07-05-2025
You'll soon be able to get a direct sleeper train between Scandinavia and Central Europe
You might have thought the resurgence of night train travel was a bit of a trend, but with more and more announcements pouring in of shiny new services launching all over Europe, it seems like more of a permanent change in the tides.
The latest? A service that could soon run all the way from Malmö in Sweden to Basel in Switzerland, via the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Travellers would fall asleep in Scandinavia and wake up in Central Europe, without all the faff of an airport.
In theory, it would be a joint initiative between Germany's Railroad Development Corporation and Swiss rail operator SSB, and would be the first direct night train connecting Scandinavia and Switzerland in over a decade.
The plans still require regulatory approval, cross-border cooperation between national operators as well as a proper financial plan, however, Danish transport minister Thomas Danielsen has shown interest in expanding the country's international rail services, and demand for nighttime rail travel only seems to be growing, according to Euro Weekly News.
After all, train travel emits up to 20 times less Co2 per passenger kilometre than flying, according to the European Environment Agency, and while low-cost flying saw the decline in sleeper trains over the last 20 years or so, climate-friendly alternatives are growing in popularity.
If plans go ahead, the new service could be launching around this time next year. Stay tuned for updates.
