January Rail and S-Bahn Works Disrupt Public Transport Access to Berlin BER Airport

Public transport links to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) will be disrupted throughout January due to planned rail and S-Bahn engineering works. Travellers heading to the airport should be prepared for timetable changes, route diversions and occasional cancellations during late evening and overnight periods. Operators recommend checking connections in advance and allowing extra travel time, with the busiest weekends and the winter holiday period likely to see the greatest impact.

Airport Express FEX and several regional rail services, including RB22, RB24 and RB32, will operate with temporary timetable deviations during January. These may include partial cancellations or altered routes, mainly overnight. Individual changes are not listed separately, but live updates and revised schedules are available through the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) journey planner at the website.

Key S-Bahn restrictions affecting BER access

• Weekends: Lines S9 and S85 run only between BER Airport and Schöneweide, with replacement buses between Schöneweide and Treptower Park
• 9–12, 16–19 and 23–26 January: Rail replacement buses operate during late-night closures

• Night of 27–28 January: S9 and S85 limited to Altglienicke, with buses between Grünbergallee and Schöneweide
• Winter holidays (30 January–6 February): S-Bahn services terminate at Altglienicke, supported by express and all-stop replacement buses

Many central Berlin districts and nearby areas remain accessible via adjusted public transport routes. Travellers going to or returning from BER can continue to transfer at key interchange stations such as Schöneweide, Adlershof and Baumschulenweg, where tram, bus and regional rail services connect. Using these hubs often avoids delays during early departures and late arrivals, when direct services are less frequent or temporarily suspended.

Rail maintenance planned for January affects access to Berlin’s main airport during a period of high travel demand. Passengers travelling this winter are advised to check current service information before leaving and to allow extra time for their journey. Some trips will take longer than usual, but monitoring updates in advance can help avoid missed flights and reduce the risk of last-minute transport problems.