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FLIXTRAIN | New Talgo high-speed fleet confined to Germany, European ambitions dropped

Posted by Timothy on

Seven months after heralding “a new era of train travel in Germany and Europe“, FlixTrain has reversed course. The company has confirmed that its €2.4 billion order of 65 new high-speed trains will now be deployed exclusively within Germany, abandoning earlier plans to use the fleet for international services. The German privateer announced its plans in December 2025.

As a result, ambitions to expand into the Netherlands and other European markets with the new trains have been shelved.

When FlixTrain announced the order in May 2025, it presented the deal as a springboard for European growth. The Talgo-built trains, designed for speeds of up to 230 km/h, were promoted as technically suited for cross-border operation. 

“A special feature of the trains is their European character: they are designed to be usable in numerous European countries – thus enabling European scaling”, FlixTrain said at the time.

Just seven months later, that European narrative has been quietly dropped. All 65 trains will now remain in Germany, signalling a clear retreat from the company’s previously stated international ambitions. 

Independent railway commentator Jon Worth is blunt in his assessment: “Whatever the spin, this is FlixTrain scaling back its international expansion. It’s admitting the Talgo trains it’s buying won’t run outside Germany — notably won’t run to the Netherlands.”

From European vision to domestic priority

Talgo’s original announcement stated that the trains would be capable of operating in countries such as Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark, with full interoperability allowing seamless cross-border services. FlixTrain itself repeatedly framed the fleet as a tool for European growth. That vision has now been set aside in favour of a stronger focus on the domestic market.

FlixTrain CEO André Schwämmlein had previously suggested to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad (AD) that entry into the Netherlands was under consideration. While no specific routes were confirmed, the article referred to potential services such as Oberhausen–Rotterdam via Amsterdam, with FlixTrain positioned as a future competitor to state operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS). Schwämmlein also stated that the new trains would be approved in multiple European countries, explicitly including the Netherlands.

Preparations for Dutch entry had been under way for several years. FlixTrain applied for train paths from infrastructure manager ProRail, engaged with market authority ACM, and explored test runs via border cities such as Arnhem and Venlo. 

These plans existed as early as 2024 but were delayed due to infrastructure constraints and congestion. In October 2025, Schwämmlein acknowledged that proceeding under those conditions “would have resulted in a poor product for passengers.”

A more fundamental problem

For Worth, the reversal points to a more fundamental problem. He argues that the shift is less a strategic refocus than a recognition of technical or procurement limitations. 

“This is just FlixTrain having ordered the wrong type of train and then admitting it”, he said.

At present, FlixTrain tickets can be booked from Dutch border cities such as Arnhem and Venlo, but these journeys do not involve a direct FlixTrain service. 

Passengers travel first on a German regional train and transfer to a FlixTrain after crossing the border. That arrangement is now set to remain, rather than being replaced by direct cross-border services using the new fleet.

Germany’s gain, Europe’s loss

Under the revised strategy, the first new Talgo trains are expected to enter service in Germany from 2028. In the meantime, FlixTrain plans to double its domestic offering over the next two years by adding more modernised carriages. The company says it aims to establish a nationwide network and to offer “the best product on the market”, presenting the shift as an unambiguously positive development.

German Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) welcomed the announcement, describing it as a boost for competition within Germany. However, the decision sits uneasily with FlixTrain’s earlier claims about reshaping rail travel across Europe.

Although the new trains are still expected to be approved for operation in several European countries, the absence of concrete international plans suggests that cross-border expansion is no longer a priority. For now, FlixTrain’s strategy is firmly Germany-first – with its European ambitions, once loudly proclaimed, now on hold indefinitely.

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