New Sleeper Trains With Private Cabins To Connect 100 European Cities

Forbes

5 hours ago

Nox Mobility Double Vista Room
Nox Mobilit
Over the past decade, the resurgence of sleeper trains has been one of the most notable developments in European rail. The recent announcement of a new player in the space is a significant development. A Berlin-based startup called Nox Mobility has entered the fray, with a plan to operate European overnight sleeper trains starting in 2027. What makes theirs an audacious move is that these trains will be designed and configured as one- or two-person compartments, or 'rooms,' as Nox prefers to call them.
'Sleeping while a train gets you across Europe is a great concept. But today people have to share their cabins with strangers, beds are tight, and it's often more expensive than air travel. We want to change that and make night trains an essential part of European travel.'
I covered the new breed of sleeper trains in my forthcoming book, National Geographic's 100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Rides (which will be published in October 2025). Offering dedicated single and double compartments is a significant advantage. So is making them affordable.
Nox Mobility Single Loft Room Seat
Nox Mobility
Currently, most travelers on European sleeper trains – unless they book a rare single room – need to share compartments with upwards of four berths. Unless four people are traveling together, you're sharing with total strangers. Nox aims to offer a choice for single travelers and couples with its sleekly designed cabins that double as spaces for relaxed sightseeing and workspaces.
'Sleeping while a train gets you across Europe is a great concept. But today people have to share their cabins with strangers, beds are tight, and it's often more expensive than air travel. We want to change that and make night trains an essential part of European travel,' said Thibault Constant, Co-Founder of Nox, in a press statement.
Constant is known on YouTube and Instagram as 'Simply Railway', with more than half a million followers and a claim to making over 400 night train trips worldwide. His cofounder is Janek Smalla, who co-launched FlixTrain and led the German ridesharing market for Bolt.
In terms of cost, Nox plans to operate Europe-wide overnight trains with private rooms for one or two people, competing with the cost of a short-haul flight. The aim is to offer train fares that are competitive with air fares. Nox has announced that single cabins will be priced from 79 Euros ($92) and double cabins from 149 Euros ($173).
Nox Mobility Single Loft Room Bed
Nox Mobility
Sleeper trains are considered to be far more sustainable than short-haul flights. Nox aims to reduce the carbon footprint of short-haul flights by offering this environmentally friendly alternative for travelers. Sleeper trains enable you to travel from city center to city center, eliminating the need for airport transfers. Passengers can choose between single and double rooms, guaranteeing privacy and comfort during their journey.
On the new Nox trains, there will be three room configurations. Single and Double Loft rooms have upper beds, reachable by a ladder. They both feature separate seating and table areas. Loft rooms feature wide single and double beds, allowing you to sleep vertically to the travel direction and enjoy a loft-like view over your room and window. Double Vista rooms offer a low floor and a chest-height bed for easy access. The bed converts into two seats. In Double Vista rooms, you sleep parallel to the direction of travel, with outside views directly from your bed. The beds in all three configurations will be two meters long (78.74 inches).
Nox has also announced an even more radical plan to connect more than 100 European cities with its sleeper network by 2035. Among the cities they've targeted are Stockholm, Berlin, Rome, Barcelona, Milan, Munich, Budapest, Amsterdam, and Paris. Go to Nox Mobility for updates.