Deutsche Bahn has reopened the modernised Dresden railway line in line with the December timetable change, bringing regional and long-distance passenger services back onto the upgraded route between Berlin Südkreuz and Blankenfelde.
One of the most visible effects is on airport access. The Airport Express (FEX) now runs directly via the Dresden line, reducing travel time between Berlin Central Station and Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) from 39 minutes to around 23 minutes. Long-distance services towards Dresden and Prague are also seeing journey time reductions of about 10 minutes.
The reopened section forms part of a broader programme to expand capacity around the Berlin rail hub. East of the existing S-Bahn infrastructure, two new electrified long-distance tracks have been constructed over a length of 16 kilometres. All nine former level crossings on the route have been replaced by road or rail overpasses, and the line has been fully equipped with electronic interlocking systems.
Within Berlin city limits, between Südkreuz and Lichtenrade, passenger trains are now permitted to run at speeds of up to 160 km/h, increasing to 200 km/h beyond the Berlin–Brandenburg state border. The project was financed jointly by Deutsche Bahn, the federal government and the regional authorities, with total investment of about €1.1 billion.
The Dresden railway connects south of Berlin Südkreuz, where it branches off from the Anhalter Bahn, and continues through the Berlin districts of Marienfelde and Lichtenrade before crossing into Brandenburg via Mahlow and Blankenfelde towards Dresden. First opened in 1875, the line is also part of European Freight Corridor 7, linking ports in the North and Baltic Seas with destinations in southeastern Europe.
Parallel to the Dresden line works, DB InfraGO has completed extensive upgrades on the Anhalter Bahn between Berlin Südkreuz and Bitterfeld. This included the installation of 33 new switches, repairs to a further 59, full renewal of nearly 100 kilometres of track and refurbishment of another 38 kilometres. From December 14, 2025, unrestricted train operations have resumed on the Berlin–Leipzig/Halle corridor.
The completion of both projects increases capacity for passenger and freight services in and around Berlin, while also improving connections between the capital, BER Airport and destinations in Saxony and beyond.
