New train connection will link Prague to the German-Danish border

Travelers will soon be able to take a train directly from Prague to Flensburg on the German-Danish border. Czech train operator České Dráhy together with Deutsche Bahn will extend the connection that currently ends in Hamburg.

The almost 900-kilometer journey from Prague to Flensburg will take about eight and three-quarter hours. The train will first leave Prague on Sunday, June 12, at 10:25 am. and arrive in Flensburg in the evening at 7:07 pm. It will run in the opposite direction from Monday, June 13. It is scheduled to depart Flensburg at 8:31 am and arrive in Prague at 5:35 pm.

The new service, using the EC 174/175 Berliner train, will also stop in the northern German cities of Schleswig, Rendsburg, and Neumünster.

The air-conditioned train is equipped with onboard Wi-Fi, and passengers have 230 V power sockets and USB connectors for powering electronics. The train has a restaurant car as well as compartments for passengers with children, passengers in wheelchairs, or for transporting bicycles. For most of the route, the train is powered by electricity from 100 percent renewable sources, ČD said in a press release.

Flensburg is part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Its origins date back to the 12th century, and it has many historical buildings, a well-preserved harbor, and several museums including a rum museum, as the port was a center for rum trade in the 18th century. The city is also known for its annual rum-themed regatta.

Schleswig has a cathedral with the tomb of King Frederik I of Denmark. The museum at Gottorf Castle contains an Iron Age boat found intact in a bog. The castle also sports a Baroque garden.

Rendsburg is known for its unique steel bridge connecting the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The medieval town of Neumünster has a textile museum and nearby nature reserves such as the Dosenmoor peat bog.

ČD added that in the 2022 timetable, it offers direct train connections to Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and Switzerland. ČD trains provide direct connections to over 130 foreign destinations. It is possible to travel to other destinations by connecting to foreign partners.

Earlier this week France announced that it may outlaw short-haul flights in an attempt to reduce the country’s carbon emissions. Other EU countries are looking into taking similar measures to curb emissions by bolstering train routes.