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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did the European Sleeper go to therapy? It had train of thought issues.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

European Sleeper
European Sleeper couchette car at Brussels-South
Overview
HeadquartersUtrecht, Netherlands
FoundersElmer van Buuren
Chris Engelsman
Dates of operation2023–
PredecessorsMoonlight Express
Other
Websitewww.europeansleeper.eu
Route map

Legend
France
 Paris
Aulnoye-Aymeries
France
Belgium
Mons
Belgium
 Brussels
 Antwerp
Liège
Belgium
Netherlands
Roosendaal
Netherlands
 The Hague
 Rotterdam
 Amsterdam
Amersfoort
Deventer
Breda (from 13 December 2026)
Eindhoven Centraal (from 13 December 2026)
Netherlands
Germany
Aachen (until 12 December 2026)
 Cologne
Germany
overnight
 Hamburg
Germany
Switzerland
Berlin
Zurich
Switzerland
Berlin (East)
Arth-Goldau
Dresden
Göschenen
Bad Schandau
Bellinzona
Germany
Czech Republic
Lugano
Děčín
Chiasso
Czech Republic
Ústí nad Labem
Switzerland
Italy
Prague
Como
Italy
Milan
This diagram:

European Sleeper (ES; stylised as european sleeper) is a Belgian–Dutch cooperative[1] operating international open-access night train services in Europe. It currently operates three night train services: one between Brussels and Prague, which launched in May 2023;[2] another between Paris Nord and Berlin, which it launched in March 2026;[3] and a third route launching in September 2026 between Brussels and Milan,[4] to be combined with coaches serving Amsterdam in December 2026.[5]

History

[edit]

European Sleeper was launched in April 2021 with plans for a sleeper train service between Brussels and Prague, with Czech operator RegioJet announced as a partner. Under original plans, RegioJet would provide the rolling stock and run the service in Germany and Czechia while the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB) would be responsible for running the service in Belgium with an operator not yet selected for running the service in the Netherlands. The night train was expected to begin in the spring of 2022, and a second service was slated to begin in December that year.[6]

Simultaneously, Belgian startup Moonlight Express announced its intention to commence night train services between Berlin and Brussels via Liège from April 2022.[7] As a result, both services were expected to begin at around the same time. Owing to this, in June 2021, both European Sleeper and Moonlight Express would join forces, with the combined entity taking up the former's name and pursuing their proposal of a Brussels–Prague route.[8]

In May 2021, European Sleeper launched a crowdfunding campaign and managed to raise €500,000 in seed capital by selling shares in the cooperative to more than 350 small investors, reportedly selling out in 15 minutes.[9] A subsequent fundraising round was launched with €2 million worth of shares sold to 1,400 investors.[10]

In May 2022, the company announced that the Brussels–Prague route would be delayed indefinitely[11] with no revised start date being provided until December. By then, the planned service, beginning in 2023, would initially terminate at Berlin due to capacity constraints south of Dresden owing to infrastructure works on the Elbe Valley Railway. The scaled-back route commenced operations on 25 May 2023.[12][13]

In June 2023, a third fundraising round for €3 million of growth capital was announced,[14] which opened to investors at a starting price of €250 per share. At the same time, ES announced it had sold 10,000 tickets for its existing Berlin–Brussels service,[15] and that Interrail and Eurail passes would be accepted on services from 1 July with mandatory reservations to be made.[14] The route was extended to Prague on 26 March 2024.[16]

A seasonal service linking Brussels with Innsbruck and Venice ran in February and March 2025,[17] though due to last-minute logistical problems with Arenaways, the open-access operator undertaking responsibility for the train in Italy, European Sleeper was unable to run some of its services to Venice.[18] The dispute was eventually resolved after an agreement was reached with FS Treni Turistici.[19] The seasonal service was joined by a dining car as part of a trial operation which first launched on the Brussels–Prague route in October 2024.[20]

In April and June 2025, ES raised €1.5 million in 3-year loan stocks at 8% interest and also attracted some donations. Throughout the latter half of 2025, the company also offered a further €2m of shares for sale, with the stated aims of acquiring Dutch tour operator GreenCityTrip, securing additional rolling stock and launching a new route in 2026.[21]

On 12 November 2025, a thrice-weekly Berlin–Paris service was announced by European Sleeper for launch on 26 March 2026[3] as a direct response to ÖBB's decision to cancel its Nightjet services from Paris to Berlin and Vienna from 14 December 2025 following the withdrawal of subsidies provided by the French government.[22] Sleeper trains later made an additional stop at Hamburg-Harburg from 13 July 2026, providing onward connections to Scandinavia.[23][24]

Soon after the announcement of the new Berlin–Paris route, on 10 December 2025 European Sleeper announced another new thrice-weekly service from Brussels and Amsterdam to Milan.[4] It initially planned to serve Bern, Brig, and Stresa on Lake Maggiore following the Simplon route, and, in a first for the company, it would split and combine train parts at Cologne to serve Brussels and Amsterdam separately, which it argued was necessary to offer suitable departure and arrival times from each of these three cities.[4] However, the route was revised in March 2026 by following the Gotthard pass instead of the Simplon pass due to construction works throughout 2027, now serving Zurich, Göschenen, Lugano and Como.[5] The Milan service launched on 9 September 2026.[25]

Other plans

[edit]

In June 2022, a partnership with tour operator Sunweb Group was announced, with plans to start new night train services between the Netherlands and French ski resorts by summer 2023 with an extension to southern France the following year.[26] In November, it was announced by the two parties that these plans would be put on hold, citing difficulties in securing rolling stock, track access rights and an operator for the services.[27]

European Sleeper's proposed service from Amsterdam to Barcelona was selected in January 2023 as a pilot project as part of the European Commission's efforts to improve cross-border rail service and encourage the opening of new links. It joins two other night train proposals from Snälltåget and Midnight Trains.[28] In September 2024, ES confirmed that the proposed Barcelona service would be delayed until at least 2026 after the company failed to reach an agreement to operate through France.[29] Despite the launch of the Milan route in 2026, the company is still preparing for a route to Barcelona as a next step, probably starting operations in 2029.[25]

Future routes

[edit]

In late August 2026, a new route from Brussels through Amsterdam and Copenhagen to Malmö was announced. It would run three times per week from April 2028.[30]

Rolling stock

[edit]

European Sleeper leases its passenger sleeping cars and couchette cars from Train Charter Services [de] and RDC Germany, dating back from the 1950s to the 1990s and being renewed more recently by various national railway companies,[31][32] which are maintained at Lengerich depot near Münster while locomotives are hired from Railpool for the majority of ES's routes and Arenaways within Italy.[24] Some of ES's coaches used in its services also include former Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits type-P sleeper cars used on luxury trains in the 20th century.[33]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "European Sleeper". European Sleeper. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "EUROPEAN SLEEPER Brussels & Amsterdam to Berlin by sleeper train". The Man in Seat Sixty-One. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 "European Sleeper brings the Paris – Berlin night train back on track by March 2026" (PDF). European Sleeper. 12 November 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "European Sleeper launches new night train to Switzerland and Milan from June 2026" (PDF). European Sleeper. 10 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  5. 1 2 "New Brussels–Cologne–Zürich–Milan night train starts 9 September 2026" (PDF). European Sleeper. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  6. ↑ Vosman, Quintus (6 April 2021). "European Sleeper announces first international night train service". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Orban, André (8 April 2021). "Belgian start-up Moonlight Express to launch night trains between Brussels, Liège and Berlin in April 2022". Aviation24.be. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  8. ↑ Burroughs, David (16 June 2021). "Private night train operators join forces as European Sleeper". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  9. ↑ Harris, Ainsley (27 May 2023). "Sleeper trains are returning to Europe". Fast Company. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Night trains: Inside Europe's newest sleeper train service". Euronews. 20 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "Amsterdam to Prague night train delayed indefinitely | NL Times". nltimes.nl. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin night train launch date announced". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Europe's sleeper train awakens". Politico. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  14. 1 2 Burroughs, David (13 June 2023). "European Sleeper launches third funding round". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  15. ↑ "European Sleeper announces third funding round". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  16. ↑ Simmons, Mark (28 March 2024). "European Sleeper runs first Prague services". Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  17. ↑ "Night train to Venice". European Sleeper. Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  18. ↑ "New Brussels to Venice night train stopped at the Italian border". euronews. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  19. ↑ "European Sleeper now "truly" riding to Venice". Trip By Trip. 2 March 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  20. ↑ "The European Sleeper Dining Car". European Sleeper. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024.
  21. ↑ "European Sleeper train service launches £2m crowdfunding campaign". The Independent. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  22. ↑ Rajesh, Monisha (12 November 2025). "New sleeper service will run from Paris to Berlin next year". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  23. ↑ "Night train to Hamburg". European Sleeper. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  24. 1 2 David Haydock (May 2026). "Paris to Berlin with European Sleeper". Today's Railways Europe. No. 363. pp. 16–17.
  25. 1 2 Emma Featherstone (11 September 2026). "I tried the new 720-mile scenic sleeper train from Milan: it's a £60 bargain". The i Paper.
  26. ↑ Cunningham, Ed (14 June 2022). "A new sleeper train route will soon link up Amsterdam and the south of France". Time Out Worldwide. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  27. ↑ "European Sleeper's winter night train to France put off". RailTech.com. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  28. ↑ "Connecting Europe by train: 10 EU pilot services to boost cross-border rail". transport.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  29. ↑ "Amsterdam to Barcelona sleeper train delayed for a year - here's why". euronews. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  30. ↑ "New sleeper train to launch between Brussels and Malmö in 2028". euronews. 25 August 2026. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Joe Baur (8 April 2024). "The European Sleeper: A new night train connecting some of the continent's great cities". BBC Travel.
  32. ↑ Mark Smith (17 September 2026). "Four-hour delay spoils the launch party for Europe's newest sleeper train". The Telegraph.
  33. ↑ "European Sleeper begins operations with Berlin–Brussels night train". Railway Gazette International. 31 May 2023.
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