Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn are focusing on the rapid expansion of joint train-to-flight services. On March 8 in Frankfurt the two companies presented their plans for a joint product initiative. The Lufthansa Express Rail network will be expanded by five additional cities. Starting in December, the so-called “Sprinter,” which are extra-fast high-speed trains, will also travel to Frankfurt Airport for the first time. By expanding their cooperation, Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn are setting a new standard in the environmentally friendly networking modes of transportation.
Harry Hohmeister, member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, 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.”
DB Board Member Berthold Huber said, "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."
Deutsche Bahn and Lufthansa already offer 134 daily feeder trains to Frankfurt Airport from 17 German cities. In the second half of 2021, another five cities will be added. Starting in July, for the first time, it will be possible to travel to Frankfurt Airport with Lufthansa Express Rail from Hamburg and Munich, and commencing in December from Berlin, Bremen and Münster.
In addition, new Sprinter connections will make their debut from December. The rail journey between Munich and Cologne will be shortened to less than four hours. From and to Munich and Nuremberg, there will be direct trains to Frankfurt Airport twice a day in three and two hours respectively, with no additional stops in between - half an hour faster than today and precisely timed with the departure and arrival times of flights at Lufthansa’s hub.
All the tried-and-tested features of the Lufthansa Express Rail program, such as reserved seats on-board trains, connection guarantee, mileage accrual for the train journey as well as first class travel and access to the DB lounges for Business, as well First Class customers, will continue to be available. Additional services will be added in the future. Express Rail trains will be easier to identify due to joint DB-LH branding on many railcars. LH information can also be accessed on the train via the free WLAN. Passengers booking Business or Frist first class, enjoy DB Premium service in first class and free on-board catering.
Luggage transport and storage will also be easier: Deutsche Bahn prefers to use the latest generation of trains with large luggage compartments. As soon as traffic at the airports picks up again, Lufthansa Express Rail customers will be given access to the fast lane at the security checkpoint. Furthermore, when landing at Frankfurt Airport, Express Rail customers' suitcases will be prioritized.
Booking Lufthansa Express Rail tickets will become even more flexible. From April, feeder trains will be bookable as long as the associated connecting flight is bookable. At the same time, it pays to book early, which means tickets can be cheaper. A special highlight this year: Miles & More customers will receive double status miles on all Lufthansa Express Rail journeys, as they do on all flights.
