Europe’s rail map is on the brink of another major shake up in 2026 as Denmark moves into the fast lane, joining the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Germany, France and Serbia in rolling out new high speed or higher speed connections.

From a new Prague Copenhagen daytime service to the long awaited Budapest Belgrade corridor and faster cross border routes in Western Europe, the coming year is set to redraw how travelers move around the continent by train.

View from Czech Railways train with blurred landscape and passing Deutsche Bahn train.

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The headline change for 2026 is a new direct daytime rail connection between Prague and Copenhagen, operated jointly by Deutsche Bahn, Danish Railways (DSB) and Czech Railways. Scheduled to launch on 1 May 2026, the train will run year round in both directions via Berlin, finally giving Denmark a showpiece international higher speed link into Central Europe.

The service is expected to cut journey times between Copenhagen and Berlin to around seven hours and between Copenhagen and Prague to roughly eleven hours, without the need for changes en route. Today, many passengers must piece together separate legs through Hamburg and northern Germany, often relying on slower regional segments and ferries, particularly along the busy corridor between Denmark and Germany.

The new route will be worked by Czech Railways’ latest ComfortJet trainsets. These are designed for 200 km/h running and will offer a modern onboard experience including a full restaurant car, family and quiet zones, Wi Fi, bike spaces and a capacity of around 555 passengers. The operators also plan to extend an existing Hamburg Copenhagen summer night train onward to Prague, reinforcing the link between Scandinavia and Central Europe.

Behind the scenes, Denmark has spent much of the past decade upgrading its domestic network to support higher speeds, from the Copenhagen Ringsted line to the South Line toward Rødbyhavn. While the Fehmarnbelt fixed link tunnel to Germany is not expected to be ready for rail before the end of the decade, the 2026 cross border timetable shows how Denmark is already integrating into a denser European fast rail grid.

Germany and France Expand Cross Border High Speed Capacity

Germany and France, home to ICE and TGV flagships, are using 2026 to further expand their cross border high speed offering and to improve links that will feed into the new Scandinavian and Central European routes. Rail operators on both sides of the Rhine have identified the booming demand for rail as air travel faces pressure from climate conscious travelers and higher operating costs.

Germany’s role in the Prague Copenhagen service is one piece of a wider reshuffle. The Berlin Hamburg Copenhagen axis is being prepared for more frequent long distance trains, including additional ICE and EuroCity services. Infrastructure upgrades on the Hamburg Lübeck corridor and works connected to the future Fehmarnbelt tunnel are gradually pushing top speeds toward 200 km/h on key sections, shortening journeys for international passengers even before the fixed link opens fully.

France, meanwhile, continues to extend the reach of its TGV network beyond national borders. Franco German joint ventures are adding extra high speed frequencies on core routes such as Paris Frankfurt and Paris Stuttgart Munich, helping to create smoother same day connections from Western Europe toward Berlin and, by extension, to Copenhagen and Prague. More coordinated timetables in 2026 should make multi leg journeys via Paris and Germany more attractive for travelers heading to Scandinavia without flying.

Both countries are also central to the European Commission’s push for a continent wide high speed network by 2040, with Brussels encouraging interoperable rolling stock and harmonized signalling. The 2026 timetable changes, while modest in isolation, are part of a broader strategy to turn scattered national high speed islands into a truly connected system.

Czech Republic Positions Prague As A Northern Central European Hub

For the Czech Republic, the new Prague Copenhagen line is as much about repositioning Prague as a regional hub as it is about access to Denmark. In recent years, the city has seen a steady build up of long distance services linking it to Vienna, Budapest, Berlin and Warsaw, supported by incremental infrastructure improvements on core corridors.

The 2026 ComfortJet operated route adds another spoke to that hub. Passengers will be able to travel directly from Copenhagen to Prague and connect onward to Bratislava, Budapest or Kraków with a single change. For inbound tourists, Prague becomes an attractive rail gateway into Scandinavia, complementing competing routes via Hamburg or Stockholm.

Czech Railways’ investment in modern higher speed rolling stock is crucial here. While much of the country’s network is still capped below classic high speed thresholds, upgraded alignments and tilting capable or high performance trains are allowing commercial speeds to rise. The Prague Copenhagen service is an early showcase of this strategy, pairing Czech rolling stock with German and Danish infrastructure to offer a competitive alternative to short haul flights.

Further domestic work on planned high speed lines radiating from Prague, particularly toward Brno and Ostrava, is expected later in the decade. The 2026 cross border launch signals that Czech planners view integration with northern corridors as just as important as better links to Vienna and Budapest.

Hungary and Serbia Bring The Budapest Belgrade High Speed Corridor To Life

In Central and Southeastern Europe, the most consequential development for 2026 is the ramp up of operations on the Budapest Belgrade railway. The Serbian section between Belgrade and Subotica opened to high speed services in late 2025, with new electric trains covering the route at up to 200 km/h and slashing journey times across northern Serbia.

Through services to Hungary are the next step. Belgrade and Budapest have both highlighted the line as a flagship project, backed by Chinese financing and engineering expertise as part of a planned chain of modern railways running from Central Europe to the port of Piraeus in Greece. By 2026, officials in both capitals expect regular higher speed operations on most of the 350 kilometer corridor, enabling city center to city center travel in around three hours once all sections are fully commissioned.

The line is set to transform how travelers move between Hungary and Serbia, as well as how freight flows between the Balkans and Central Europe. For passengers, faster trains with air conditioned interiors, onboard Wi Fi and modern seating will replace slower, often overcrowded legacy services. For the wider region, the corridor helps knit the Western Balkans into the EU’s emerging high speed mesh, with future branches envisioned toward Skopje and Athens.

Serbia’s government has framed the project as strategically important for the country’s economic development and tourism, stressing that integration with Hungary’s rail network opens direct access to broader European routes. With Belgrade already connected by rail to cities such as Vienna and Zurich, a faster Budapest link enhances its role as a rail hub at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe.

United Kingdom Looks To Mainland Europe As It Rebalances High Speed Priorities

Across the Channel, the United Kingdom is in a period of recalibration after years of debate over its domestic high speed ambitions. While sections of the HS2 project have been scaled back or delayed, 2026 will still bring developments that matter for travelers linking Britain with the continent.

London’s existing high speed corridor through the Channel Tunnel continues to see strong demand, and operators are preparing new rolling stock and potential additional city pairs for services beyond the core London Paris and London Brussels axes. Discussions have focused on city to city connections such as London Amsterdam and possible extensions deeper into Germany, which, if realized, would create more same seat options connecting the UK to the expanding high speed web on the continent.

On the domestic front, infrastructure upgrades in and around London and the southeast are aimed at easing capacity constraints that limit international paths. Even without entirely new lines, signaling improvements and targeted works can unlock more high speed slots through key pinch points, making it easier to add trains that dovetail with European connections in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

For leisure travelers, the practical impact in 2026 is a gradual increase in choice and potentially more competitive pricing, as operators vie for a share of passengers who might otherwise fly on short haul routes. As continental high speed services expand, particularly through Germany and into Denmark, the UK’s rail gateway at St Pancras becomes an increasingly important starting point for rail based grand tours of Europe.

EU Policy, Climate Targets And The Race To Shift Travelers From Air To Rail

Underlying these national projects is a broader policy shift from Brussels. The European Commission has set ambitious targets to make rail the default choice for medium haul travel within the bloc, framed as essential to meeting climate goals and cutting emissions from aviation and road transport. A recent strategy paper envisioned tripling the length of the high speed network by 2040 and slashing journey times between major city pairs by up to eight hours on some corridors.

To support that vision, the Commission plans to table new legislation in 2026 focused on cross border ticketing and booking. The goal is to make it far easier for passengers to plan and purchase single tickets covering multiple operators and countries, with clear, enforceable passenger rights when things go wrong. For travelers considering, say, Copenhagen to Belgrade by rail in 2026, that could eventually mean one seamless booking rather than juggling several different websites and fare systems.

The EU is also backing research into next generation interoperable high speed rolling stock from 2026, aiming to overcome technical barriers that currently prevent trains from operating seamlessly across borders. Differing power systems, signaling standards and platform heights still complicate international operations, increasing costs and limiting flexibility. A more harmonized approach could make it easier to extend services, such as running Danish or Czech trains deeper into Germany or Austria without time consuming equipment changes.

Funding remains a challenge. Estimates suggest that more than half a trillion euros may be needed to deliver the full high speed vision by 2040. For now, the EU is using a mix of grants, loans, emissions trading revenues and national co financing to prioritize cross border sections, such as Hungary Serbia, Denmark Germany and key Western European gaps. The 2026 crop of new and upgraded lines illustrates how these pieces are slowly coming together.

What The 2026 Changes Mean For Travelers Planning European Trips

For travelers, the practical question is how these new and upgraded connections will change trip planning from 2026 onward. The Copenhagen Prague daytime link immediately stands out as a game changer for itineraries that combine Scandinavia with Central Europe. City breaks that pair Copenhagen with Berlin or Prague become simpler, with no need for complex transfers and with a consistent onboard standard across borders.

The strengthening of the Budapest Belgrade corridor opens up rail only routes deeper into the Balkans at higher speeds than ever before. Travelers could, for example, reach Belgrade from Vienna or Prague via Budapest and continue south toward Niš and, in time, Skopje and Thessaloniki, all while largely avoiding overnight coaches or short haul flights. For Serbia and Hungary themselves, domestic tourism stands to benefit as journey times between major cities shrink.

In Western Europe, incremental improvements in Germany and France, combined with maturing services from the UK, will shorten many classic routes and increase the number of attractive rail options. Journeys such as London to Copenhagen via Brussels and Hamburg, or Paris to Copenhagen via Hamburg and the new Prague train, will become more feasible within a day or with a well timed overnight hop.

Perhaps most importantly, the 2026 changes reinforce a psychological shift. As more high speed or higher speed lines open and more city pairs gain direct or one change services, planning a multi country rail journey feels less like a specialist project and more like a mainstream alternative to air. For TheTraveler.org readers, that means more scope to design low carbon, rail focused itineraries across Europe without compromising on time or comfort.

FAQ

Q1. What is the new Denmark Czech Republic Germany connection launching in 2026?
The key new service is a direct daytime train linking Prague and Copenhagen via Berlin from 1 May 2026, operated by Deutsche Bahn, Danish Railways and Czech Railways using modern ComfortJet trains capable of 200 km/h.

Q2. How long will the Copenhagen Berlin and Copenhagen Prague journeys take on the new train?
The new route is expected to take around seven hours between Copenhagen and Berlin and roughly eleven hours between Copenhagen and Prague, with no need to change trains.

Q3. Is the Prague Copenhagen train considered true high speed rail?
While parts of the route run at up to 200 km/h and use purpose built higher speed infrastructure, it falls into the higher speed category rather than the very high speed services that exceed 250 km/h on dedicated lines, but the travel time gains are still significant.

Q4. What changes are happening on the Budapest Belgrade line in 2026?
By 2026, the modernized Budapest Belgrade railway is moving toward full higher speed operation at up to 200 km/h, building on the late 2025 opening of the Belgrade Subotica section and paving the way for faster cross border services between Hungary and Serbia.

Q5. How do Germany and France fit into the new 2026 network picture?
Germany and France are adding capacity and frequencies on existing high speed and higher speed routes, particularly on axes such as Berlin Hamburg Copenhagen and Paris Frankfurt Munich, which help feed passengers into the new Scandinavian and Central European connections.

Q6. Will travelers from the UK benefit directly from these new routes?
Yes, even without brand new British high speed lines, improvements on the Channel Tunnel corridor and better coordination with European timetables mean UK based travelers will find it easier to connect from London to cities like Copenhagen, Prague, Budapest and Belgrade by rail.

Q7. Is the Fehmarnbelt tunnel between Denmark and Germany opening in 2026?
No, the Fehmarnbelt fixed link, which will eventually provide a direct tunnel for road and rail between Denmark and Germany, is still under construction and is not expected to be ready for rail traffic before the end of the decade, so 2026 services will continue to rely on existing routes.

Q8. How is the European Union supporting high speed rail expansion around these projects?
The EU is backing cross border projects with funding, pushing for harmonized signaling and rolling stock, and preparing 2026 legislation to simplify multi operator ticketing and strengthen passenger rights on international rail journeys.

Q9. What onboard experience can passengers expect on the new Prague Copenhagen trains?
Passengers can expect modern ComfortJet trainsets with air conditioned coaches, an onboard restaurant, Wi Fi, family friendly facilities such as a children’s area, quiet zones for working and space for bicycles, reflecting current European long distance standards.

Q10. Should travelers book 2026 rail journeys in advance to benefit from these new links?
Yes, booking early is advisable, particularly around the launch period of new routes and during peak seasons, as introductory demand is likely to be strong and advance fares typically offer the best value on long distance European trains.