Eurostar (formerly known as Eurostar and Thalys), MÁV-Start in Hungary, HŽPP in Croatia, LTG Link in Lithuania, PKP Intercity in Poland and GYSEV in Western Hungary and Eastern Austria have joined or will soon join the European Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC), RailTech reports.
The Agreement on Journey Continuation is an agreement between now 21 European rail operators to allow passengers on international trains to catch the next available train at no extra cost if they miss their connection. Supporting or not supporting stranded train travellers is the Achilles‘ heel of popularising trans-European train travel.
The 21 operators involved are besides the six new additions BLS in Switzerland, České dráhy (ČD) in Czechia, CFL in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Deutsche Bahn (DB) in Germany, DSB in Denmark, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) in the Netherlands, ÖBB in Austria, Renfe in Spain, SJ in Sweden, SBB-CFF-FFS in Switzerland, SNCB / NMBS in Belgium, SNCF in France, Slovenske železnice (SŽ) in Slovenia, Trenitalia in Italy, ŽSSK in Slovakia.
When can a traveller invoke the AJC?
“If you miss your connection on an international journey because your previous train was delayed, you should go to the ticket office of your connection station (the station where you should have boarded on the international train you missed). The procedure is the same for all operators who have signed up to the agreement”, SNCB International says.
There are certain conditions.
- When making your initial booking, you should have allowed sufficient transfer time for your connections.
- Being able to catch the next train without having to buy a new ticket does not guarantee you a seat.
- Each of your tickets is a separate contract of carriage. If you are delayed during your journey, only the train that was actually delayed will be taken into account in the event of a claim for compensation.
What is sufficient transfer time? That is not set in stone. Each country, operator and even sometimes railway station will have its minimum connecting time.
When planning a journey, be smart and realistic. The longer the journey per train and the fewer connections you have the more margin you should plan. Do you really want to stress over overambitious planning?
More on night trains and transcontinental train travel
- ÖBB’s new Nightjet sleeper cars accommodate solo travellers with Mini Cabins.
- Trenitalia orders new Hitachi Frecciarossa trains suited for France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- European Sleeper serving Dresden and Prague from 2024, targets Barcelona from 2025.
- Tri-Country Train between Maastricht, Liège and Aachen delayed until spring 2024.
- ÖBB’s Nightjet to connect Berlin to Brussels from December 2023.
- EUROCITY EC-8 | Basel to Cologne in SBB’s Panoramic Car.
- Trenitalia / FS confirms interest in connecting Spain to Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin.
- Deutsche Bahn and Trenitalia want piece of Amsterdam – Brussels – Paris HST service via subsidiaries Arriva an Qbuzz.
- SNCF and NMBS / SNCB to link Paris to Brussels with ‘slow’ classic train in about 3 hours from December 2024.
- Sampling NS’ new train and future Benelux rolling stock ICNG.
- REVIEW | Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000 Paris – Milan in Business Executive.
- RAIL TOUR OF EUROPE | How easy is touring Europe by train?.
- Midnight Trains secures new night train rolling stock, aims for December 2024 start.
- Eight train connections between the Netherlands and Belgium by 2030?.
- REVIEW | ÖBB Nightjet Amsterdam – Zurich night train.
- European Commission wants booking train tickets to be as easy as booking flights.
- Trenitalia aspires to run trains from Milan to Brussels and Amsterdam.
- GreenCityTrip launches new destinations for its chartered night trains: Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Malmö, Bologna, Firenze, Bolzano, Como, Salzburg, Linz.
- Nightjet Vienna/Innsbruck to Brussels, or how we got thrown off the train in Aachen.
- Why the expensive ÖBB Nightjet is really not that expensive.
- Reliving the era of the great railway journeys, travelling overnight on Nightjet.
- How we plan a big rail trip.
- Ticket Distribution: the failure of railways to sell themselves.
- To use night trains in Portugal and Spain or not?.
- Night trains in Europe.
- Low-cost, long-haul trains to conquer Europe?.
- Fly now before it’s taxed and consider using the train instead.
- Belgium to pay railway infrastructure fee and traction energy costs to lure night trains to Brussels.
- MIDNIGHT TRAINS | Unified Rail Europe? Coping with rail network challenges.
- MIDNIGHT TRAINS | Choosing rolling stock is more than following national technical rules.
- Midnight Trains abandon United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and Portugal to aim at Nice, Milan, Rome, Venice, Barcelona and Madrid.
A new use is being sought for the vacant space of Plopsa Station, located at the rear of Antwerp-Central Railway Station. Belgium‘s national train operator…
A new Europe-wide organisation aims to influence European Union rail policy and fix long-standing international rail problems. Independent rail campaigners have launched a new Europe-wide…
Private rail operator Snälltåget from Sweden is set to make a major push into international rail travel in 2026, unveiling in November 2025 a new…
FS Group / Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane / Trenitalia is moving forward with strategic investments to support its expanding international high-speed rail ambitions, including plans…
In January 2026, SNCF Voyageurs confirmed an additional order for 15 next-generation TGV M high-speed trains from Alstom, underlining its ambitions to expand further across…
The European Union should mandate ticket sharing and competitor display in upcoming law to make rail a more attractive and competitive option, Transport & Environment…
Dutch private railway operator Arriva, which has been planning to launch open-access services between the Netherlands and Paris in France, via Brussels in Belgium, will…
Belgium’s federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) wants to make a direct train connection between Belgium and Switzerland possible again, Gazet van Antwerpen and…
Italy’s state-backed passenger operator Trenitalia, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) has launched a new visual identity for its flagship high-speed brand Frecciarossa, linking the rebrand…
Italy’s state-backed passenger operator Trenitalia, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) has launched a new visual identity for its flagship high-speed brand Frecciarossa, linking the rebrand to the next phase of its fleet renewal programme and to FS Group’s broader ambitions to expand across Europe.
The new logo and
Belgium and the Netherlands have taken a step towards improving cross-border rail connectivity, with a potential direct Brussels to Eindhoven train emerging as one of the most symbolic and politically significant projects in a newly signed joint declaration on rail cooperation.
The declaration was signed on 18 February 2026 in
Belgium and the Netherlands have taken a step towards improving cross-border rail connectivity, with a potential direct Brussels to Eindhoven train emerging as one of…
German passenger operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) confirmed to Belgian news agency Belga on Friday 20 February 2026 that it will introduce a new high-speed connection between Antwerp-Central Railway Station in Belgium and Cologne in Germany in September. The trains will also stop at Brussels Airport.
From September, a new ICE
German passenger operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) confirmed to Belgian news agency Belga on Friday 20 February 2026 that it will introduce a new high-speed connection…
Trenitalia is accelerating towards 2030 with a major €2 billion investment programme aimed at strengthening its leadership in high-speed rail and transforming Italy’s passenger rail sector. Gianpiero Strisciuglio, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Trenitalia, outlined the strategy at the Forum Masseria Winter Edition, confirming the purchase of
Trenitalia is accelerating towards 2030 with a major €2 billion investment programme aimed at strengthening its leadership in high-speed rail and transforming Italy’s passenger rail…
As of September 2026, Deutsche Bahn will connect Brussels Airport with Cologne with a high-speed train, linking German passengers in only 2 hours to the more than 180 direct destinations of Brussels Airport. Brussels Airlines launches a codeshare agreement with German rail operator Deutsche Bahn, which means that the train
As of September 2026, Deutsche Bahn will connect Brussels Airport with Cologne with a high-speed train, linking German passengers in only 2 hours to the…
Deutsche Bahn loves Belgium, it seems. It will run ICE services from Cologne in Germany to Ostend on summer weekends, starting Saturday 6 June 2026.…
Deutsche Bahn loves Belgium, it seems. It will run ICE services from Cologne in Germany to Ostend on summer weekends, starting Saturday 6 June 2026.…
The Dutch–Belgian cooperative European Sleeper has postponed the launch of its new Brussels–Cologne–Zurich–Milan night train to 9 September 2026, instead of the previously announced 18 June 2026. Ticket sales will open on 17 March 2026. The company states that the delay is primarily due to extensive
The Dutch–Belgian cooperative European Sleeper has postponed the launch of its new Brussels–Cologne–Zurich–Milan night train to 9 September 2026, instead of the previously announced 18…
The Dutch–Belgian cooperative European Sleeper has postponed the launch of its new Brussels–Cologne–Zurich–Milan night train to 9 September 2026, instead of the previously announced 18…
When President Emmanuel Macron announced a major renaissance of night trains in 2020, the ambition was clear: by 2030 France should operate a dense network…
When President Emmanuel Macron announced a major renaissance of night trains in 2020, the ambition was clear: by 2030 France should operate a dense network…
Deutsche Bahn has published a press release on Wednesday 4 March 2026 regarding its plans for Belgium coming summer. It confirms this post of 1…
Deutsche Bahn has published a press release on Wednesday 4 March 2026 regarding its plans for Belgium coming summer. It confirms this post of 1…
After two years of planning and delays, GoVolta is set to launch its first international train services on Thursday 19 March 2026, connecting Amsterdam in…
Starting with the very first departure on 26 March, European Sleeper‘s Paris-Brussels-Berlin night train will also call at Aulnoye-Aymeries, Mons, and Liège-Guillemins. Paris-North, Aulnoye-Aymeries, Mons,…
A week before the planned launch of GoVolta’s new international rail service from Amsterdam, Dutch rail operator Train Charter Services (TCS) has been confirmed as…
On 12 November 2025, the European Commission presented a new fact-finding study assessing the current state of the European hyperloop sector and exploring possible avenues…
A sleek, deep-blue train gliding across Europe at 400 km/h. Passengers board in Helsinki and arrive in Berlin just three hours later. Freight bypasses congested…
Italian state-backed Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS or FS Group) is accelerating its expansion into Europe’s high-speed rail market, confirming plans for a major maintenance…
Italian state-backed Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS or FS Group) is accelerating its expansion into Europe’s high-speed rail market, confirming plans for a major maintenance…
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected…
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected…
In the Netherlands, passenger association Rover has responded positively to the proposed 2027 timetable by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), but is urging several improvements, including the…