This year will be huge in the world of trains, with new services and routes popping up across the globe.
Several new trains will also take to the rails through 2025, including in destinations such as Italy, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Here are some of the highlights to watch out for in the year ahead.
Paris-Berlin in eight hours
There is now a direct high-speed train service between Paris, France and Berlin, Germany. Germany’s Deutsche Bahn introduced a daytime InterCity Express (ICE) service between Paris and Berlin on December 16 and plans to introduce a second route between the two capitals in 2026.
The service uses ICE3neo trains which can travel 200mph and it operates once a day, also stopping at Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Frankfurt on its 546-mile journey. Tickets for the service cost from £47.85 and the train can hold up to 444 passengers. It is the first direct daytime train between Paris and Berlin since the 1990s and complements the Nightjet sleeper service introduced in 2023.
A CR450-AF high-speed bullet train
The CR450-AF high-speed bullet train was introduced in Beijing, China, on New Year’s Eve 2024. In just over 15 years, China has built the world’s largest high-speed rail network and the new trains, known as CR450s, will be added to the network in 2025. The trains have been tested at more than 280 mph, although their usual maximum is more likely to be around 248 mph.
The CR450s could see the journey time between Beijing and Shanghai reduced from four hours to two-and-a-half hours, according to the South China Morning Post newspaper.
La Dolce Vita — Italy’s new Super Deluxe Train
Italy is also gaining a new train service named La Dolce Vita, featuring 11 luxurious cars, a bar with live music, 12 deluxe wood-lined cabins and 18 master suites complete with double beds, a sofa, armchairs and private bathrooms, according to CNN. The service will open with six different one- or two-night itineraries from Rome starting at around £1,594.99 a person. International routes to Paris, Istanbul and Split on Croatia’s Adriatic Coast will also be added at a later date.
The new luxury train is set to welcome its first passengers in April 2025. Created by the Accor Hotels group, the train is aimed at design-conscious travellers, featuring decadent Italian interiors, art and architecture of the 1960s and an exterior look inspired by luxury motorboats.
The route will stretch from north to south Italy, on six regular itineraries which will showcase he country’s historical destinations, the Italian Alps, Venice and Rome to Matera and Palermo in the south. Journeys to Sicily will also include a hop across the Strait of Messina on Europe’s last passenger train ferry.
Brussels-Venice by Sleeper
A European Sleeper is opening up new routes in 2025 including a redeployment of its sleeper train between Brussels and Venice, Italy, for five returning trips.
The service will depart Brussels at 7pm, travel overnight via the Netherlands and Germany, calling at various points including Munich, Innsbruck, Bolzano and Verona, before finally reaching Venice at 2pm the following day. The carriages have been renovated and include sleeping compartments, couchette bed, reclining seats, charging points and Wi-Fi.
Amtrak to New Orleans
Amtrak is relaunching a major service to New Orleans in 2025. After a 20-year hiatus, Amtrak is relaunching its service between Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans. The service was originally suspended in August 2005, following Hurricane Katrina destroying coastal rail tracks. In addition, there will be two round trips per day, along the 140-mile Gulf Coast route with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula.
Britannic Explorer – England and Wales
In the UK, the Britannic Explorer will become the second major luxury train delivering scenic itineraries around the country. Starting in July 2025, the Britannic Explorer is set to rival the Royal Scotsman as the most lavish rail trip in the UK.
Owned and operated by Belmond – the same company as its Scottish sister train – The Britannic Explorer will be the first luxury sleeper train to launch with extended itineraries from London to the iconic scenery of Wales, the Lake District and Cornwall.
The train made up of refurbished 1980s carriages will feature 18 cabins including three grand suites and feature art deco decoration throughout. Also on board will be the Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan, who has designed menus focusing on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and sustainability for lunch, dinner and afternoon tea on the train.
Le Grand Tour France
New to France will be Le Grand Tour France train, which will roll on a six-day loop from Paris through the Champagne region and Burgundy to Lake Anncey in the Alps, Avignon, Arcachon and Châteaux of the Loire Valley before heading back to the capital.
The luxury train will only be able to host 42 guests per trip, across 18 cabins, and will show passengers glimpses pf French and European history, architecture, arts, crafts, music, cuisine and wines. Le Grand Tour France has been created by the team behind the Puy du Fou historical theme park in the Vendee region and will include immersive shows and gourmet dining during its 2,500-mile journey.
Prices for the six-day tour start from around £7,137.58 a person or £13,158.67 a person for a suite, each of which has its own butler.
Saudi Arabia’s Dream of the Desert
Saudi Arabia also has a new train, named the Dream of the Desert, costing $53 million (£42.3 million) to create.
The Dream of the Desert luxury train will be launched in November 2025, and will feature 41 cabins. The service will explore the kingdom’s desert and mountain landscapes during an 800-mile itinerary, which travels from the capital city of Riyadh to Al Qurayyat, near the Jordanian border.
Up to 80 passengers will be able to experience a culinary journey, with a blend of international and local Saudi cuisines prepared by chefs onboard the train.
Northern Belle
Described by Bill Nighy as “the Grand Dame of luxury travel”, the 1930s Pullman-style Northern Belle will be launching a special Mother’s Day Lunch trip on Sunday, March 30, and a visit to Holyrood Palace, the King’s official residence in Scotland, on September 25.
The Northern Belle features its own resident musicians and onboard magician and one of the seven hand-decorated carriages — each named after a stately home or castle — used to be part of the late Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Train.
Fares start from £365.