Popular European night train axes services – what options you can take instead

A POPULAR European night train has axed its services, as commuters and holiday-goers race to find travel alternatives.

A sleeper train service between Berlin and Brussels stopped its operations yesterday after running for just over a year.

The Nightjet, which connects the two capitals in 14 hours, was launched in December 2023 and ran three times a week.

Operated by ÖBB Austria’s national railway company, the service formed part of a large network of night trains linking Germany and Belgium's big cities.

But following an announcement earlier this week, the operation will be axed indefinitely due to a “combination of difficult-to-bypass late-notice track work” in Germany.

Mark Smith, founder of a popular rail travel magazine, said: “A combination of difficult-to-bypass late-notice track work in Germany and (no doubt) the fact that it now runs on the same three days of the week as the European Sleeper mean they seem to have given up”.

Passengers will still be able to travel through the night between the two cities, however, thanks to the European Sleeper service.

Similarly to the Nightjet, the European Sleeper runs three times a week and leaves from Berlin's Ostbanhof station.

Tickets start at around £66 per person for a six-berth couchette, a padded bunk bed with a blanket and pillow.

This increases to about £82 for a spot in a five-berth couchette and £91 for a proper bed in a three-bed sleeper carriage.

This comes just days after a brand new train operator announced it would be launching services between the UK and Europe, offering ‘competitive fares' for passengers.

Currently, Eurostar is the only rail operator that connects the UK to destinations across Europe, including cities in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

This could all change as a new train operating company, Gemini,has announced its plans to launch services between the UK and Europe.

The new train operator, which is currently being established, hopes to begin its rail journey by launching services from London to Paris and Brussels.

Once services between London and Paris/Brussels have launched, Gemini hopes to further its list of European destinations.

The new rail operator plans to introduce ‘new cutting-edge trainsand a fresh approach to sales and ticketing' on services between the UK and Europe.

It hopes to run ‘Open Access’ services to compete on the cross-channel route between the UK and Europe.

An open access rail service is a rail service operated by a private company, outside of any government contract.

Gemini has applied to the Office of Rail and Road for access to Eurostar’s Temple Mills International maintenance depot.

The company is also in discussion with key stakeholders around
other train maintenance facilities – although further details have yet to be revealed.