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 daytime service linking Stockholm, Malmö, Copenhagen and Hamburg, while also committing to expand its well-known night trains to Germany.
The new day train, which launches on 4 May 2026, will run daily in both directions and is designed to provide a comfortable, flight-free travel option for passengers journeying between Scandinavia and northern Germany.
Departing Stockholm at 10:43 and arriving in Hamburg at 21:57, the service follows an 11-hour route with stops at Södertälje, Norrköping, Linköping, Nässjö, Alvesta, Hässleholm, Lund, Malmö, Copenhagen South, Odense, Kolding, Padborg and Neumünster. The return train leaves Hamburg at 09:30 and reaches the Swedish capital at 21:17.
Onboard experience
Snälltåget emphasises the onboard experience as an integral part of the journey. Its popular restaurant car, Krogen, will operate throughout the trip, offering everything from hot meals served at tables to a self-service counter for drinks, sandwiches and pastries.
Travellers are encouraged to reserve a table when booking their tickets, with the company highlighting the increasing demand for onboard dining as rail travel enjoys a resurgence.
Bookings for all Snälltåget services up to 1 November 2026 opened on 18 November 2025, giving passengers nearly a full year to secure seats on the new international route.
The daytime service is being launched alongside a notable expansion of Snälltåget’s night train connections between Stockholm, Hamburg and Berlin. The company plans to increase departures for the 2026/27 winter season, particularly after the publicly procured night train contract operated by SJ on the same route ends in summer 2026.
Snälltåget says the end of the state-supported service creates a need for additional commercial capacity, which it intends to meet.
In an unexpected twist, RDC Deutschland—currently SJ’s joint operating partner—announced that it will continue running its own night services on the corridor without subsidies, maintaining two daily trains and signalling that multiple operators now see long-distance cross-border rail as commercially sustainable. The result is likely to be one of Europe’s most competitive international night train markets.
Uncertainty for other European night train initiatives
These developments unfold against a backdrop of uncertainty for other European night train initiatives.
In Switzerland, a proposed cut of 10 million francs from the budget for the Basel–Malmö night train, due to start in April 2026, has triggered significant backlash.
Advocacy groups such as Back-on-Track Europe and IGöV Schweiz have protested, arguing that redirecting climate funding away from cross-border rail and toward biofuels for aviation undermines efforts to encourage sustainable travel.
The controversy highlights the contrasting policy environments across Europe: while some governments hesitate over night train funding, private operators on the Scandinavia–Germany axis are moving decisively to expand.
Snälltåget says demand on the route continues to grow strongly, a trend driven by both leisure travellers and passengers looking for practical alternatives to short-haul flights.
With its new daytime connection, expanded night train offer and a focus on onboard comfort, the company aims to make cross-border rail not only viable but appealing.
Passengers can now choose between a relaxed daytime journey with scenic views and freshly prepared meals, or the convenience of overnight travel that delivers them directly into the heart of Hamburg or Berlin.
Snälltåget will publish detailed plans for its 2026/27 winter timetable in spring 2026, as it positions itself at the forefront of the renaissance in European long-distance rail.
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