Deutsche Bahn AG, the state-owned company responsible for running commuter trains in Germany, doesn't exactly have the best reputation. Only 60% of their long-distance train routes arrived punctually in November 2024. Keep in mind that punctual in this case is defined as arriving within six minutes of the scheduled time or less. Any longer than that is not considered punctual. If mass transit systems in Toronto arrived within 10 minutes of their scheduled times, Torontonians would go insane from joy.
To combat that reputation, Deutsche Bahn AG and France's SNCF have established the first high-speed train line running between Paris and Berlin. This new bullet train will also stop in Karlsruhe, Frankfurt, and Strasbourg which are also on the line. Known as the Berlin-Paris ICE, it will complete the run in approximately eight hours. On top of that, there is also a new high-speed line opening in December that will run between Munich and Amsterdam in seven hours.
One important note is that the Berlin-Paris ICE only runs once per day. The westbound train arrives in Paris at 8:00 PM with the eastbound train arriving in Berlin at 6:00 PM. That is assuming everything runs smoothly, of course. Again, Deutsche Bahn has had some issues with punctuality as of late. But establishing this new high-speed line and others is part of putting that reputation behind them.
The Berlin-Paris ICE line could also be a huge boon to tourists. Anyone visiting Berlin or Paris now has an easy way to get to the other city in a relatively quick fashion that doesn't require dealing with an airport. There is the potential to expand a European vacation beyond the confines of what you may have been originally planning. Plus, riding a train is more often than not a fun activity.