Pioneering train operator plans to connect up to 25 European cities by the end of 2024

AN ambitious plan to start operating night trains with connections between major European cities has been announced.

From the end of 2024, the Nightjet rail company proposes to connect at least 25 cities including Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Berlin, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Vienna, Lisbon, Porto, Prague, and Budapest, with trains that travel up to 230 km/h.

This new initiative aims to offer travellers a unique more relaxed and efficient alternative to air travel with a move towards towards sustainability and comfort, according to salirporbarcelona.com.

With the whole world moving towards a greener future, Nightjet is aligning itself with the European Commission’s sustainability goals.

The transport sector’s target of cutting CO₂ emissions by 90 per cent by 2050 is definitely a very ambitious target. In this context though, compared to air travel, the ‘hotels on rails’ concept emerges as a greener and more efficient means of travelling.

With France already cutting the use of flights linking cities internally when they can be reached by train, and Spain looking to follow suit, train travel is looking more likely to be the future mode of transport across Europe.

Where do these trains currently travel between?

In December 2021, Nightjet started operating routes linking Vienna and Munich, plus Zurich, Cologne and Amsterdam. Zurich and Rome were connected in 2023, with the company hoping to have lines linking Vienna and Berlin with Brussels and Paris ready by the end of this year.

Direct night train services between Barcelona and Zurich should be in service by December 2024. The Catalan city will eventually be connected to Milan, Florence, Hamburg, Cologne, Brussels, Basel and Berlin by the end of 2024 if all goes to plan.

Nightjet currently offer three categories of travel. The most comfortable option is the sleeper compartment. These can be booked for one, two or three people and have their own shower and toilet, plus a call system for contacting a train attendant directly from the compartment.

The couchette and Mini-Cabin option offers two travel experiences. Passengers can either travel in a couchette compartment with other people or stay alone in a Mini Cabin. This latter cocoon concept is the perfect option for lone travellers looking for a little more privacy on their journey.

For those seeking the cheapest option, a day coach compartment can hold up to six people with drinks and snacks available from a menu.

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