DB will run 10 trains per day in each direction initially, but the frequency will be stepped up to a two-hourly interval service with 16 round trips per day from March 8 2020 when DB will introduce Stadler Kiss double-deck EMUs which have been acquired from Austrian open-access operator Westbahn.
DB will refit the trains to comply with its standards, which includes installing a reservation system and a new livery. The Kiss trains will have onboard catering, Wi-Fi, and space for bicycles.
The trains will call at Waren (Müritz), Neustrelitz, Oranienburg, and Elsterwerda, and additionally at Warnemünde and Berlin Schönefeld Airport from May 2020.
DB says the new service will double the frequency between Rostock and Berlin, which is currently served by a two-hourly Regional Express service plus a Monday-Friday IC service. The journey time for the 227km trip from Rostock to Berlin will be two hours compared with 2h 40min by Regional Express.
The frequency will also double between Berlin and Dresden. This route is currently served by a two-hourly Hamburg - Berlin - Dresden - Prague EuroCity service. The trip from Dresden to Berlin Schönefeld Airport will take 90 minutes.
