Deutsche Bahn (DB) and NS International are commemorating 25 years of ICE operations between Germany and the Netherlands with the full transition of the Berlin–Amsterdam route to ICE 3neo rolling stock, effective from 1 November 2025. The changeover replaces the remaining Intercity services on this route with DB’s latest long-distance fleet.
Since the launch of direct ICE services between Cologne and Amsterdam in 2000, cross-border rail travel between the two countries has steadily grown. Around 30 million passengers have used the ICE network between Germany and the Netherlands over the past 25 years. The initial rollout of multi-system ICE units eliminated time-consuming locomotive changes at the border, notably at Emmerich.
The route portfolio has gradually expanded. In addition to Frankfurt and Cologne, ICE services now link Amsterdam directly with Düsseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart, Hanover, and, since 2024, Berlin. The Berlin–Amsterdam service operates six times daily in both directions, with a journey time of around six hours. An additional daily connection runs between Hanover and Amsterdam.
The ICE 3neo was first introduced on the Dutch network in June 2024 during the European Football Championship and has since replaced older vehicles on the Frankfurt–Amsterdam and Frankfurt–Brussels lines. With this fleet, operators report a decrease in disruption-related cancellations. The units are equipped for operations across multiple countries and designed for improved reliability.
All ICE trains on Dutch routes include stops in Osnabrück, providing onward connections to destinations such as Bremen and Hamburg.
