
@qpButterfleyes So, I assume the changes are not directly related to the lack of reliability. As said, there are more ICE going beyond Basel than before. Let's see, what will happen when ICE line 20 will be faster again. (2/2)
Show threadAdriano🌍Jan 5
@larstransportworld
Awesome map! Just can't imagine amount of work.
Show threadBruno AdeléJan 6

@larstransportworld Oh ! Beautifull !

What tool you use ?

Show threadSebastian WagnerJan 11
@larstransportworld Sicher, dass es noch eine Direktverbindung Hambug - Prag gibt? Auf https://www.bahn.de/reisen/view/verbindung/hamburg/prag.shtml finde ich leider nichts mehr. Nur noch Praha hl.n. <-> Berlin Hbf
Günstige Bahntickets von Hamburg nach Prag – Deutsche Bahn

Von Hamburg nach Prag günstig, bequem und staufrei reisen mit den Angeboten der Deutschen Bahn. Jetzt rechtzeitig buchen und günstige Bahntickets sichern!

Show threadlars' transport worldJan 11
@sebastian_wagner RJ 478/479 Prag <-> Hamburg und RJ 386/387 Prag <-> Hamburg <-> Kopenhagen verkehren von Ende Mai bis Ende August. Außerhalb der Sommersaison gibt es meines Wissen nichts.