New Sleeper Trains and Routes

European night train services will be further transformed for the better when the new pan-European rail timetable commences on December 10th - which will set the service pattern into 2024.

These trains live up their name as they introduce a swathe of new features to European night train travel that have until now, solely been available on the daytime express trains.
So they have:

• A free to access Wi-Fi portal available through out the train
• Electronic info screens on board
• A dedicated sleeping cabin for those who require barrier free travel with an accessible compartment for up to 2 wheelchair users plus 2 accompanying passengers - with modern accessible WC next door, in a wagon with a low floor entrance.

The interior of the Nightjet - new generation train is showcased in this video:

(But the exterior shots are of the current Nightjet coaches of a train on the Roma to Wien service).

From December 10th these new trains will be operating on the Hamburg ↔ Innsbruck and Hamburg ↔ Wien / Vienna routes.

The most unique feature of these trains are the Mini Pods - sleeping capsules similar to those which are used on Japanese overnight trains.
They enable solo travellers to have a private sleeping area at a cost-effective rate, which is less than half the price of booking sole occupancy of a sleeping cabin.
Though booking a sleeping cabin for 1 person occupancy will still be an option on these Nightjet new generation trains - though the trains also have larger sleeping cabins designated 'Comfort Plus'; which have a shower cubicle with a sliding door
Both types of sleeping cabin also have two bunk style beds, so there no 3 bed cabins on the train, but when a group of more than two travellers is travelling in one party, the otherwise locked sliding doors between two compartments, can be opened.

Sliding doors are also available between two adjacent mini pods, so two travellers who book together can in effect share one larger pod.

Other stand out features of these trains are:

• electronically locked luggage storage (in the seating and Mini pod coaches)
• both the sleeping cabins and couchettes have lounge-style seating for daytime use
• a maximum of 4 berths in the couchettes

Over 30 of these trains have been ordered so the plan is that will be begin to serve additional routes when the timetables are updated in June and December 2024.

With the addition of brand new trains to the Nightjet fleet, some of the existing trains can be assigned to yet more new Nightjet routes.
Back in December 2022 Paris was added to the Nightjet network with the launch of a Paris ↔ Wien / Vienna service; and now from the next timetable change on December 10th, the French and German capitals will also be linked by direct trains.

A Nightjet train will depart from the Gare de l'Est in Paris on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings, with a breakfast time arrival into Berlin Hbf.
During its journey through Germany, the train from Paris will be joined by another new train which will commence its journey in Bruxelles, and will also call in Liege.
In the reverse direction the trains will head to the Belgian and French capitals from Berlin on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings.

The Berlin ↔Bruxelles Nightjet will operate on a different three of the nights per week to the European Sleeper train services - thereby giving a six nights per week direct train service between the two cities.

The new Nightjet service between the Belgian and German capitals will also enhance the opportunities to travel between London and Berlin by train.

The Euronight train service named 'Chopin' has long connected Warszawa and Wien / Vienna, then a few years ago it had its route diverted so that it also calls in Krakow - and it began to travel beyond Wien to and from Graz.
From the timetable change on December 10th it is to take a different route beyond Wien, because it will travel to and travel from München / Munich, the main city in Bavaria.

On its extended route it will also call in Salzburg and Linz, thereby providing both of these cities with a new direct rail link to both Krakow and Warszawa.

Though when travelling from Warszawa the arrival time into Wien Hbf has had to be brought forward to before 05:00.

From the timetable change on December 10th the Nightjet service named 'Metropol', which links Berlin to both Budapest and Wien/ Vienna, is to have the section of its route altered between Czechia and the German capita.
Instead of travelling through Poland and calling in Wroclaw, it will follow the same route as the daytime trains which connect Berlin to the capitals of Austria and Hungary.
As a result Dresden will gain a new overnight service to and from Wien; and to and from Budapest.