FlixTrain
FlixTrain is a German open-access operator of long-distance passenger trains and a rail brand within the Flix mobility group.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
FlixTrain is the long-distance rail brand of Flix SE, the German mobility group best known for FlixBus. The operator provides open-access intercity passenger services rather than operating under a conventional state railway franchise. Its trains run on infrastructure managed by national rail infrastructure companies, while FlixTrain competes commercially for passengers, train paths and rolling-stock capacity. The brand is closely integrated with FlixBus: customers can generally search and buy rail and coach journeys through the same digital sales channels, and the two businesses share elements of marketing, network planning and customer distribution. FlixTrain began scheduled operations in Germany in March 2018. Its first service connected Hamburg and Cologne, followed shortly afterward by a Berlin–Stuttgart service operated in cooperation with the Czech open-access railway company Leo Express. The company also built its early network through relationships with existing private rail operators. Services associated with Hamburg–Köln-Express and BahnTouristikExpress were brought under the FlixTrain name during 2018. These arrangements gave FlixTrain access to operating capabilities, rolling stock and established railway partnerships while the brand developed its own commercial model. The company’s proposition is based on comparatively low fares, advance booking, digital distribution and connections between major German cities. Unlike Deutsche Bahn’s normal long-distance tickets, a FlixTrain ticket is generally tied to a specific booked train and includes a seat reservation. Prices are adjusted dynamically according to expected demand. The brand has positioned rail as a lower-cost complement to FlixBus, while also emphasizing modernized coaches, onboard Wi-Fi, power sockets and the use of electricity marketed as green for its train operations. FlixTrain’s German network expanded through the late 2010s and early 2020s. New and extended routes connected Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Munich, Frankfurt, Dresden-area destinations and other cities. The COVID-19 pandemic caused repeated suspensions in 2020, followed by a restart and substantial network expansion in 2021. By 2022, the company stated that its German network reached approximately 70 destinations. A Berlin–Basel service, launched in June 2022, became the brand’s first cross-border route and connected Germany with the Swiss border station Basel Badischer Bahnhof. The brand also attempted international expansion in Sweden. Swedish services began in May 2021 on routes linking Stockholm with Gothenburg and Malmö. Trains were operated with locomotives and personnel supplied by Hector Rail and used refurbished coaches leased through rolling-stock partners. The Swedish operation experienced reductions and adjustments in frequency, infrastructure-related rolling-stock damage, and difficulties associated with maintenance and winter conditions. Services were paused in January 2024 and discontinued later that year, with the coaches moved back to Germany to support domestic demand. FlixTrain normally leases rather than owns its rolling stock. Its fleet has primarily consisted of refurbished locomotive-hauled coaches, including UIC-standard passenger cars, hauled by Siemens locomotives such as EuroSprinter and Vectron models. Railpool and other suppliers have played roles in providing or financing equipment, while Talbot Services has been associated with refurbishment and maintenance work. In March 2025, FlixTrain placed a reported order with Talgo for 30 locomotive-hauled trainsets, including 15 years of maintenance, with an option to increase the framework to as many as 65 sets. The planned trains are intended for operation across several European countries and would be hauled by separately procured Siemens Vectron locomotives. FlixTrain remains a private rail brand within Flix SE. Its principal strategic challenge is balancing low fares with the high costs of ac…
History
FlixTrain emerged from Flix’s effort to extend its intercity mobility model from coaches into rail. The company started scheduled operations in Germany in March 2018, initially linking Hamburg and Cologne. A Berlin–Stuttgart service followed in April through cooperation with Leo Express. Rather than beginning with a wholly owned fleet and infrastructure, FlixTrain relied on open-access operating arrangements, contracted railway expertise and leased rolling stock. This approach allowed the brand to enter the market with lower asset ownership while using Flix’s established digital sales, marketing and customer-service infrastructure. A significant part of the early development involved the rebranding and integration of existing private railway activities. A partnership with Hamburg–Köln-Express was formed in late 2017, and HKX services adopted the FlixTrain identity roughly six months later. BahnTouristikExpress services were also brought under the brand. Both relationships had connections with the American Railroad Development Corporation, although the RDC–FlixTrain partnership was discontinued in April 2020. The cooperation with Leo Express on the Stuttgart–Berlin corridor also later ended after pandemic-related suspensions. The German network grew in the late 2010s. A timetable change in December 2019 added several destinations and strengthened the Berlin–Stuttgart corridor, including calls in Leipzig, Halle, Erfurt, Gotha, Eisenach and Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Aachen was added to the western network. A planned Hamburg–Stuttgart service was affected by the disruption that followed in 2020. Before the pandemic, the company was operating three principal long-distance routes, each with multiple daily services. The COVID-19 crisis interrupted this development. FlixTrain suspended services on 20 March 2020, resumed them on 23 July, and suspended them again in October as infections increased. During the interruption, the company used the opportunity to overhaul parts of its rolling stock. It announced a restart in April 2021, with services returning in May on major Berlin–Cologne and Hamburg–Cologne links. The company then expanded rapidly despite depressed passenger demand. New routes included Hamburg–Berlin–Leipzig, Munich–Augsburg–Würzburg–Aschaffenburg–Hanau–Frankfurt and a sleeper service connecting Hamburg, Berlin and Munich. The expansion added numerous cities and was helped in part by temporary German measures affecting track-access charges. FlixTrain continued expanding in 2022. Three additional routes and increased frequencies brought the reported German network to approximately 70 destinations. The Berlin–Basel route, which started on 23 June 2022, was the company’s first cross-border service. The company also investigated additional international markets. It had considered France but postponed those plans, citing the expense of obtaining suitable train paths. Applications were later made for potential services between Germany and Dutch cities including Arnhem, Utrecht, Amsterdam and The Hague or Rotterdam. A possible Berlin–Warsaw service was also discussed, but later plans were suspended because of anticipated infrastructure closures and uncertainty over the route. The international expansion into Sweden began on 6 May 2021. FlixTrain operated Stockholm–Gothenburg and Stockholm–Malmö services with Hector Rail providing locomotives and personnel. The fleet consisted of refurbished German coaches leased through Railpool and other arrangements. The Swedish operation initially ran 19 trains per week, with frequency varying according to season and demand. Stops were removed from some services in late 2022 to shorten journey times and compete more directly with SJ and MTRX. In March 2023, track-work-related flying ballast damaged a large number of carriages, forcing a temporary suspension while the coaches were repaired in Germany. Swedish operations were paused again in January 2024 because of carriage-maintenance and winter de-icing problems, and FlixTrain announced in April that it would leave the Swedish market and redeploy the coaches to Germany. FlixTrain’s rolling-stock strategy has remained central to its business model. The operator generally leases coaches and locomotives rather than owning them. Its trains have used refurbished UIC-standard passenger coaches hauled by Siemens EuroSprinter and Vectron locomotives. A 2020 cooperation with Railpool supported the modernization of leased coaches, including new seats, toilets, electrical sockets, Wi-Fi and entertainment systems. A proposed 2022 arrangement involving Transmashholding coaches was rendered impractical by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In March 2025, FlixTrain ordered 30 Talgo trainsets with long-term maintenance support and an option for up to 65 sets, signaling an intention to secure a more standardized and capable fleet for future European operations. The company has also pursued regulatory and competitive action. In December 2020, FlixTrain complained to the European Commission about approximately €5 billion in German state aid for Deutsche Bahn, arguing that the aid process and its competitive effects were improper. The dispute reflected the broader tension between open-access entrants and incumbent state-linked railway groups. FlixTrain’s long-term growth therefore depends not only on passenger demand and low-cost pricing, but also on access to paths, reliable rolling stock, maintenance capacity, cross-border approvals and a regulatory environment that permits private rail competition.
- 2025
Talgo trainset order
[1]FlixTrain ordered 30 Talgo trainsets with a framework for increasing the order to as many as 65.
- 2024
Exit from Sweden
[1]FlixTrain ended Swedish train services and moved the carriages back to Germany.
- 2022
Berlin–Basel service begins
[1]The company launched its first cross-border service between Berlin and Basel.
- 2021
Swedish launch
[1]FlixTrain began operating in Sweden with Stockholm–Gothenburg and Stockholm–Malmö services.
- 2020
Pandemic suspension and fleet overhaul
[1]COVID-19 led to repeated service suspensions, during which FlixTrain undertook an overhaul of its rolling stock.
- 2019
German network expansion
[1]A December timetable change added seven destinations and expanded service coverage, including additional calls on the Berlin–Stuttgart corridor.
- 2018
First FlixTrain service
[1]The inaugural FlixTrain service departed Hamburg for Cologne on 23 March, with scheduled operations beginning the following day.
- 2018
Berlin–Stuttgart route begins
[1]FlixTrain launched a Berlin–Stuttgart service in cooperation with Leo Express.
- 2017
Partnership with Hamburg–Köln-Express
[1]FlixTrain formed a partnership with Hamburg–Köln-Express, establishing an early route into the German open-access rail market.
Products and positioning
A low-cost, digitally distributed open-access alternative to incumbent national rail services, closely connected to the FlixBus coach network.
Intercity passenger rail · 2018
German FlixTrain long-distance services
The core FlixTrain offering consists of scheduled, open-access long-distance trains connecting major German cities. Routes have included corridors linking Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart, Munich, Frankfurt, Leipzig and other destinations. Tickets are sold through Flix’s digital channels, are tied to a booked connection and generally include a seat reservation. Fares are dynamically adjusted to expected demand, supporting the brand’s low-cost positioning.
Cross-border passenger rail · 2022
Berlin–Basel service
Launched in June 2022, the Berlin–Basel route was FlixTrain’s first cross-border service. It connected the German network with Basel Badischer Bahnhof, a station in Switzerland close to the German border, and represented the brand’s initial move beyond primarily domestic German operations.
Intercity passenger rail · 2021
Swedish FlixTrain services
FlixTrain’s Swedish operation connected Stockholm with Gothenburg and Malmö from 2021. Hector Rail supplied locomotives and personnel, while the trains used refurbished German coaches leased through rolling-stock partners. The service faced maintenance, track-damage and winter-operating issues and was discontinued in 2024.
Rolling stock · 2025
Talgo locomotive-hauled trainsets
In 2025, FlixTrain ordered 30 Talgo locomotive-hauled trainsets and 15 years of maintenance, with a framework allowing the order to grow to as many as 65 sets. The planned trains are intended for use across Germany and several neighboring European markets, with Siemens Vectron locomotives to be procured separately.
Brand decisions
2025
Order for new Talgo trainsetsProduct launchBackground
FlixTrain had been seeking newer, higher-capacity rolling stock to support the growth and standardization of its European services after an earlier proposed coach supply arrangement became unfeasible.
Action taken
On 27 March 2025, FlixTrain placed an order for 30 Talgo trainsets with 15 years of maintenance and a framework for up to 65 sets.
Aftermath
The order signaled a move toward a more modern fleet capable of operating across Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Sweden, subject to the required operating arrangements.
Reported order value. €1.06 billion (2025 order announcement)
2024
Withdrawal from SwedenStrategyBackground
FlixTrain reported problems with carriage maintenance and de-icing in Swedish winter conditions, following earlier carriage damage caused by flying ballast.
Action taken
After pausing Swedish services in January, FlixTrain announced in April that the operation would be discontinued and the coaches redeployed to Germany.
Aftermath
FlixTrain’s international rail activity became focused on its German network and the Berlin–Basel connection.
2022
Launch of Berlin–Basel cross-border serviceProduct launchBackground
FlixTrain’s German network had expanded sufficiently to support an initial international connection.
Action taken
The company began operating a Berlin–Basel route in June 2022.
Aftermath
The route became the brand’s first cross-border service and extended its reach to Switzerland.
2021
Expansion into SwedenStrategyBackground
FlixTrain sought to extend its open-access model beyond Germany and had announced Swedish plans before the pandemic.
Action taken
The company launched Stockholm–Gothenburg and Stockholm–Malmö services using Hector Rail operating resources and leased refurbished coaches.
Aftermath
The Swedish business was ultimately discontinued in 2024 after operational and maintenance difficulties.
2020
Complaint concerning German state aid to Deutsche BahnStrategyBackground
FlixTrain argued that approximately €5 billion in German government aid for Deutsche Bahn could have been granted improperly and could create anti-competitive conditions for open-access rail operators.
Action taken
In December 2020, FlixTrain submitted a formal complaint to the European Commission.
Aftermath
The complaint highlighted the competitive conflict between private open-access operators and incumbent, state-supported railway groups. No later outcome is established by the supplied reference material.
2020
Temporary suspension and rolling-stock overhaulOtherBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced passenger demand and disrupted long-distance rail operations.
Action taken
FlixTrain suspended services, resumed briefly, suspended them again during the second wave and used the interruption to overhaul its coaches.
Aftermath
The operator restarted in 2021 with expanded routes and increased frequencies.
Recent events
FlixTrain announces overnight service between Hamburg, Berlin and Munich[3]
Reported:
FlixTrain announced that it would launch an overnight train service between Hamburg, Berlin and Munich on June 17; the article reports the planned launch, not that the service had already started.
Sources3 sources
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