From Sunday 13 December 2026, the ÖBB Nightjet connecting Amsterdam and Zurich will operate with the latest Nightjet New Generation rolling stock (with individual pod!), SBB-CFF-FFS has confirmed. The switch marks the final step in a fleet-wide renewal programme and brings the Amsterdam–Zurich service into line with other Nightjet corridors already benefiting from the modern carriages.
One-year postponement follows cancellation of Basel–Malmö plan
The introduction is running about twelve months behind the schedule ÖBB first signalled in 2025. The original timeline envisaged the new sets entering service on the Zurich route in December 2025, but the existing SBB-CFF-FFS coaches had to stay on the Amsterdam–Zurich line after a proposed Basel to Malmö overnight train was scrapped.
That service, which SBB-CFF-FFS had intended to launch in partnership with Swedish operators, was withdrawn when the necessary government subsidy failed to materialise, leaving the Swiss carriages free to remain in use between Amsterdam and Zurich for an additional year.
Full fleet of 24 sets to be complete by the end of 2026
ÖBB has ordered 24 Nightjet New Generation trainsets; 21 have already been delivered and the remaining three are expected before the turn of the year.
Once the entire order is in service, the Amsterdam–Zurich Nightjet will be formed of two sleeping cars, three couchette cars, one multifunctional car and one seating car, with additional standalone seating cars coupled to the train as at present.
The most visible innovation for passengers is the introduction of single-person mini-cabins, a compact private option that broadens the choice between traditional berths and full compartments.
Enhanced comfort already available on other Nightjet lines from Amsterdam
The new-generation stock has been in revenue service on Amsterdam to Vienna and Amsterdam to Innsbruck since spring 2025, and the Amsterdam to Hamburg route received its upgraded sets in December 2025.
With the Zurich line now joining the programme, travellers on three Nightjet routes from the Dutch capital will enjoy the improved interiors, quieter climate control, better sound insulation and individual power sockets that characterise the latest ÖBB fleet.
Joint operation between NS International, ÖBB and SBB-CFF-FFS
Unlike most Nightjet services, which are operated with ÖBB’s own proprietary coaches, the Amsterdam–Zurich train has until now been hauled by SBB-CFF-FFS rolling stock.
The route itself is a collaborative venture between NS International, the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and SBB-CFF-FFS, reflecting the cross-border nature of the Nightjet network. ÖBB markets and manages the Nightjet brand, while the Swiss and Dutch partners contribute infrastructure access, crewing and rolling stock as required.
Timetable change brings wider improvements across the Swiss network
The December 2026 timetable change that enables the new Nightjet introduction also contains a package of other international enhancements. In day-time services, Zurich to Venice capacity is doubled to two daily direct trains in each direction, while the Zurich to Florence service is shortened to Bologna, with a seasonal extension to Rimini in summer. (I tried to book Rimini to Zurich, but it wasn’t possible).
On the French side, three daily TGVs between Lausanne and Paris via Geneva will be reinstated from April 2027, and a new TER service between Geneva and Lyon will cut journey times by ten minutes, improving connections to southern France.
For night-train travellers, the headline news remains the roll-out of the new-generation Nightjet carriages on the Amsterdam–Zurich corridor, completing a fleet modernisation that promises a quieter, more comfortable and more flexible overnight journey between the Netherlands and Switzerland.
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