Roundup (30 November 2025): The Latest Railway and Train Travel News
This roundup brings you the latest railway and train travel news from Europe and beyond.
From major timetable changes and infrastructure projects to new train services and industry developments, this roundup highlights the stories shaping rail travel today.
** Snälltåget to launch daily Hamburg-Stockholm train **
Swedish open-access operator Snälltåget is launching a daily year-round train service between Hamburg and Stockholm.
The train leaves Stockholm Central each day at 10:43 and arrives in Hamburg Hbf at 21:57, while in the reverse direction it departs Hamburg at 09:51 and reaches Stockholm at 21:17.
Along its route between Stockholm and Hamburg, it calls at Norrköping, Lund, Malmö, København Syd (Copenhagen South), Odense, and Kolding, among other stops.
The train, set to begin operating on 4 May 2026, includes five passenger coaches and a dining car.
** Two new travel classes on TGV trains in France **
Starting in 2026, TGV inOui services in France will feature two additional travel classes.
Branded Optimum and Optimum Plus, they are positioned as premium first class options that provide benefits such as fully flexible refundable fares, access to station lounges, and a complimentary meal delivered to your seat.
Read more about these two new TGV travel classes, and the reasons SNCF – the national railway company of France – has introduced them on my blog AndyBTravels.
** SNCF enhancing service on Atlantic corridor **
SNCF is strengthening its services on the Atlantic high-speed corridor between Paris and Bordeaux.
To boost capacity and manage higher demand, it will run double trains during peak periods this winter in both directions, with an extra midday departure from Paris to be added from spring 2026.
However, one daily service between Paris and Hendaye on the French–Spanish border will be downgraded from a TGV inOui train to SNCF’s low-cost Ouigo service.
This is bad news for international travellers with onward connections, as Ouigo services are not covered by AJC or CIV agreements.
** SNCF to expand interregional TGV services **
SNCF will enhance train links between regions in France by introducing new interregional high-speed TGV services.
One of these interregional high-speed services will be an inOui TGV train connecting Tours with Bordeaux via Poitiers and Angoulême, scheduled to begin in 2027.
A new Lyon–Bordeaux Ouigo TGV service is also planned for 2027.
Instead of the traditional route through Auvergne and Limousin, it will use the high-speed rail network via Massy TGV station on the southern outskirts of Paris, stopping at Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Poitiers, and Angoulême.
SNCF’s expansion of high-speed TGV services that bypass Paris should be viewed in the context of increasing competition on the French rail network, including plans by private operators to launch services on the Atlantic Corridor and on interregional routes outside Paris.
AndyB says: “SNCF are clearly shaken by the arrival of competition – who would have thought a long-standing monopoly would stir into action once its ‘gravy train’ started coming off the rails!”
** New long-distance train service on New Zealand’s South Island **
A popular long-distance passenger train service is set to return to New Zealand’s South Island, reconnecting Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill for the first time in decades.
Named the Mainlander, the train will initially run on a three-day schedule during the January school holidays and will be operated by the Rail and Tourism Group.
Campaigners, who have been calling for passenger rail to return since the Southerner service between Invercargill and Christchurch ended in 2002, view this seasonal train as an important step in that direction.
AndyB says: “This is great news for people exploring the South Island.
“I was lucky enough to travel through to Invercargill in the early 90’s.”
** Violence on the rise at German railway stations **
According to an annual report from the German Federal Police, violent crime at railway stations nationwide rose by 6% in 2024 compared with the previous year and has increased by 51% since 2019.
Sexual offences on Germany's rail network also rose sharply, with cases of exhibitionism, sexual harassment, and rape increasing by 19.2%.
The station with the highest rate of violent crime in Germany is Berlin Hbf, followed by Dortmund Hbf and Hannover Hbf.
AndyB says: “This is concerning, and I hope the Germans strengthen security for both passengers and staff.
“In the UK, we have a dedicated railway police force, the BTP (British Transport Police), which does a reasonable job given how poorly resourced it is.”
** Guide to eating on Japanese trains released **
JRPass, an online seller of Japan Rail Passes, has put together a guide to help tourists respect local eating etiquette when travelling by train in Japan.
Key advice includes refraining from eating on commuter trains and limiting meals on Shinkansen services to considerate options, such as specially packaged bento boxes, to avoid disturbing other passengers with strong food smells.
Overtourism and the behaviour of certain inconsiderate foreign visitors have recently come under greater scrutiny from the Japanese public.