European Sleeper has announced the launch of a new overnight rail service connecting Brussels, Cologne, Zürich, and Milan, set to commence on 9 September 2026. This strategic route is designed to enhance north-south travel between Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, catering to both leisure and business travelers.
Ticket sales for the highly anticipated service will begin on 17 March 2026, with couchette beds starting at an attractive price of 49.99 EUR. The railway company aims to foster connectivity between major economic and cultural hubs, thereby facilitating onward travel to multiple destinations, including London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Venice, Florence, and Rome.
The service will operate three times a week, with trains departing from Brussels on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings. Passengers can expect to arrive in both Zürich and Milan the following morning, while return services will take place on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday nights. The Milan service will arrive at Porta Garibaldi station, conveniently located near the city center and providing easy access to southern Italy via high-speed connections. Travelers can also reach Milano Centrale in approximately six minutes by metro, granting access to a broader range of national and regional services.
In Switzerland, the train will use the Gotthard Pass, as the originally planned route through the Simplon Pass was rendered unfeasible due to ongoing track works scheduled until 2027. This revised pathway includes a stop at Göschenen, allowing access to popular ski resorts, alongside stops in Lugano and Como, which are gateways to stunning lake and mountain regions.
Initially anticipated to start on 18 June 2026, the launch was postponed to September due to numerous scheduled engineering works in Germany during the summer, as well as considerations surrounding certification processes required to operate in Switzerland. Plans for a separate train section to and from Amsterdam have been pushed to 2027, recognizing lower demand during the off-peak season. Passengers from the Netherlands can connect to their destinations in Cologne, Aachen, Liège, and Brussels.
European Sleeper, a community-owned railway focused on expanding night train operations across Europe, has grown its services since its launch in 2023. The company currently operates a route connecting Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, and Prague thrice weekly. Notably, it has reported carrying nearly 240,000 passengers on over 750 night trains. Additionally, a second service between Paris and Berlin is scheduled to commence at the end of March 2026, marking a continuation of European Sleeper’s commitment to promoting international rail travel.