Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn ore focusing on the rapid expansion of intermodal connectivity between train and flight services. The Lufthansa Express Rail Network will connect Frankfurt Airport with five additional cities and an extra-fast DB ‘Sprinter’ will debut in December.
On Monday (March 8, 2021), Lufthansa announced an expansion of their joint train-to-flight services with the expansion of the Lufthansa Express Rail network to Frankfurt Airport to five additional cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, Münster and Munich. Starting next December, Deutsche Bahn (DB) will deploy extra-fast ‘Sprinter’ trains between urban centers and Frankfurt Airport for the first time. Currently, DB and Lufthansa offer 134 daily feeder trains to Frankfurt Airport from 17 German cities and service to the five additional cities will commence during the second half of 2021. From July, customers will be able to travel to the airport with Lufthansa Express Rail for the first time from Hamburg and Munich. Starting in December, service to Frankfurt Airport will begin from Berlin, Bremen and Münster.
In Monday’s announcement, Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s Executive Board Member, Harry Hohmeister, said,
“With this joint initiative, we are strengthening the offer of mobility in Germany, thus bolstering the local economy. By intelligently linking rail and air transport, we offer our customers a seamless and convenient travel network, benefiting consumers and the environment.”
Also commenting on the expanding intermodal partnership, DB Board Member, Berthold Huber, added,
“A good cooperation is now turning into a comprehensive partnership, the likes of which have never been seen before between Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn. At the end of the year, DB will be expanding the links between Germany's largest hub and the new Sprinter connections. Travel by rail will be faster and more comfortable.”
As previously mentioned, high speed Sprinter connections will debut next December cutting the rail journey between Munich and Cologne to less than four hours. Direct trains to Frankfurt Airport from Munich and Nuremburg will operate twice-daily in two and three hours respectively, with no intermediate stops, saving a half hour compared to current service. The trains will be precisely timed for seamless connections to Lufthansa flights.
Customers will continue to enjoy Lufthansa Express Rail features such as reserved seats, connection guarantee, mileage accrual, access to DB lounges for First and Business Class guests, as well as DB Premium service in First Class, with complimentary onboard catering. Starting April 2021, feeder trains will be bookable, providing they correspond to a bookable connecting flight and customers are encouraged to book early to receive the best fares. As an added benefit, this year Miles & More members will receive double status miles on all Lufthansa Rail journeys and flights.
Source: Lufthansa