The first night train connecting Brussels and Berlin is expected to start running in May 2023. The Good Night Train, operated by European Sleeper, a Belgian-Dutch company, will link the two capitals via Amsterdam.
The route was supposed to become operational in April 2022, but the date was postponed to summer and then indefinitely. Now the company has announced the final launch date for 25 May 2023, with the inaugural journey starting in Berlin at 22:56 and arriving in Brussels the next morning, at 09:27.
As a brand new, community-based railway company, we are introducing a special east-west connection between three European capitals.
European Sleeper
The service will run three times a week, departing Berlin on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and departing Brussels on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. From 2024, the company hopes to extend the offer and run daily trains between the cities. Moreover, from December 2023, European Sleeper hopes to extend the route to Dresden and Prague, according to the original plan.
Tickets will become available on their website from February 2023, with prices starting at €49 for a seat, €79 for a place in a couchette compartment and €109 for a place in a sleeping car. Couchettes have 4 to 6 bunk beds, with up to 3 beds being bookable together, while the sleeping cars can be fully privately booked.
When reserving a bed, regardless of the type of the wagon, breakfast in the compartment is included, with more catering options available. Pets will also be allowed if the owner has a ticket for a private compartment, while bicycles can only be transported if a reservation is made in advance for the fee of €24.
We decided to put traveling by night train back on the map.
European Sleeper
The inaugural journey will only have 10 rented carriages, but European Sleeper has indicated plans of investing in making its own. The company said one of the reasons for postponing the launch date was in fact the lack of adequate sleeping cars. “By refurbishing existing second-hand seated coaches and converting them into sleeping coaches, we expect to have around 30 sleeping coaches available within two to three years with more comfort, more privacy options and a modern look”, said co-initiator Chris Engelsman, quoted by the Brussels Times.
