10+ exciting rail updates to experience in 2025

1. A new carrier in Poland joins Interrail’s Pass Network

The timetable change brings new routes for Interrail travellers to explore in Poland. The regional carrier Koleje Małopolskie of Lesser Poland Voivodeship (Małopolska) will be added to the Pass Network. They run a vast network of regional trains connecting places such as Kraków, Tarnów, Oświęcim, and Zakopane.

How to find schedules: Rail Planner

No reservations or supplements required for Passholders

2. A new era for travel between Amsterdam and Brussels

The current Intercity Direct trains between Amsterdam and Brussels are making way for Eurocity and Eurocity Direct services, revolutionizing travel on this route:

• Eurocity Direct: No longer stopping at Amsterdam Centraal and Breda, these trains will offer a speedier service starting in Lelystad, with stops including Almere, Amsterdam Zuid, Schiphol, Rotterdam Centraal and Antwerp before reaching Brussels Zuid. 

• Eurocity: Offering NMBS/SNCB long-distance carriages and running from Rotterdam to Brussels Zuid, these trains stop at all stations the Intercity Direct currently serves, such as Breda, Noorderkempen, Antwerp, Mechelen and Brussels Centraal.

How to find schedules: Rail Planner

No reservations or supplements required for Passholders

3. Baltic Express: Prague to Gdynia

A new Eurocity service includes up to four daily trains connecting Prague to Gdynia via vibrant cities like Wrocław, Poznań, Bydgoszcz, and Gdańsk. We are especially excited about the PKP Intercity restaurant and sleeping car on the Wrocław-Gdynia stretch.

How to find schedules: Rail Planner

Reservations mandatory for international journeys  

4. A high-speed capitals connection

Joining the ÖBB Nightjet is a once-daily ICE service linking Berlin and Paris. Travel time is an impressive eight hours with stops in Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, and Strasbourg — perfect for those seeking a comfortable, high-speed alternative to flying.

How to find schedules: Rail Planner

Reservations mandatory for international journeys

5. A rail renaissance in Serbia

The newly reconstructed Novi Sad–Subotica line slashes travel time from four hours to just 40 minutes. This also restores the Belgrade–Subotica connection, now just 1 hour and 15 minutes. From Subotica, travelers can take a local train across the Hungarian border via Szeged to Budapest. Subotica's revamped train station is a showstopper, underscoring this upgrade to rail in Serbia. 

Note: It‘s uncertain whether service on this line will begin on 15 December. Check the Srbija Voz website for more details.

How to find schedules: Rail Planner

Reservation: Reservations mandatory for SOKO trains

6. A scenic replacement for a popular route

While construction pauses the ICE Amsterdam–Basel route, a direct Amsterdam–Munich train takes its place. Running once daily, the 7-hour journey passes through Düsseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Augsburg. From these stops, travellers can venture onward through Central Europe or explore the Alps. 

How to find schedules: Rail Planner

Reservation: Reservations mandatory during the summer season and recommended outside the summer season

7. An expanding network in Germany and Austria

Private operator Westbahn already runs a great network of trains from Vienna to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Bregenz and Munich. Westbahn is extending its network to include Vienna–Stuttgart via Munich, Augsburg, and Ulm. Running twice daily, this service offers a comfortable 6-hour journey, further connecting Europe. 

How to find schedules: Rail Planner

Reservation: Reservations recommended  

8. New views on the way to Vienna and Innsbruck 

ÖBB Nightjet trains from Amsterdam to Vienna and Innsbruck are switching to a new path through Amersfoort, Deventer, Münster, and Hamm instead of the Utrecht, Arnhem, Düsseldorf, and Cologne corridor taken in the past. While the route has changed, the travel time remains unaffected, ensuring seamless overnight journeys.

How to find schedules: Rail Planner

Reservation: Reservations mandatory 

9. Vilnius - Riga - Tallinn: A unified Baltic connection

Starting 6 January, Passholders for the first time will enjoy a streamlined train connection across the Baltic states. Thanks to a partnership between Lithuania’s LTG Link, Latvia’s VIVI, and Estonia’s Elron, the timetables will be aligned, making it possible to travel from Vilnius to Tallinn in one day, with short connections in Riga and Valga.

Plans for more direct connections are underway, promising even faster journeys in the future!

How to find schedules: Trains in Lithuania (including Vilnius-Riga) and Estonia via our Rail Planner. Schedules between Riga and Valga on www.vivi.lv.

Reservations are mandatory between Vilnius and Riga only.

10 - 12. Looking ahead: Exciting future routes

• European Sleeper Brussels–Breda–Innsbruck–Venice: Starting in February, this seasonal night train will whisk passengers from Belgium and the Netherlands to Austria and Italy once a week until mid-March.  

• RENFE AVE Barcelona–Toulouse: Launching in mid-2025, this daily high-speed train will connect France and Spain.

• Bratislava–Vienna main station connection: Starting in June 2025, the direct connection between Bratislava Hlavna Stanica and Wien Hauptbahnhof will be restored, easing travel between Slovakia and Austria’s capitals. Between January and June 2025, trains to Vienna will continue to depart from Bratislava Petržalka, a station that is less centrally located than the main hub, Bratislava Hlavná Stanica. These trains will travel via the Kittsee border crossing.

With faster trains, new high-speed routes, and revamped stations, 2025 will be an exciting time for anyone who loves train travel. Simply pack your bags, grab your Interrail Pass, and get ready for a new year of unforgettable journeys.