International rail travel is becoming an increasingly popular choice for Belgians heading abroad during the summer holidays, according to new figures from NMBS / SNCB. Belgium‘s national railway operator says bookings for international journeys continue to rise, supported by an expanding network that now offers connections to more than 6,000 destinations across 15 European countries.
Tag: ÖBB
Stockholm emerges as Europe’s next rail hotspot
Stockholm is rapidly moving up the agenda of Europe’s railway operators, as a wave of new and planned train services positions the Swedish capital as one of the continent’s fastest-growing long-distance rail destinations.
EUROPEAN SLEEPER | Brussels to Milan now via Antwerp, Breda and Eindhoven instead of Liège and Aachen
Belgian-Dutch railway cooperative European Sleeper has announced in its newsletter changes to the route of its new Brussels in Belgium to Milan in Italy night train, which will launch on 9 September 2026. The modifications will take effect with the timetable change in mid-December 2026, creating a direct night train connection between the Netherlands and…
New generation Nightjet carriages to debut on Amsterdam–Zurich route in December 2026
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…
European Sleeper pushes Brussels–Cologne–Zurich–Milan night train to 9 September 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 infrastructure works in Germany and Switzerland, combined with the…
Nox night trains: a smart new cabin concept or just an unachievable dream?
Announced in June 2025, the Franco-German night train initiative Nox (Latin for ‘night‘) has drawn immediate comparisons with the defunct start-up Midnight Trains, which folded in 2024. Back-on-Track.eu’s Juri Maier weighs up the viability of Europe‘s latest night train start-up.
Leo Express now links Germany to Poland / Ukraine and ÖBB links Vienna to Trieste
Two major developments in European rail underline how international long-distance services are expanding both through new open-access routes and major infrastructure upgrades. Private operator Leo Express from Czechia is preparing its first move into the German passenger market with a trans-European service from Frankfurt to the Polish–Ukrainian border, while Austria’s ÖBB has launched a dramatically…
European Sleeper to launch Amsterdam and Brussels to Milan night train service, delays Barcelona plans
European Sleeper, the Belgian–Dutch cooperative behind several recent night train initiatives, will launch a new three-times-weekly night train linking Amsterdam Central and Brussels-South with Milan from 18 June 2026. This marks the company’s second new international night-train route for next year, following the previously announced Paris–Brussels–Berlin service that begins at the end of March 2026.
Subsidies for night trains? “You cannot fix this until someone builds more sleeper and couchette carriages”
“I’m so tired of these arguments about small pots of money (or not) for night train operations. You cannot fix this until someone builds more night train carriages”, independent railway commentator Jon Worth posted on Bluesky. That last sentence in all caps. “Because then we can start to run night trains that aren’t with knackered…
European Sleeper to operate Paris – Brussels – Berlin night train route from March 2026
European Sleeper, the community-owned Dutch night train operator, will run a Paris–Brussels-Berlin night train connection by the end of March 2026, stepping in to fill the gap left by the cancellation of ÖBB’s Nightjet service.