BARCELONA – The new Belgian-Dutch railway company European Sleeper, founded in 2021, has yet to leave with the first night train from Brussels via Amsterdam to Prague, but there are also plans for an overnight train connection between Amsterdam, Brussels and Barcelona. However, it will be a long time before travelers can travel to Spain at night on the ‘Good Night Train’. But what about the plans now?
The European Sleeper recently announced that it is “betting” on the launch of the night train to Prague in the spring of 2023. However, there are many problems to overcome, such as the timetable and available carriages. In June, however, it was announced that a night train from Amsterdam via Brussels to the south of France and Barcelona is also planned. After that, however, it became quiet at the railway company.
But in a recent interview the promoters of the European Sleeper have reported that plans for an overnight train from Amsterdam via Brussels to the south of France and Barcelona still exist, but that there are also some problems that need to be overcome. This train should already be running in December 2022 or December 2023, but this is not the case.
The problems have to do with the carriages available, but also with the partners to work together. Running a train costs a lot of money and that has to be paid for. For example, the travel organization Sunweb claims that the train is too expensive, and a good cooperation with the French railway company SNCF does not seem to be so easy.
Furthermore, European Sleeper states that no passenger train with locomotive will cross the border between Belgium and France anymore. Only Belgian Railways still has locomotives capable of hauling passenger trains in both countries, but those trains cannot continue on to the south of France. This would mean that three locomotives would be needed to reach the south of France or Barcelona and this makes traveling on an overnight train in France very expensive.
How was it again?
There is how HERE An application was submitted to the Dutch Consumers and Markets Authority (ACM) on June 13, which proves it European sleeper intends to travel from Amsterdam Central via The Hague HS, Rotterdam Central and Roosendaal to Barcelona by night train. This is expected to be a reality from 10 December 2023, or sooner if practically possible. The frequency of the new train service will initially be 3 times a week, but the days of operation will still be determined on the basis of the required capacity. Depending on the availability of the equipment, the frequency can be extended to the daily runs.
The ‘Good Night Train’ will make several stops in the Netherlands, Belgium and France before arriving in Barcelona, Spain. According to European Sleeper, a route to Barcelona is a great desire and must be economically viable. Barcelona is already connected via Amsterdam with a train (via Paris) but with many stops, transfers and during the day as we wrote HERE.
Out THIS DOCUMENT on the ACM website is determining travel times and where the train stops, so it is obvious that the train will not stop in Paris. The train was scheduled to leave Amsterdam Central at 5.50pm and arrive at Barcelona Sants at 11.20am the next day. Instead, the train will leave Barcelona Sants at 18:40 and arrive in Amsterdam Central at 12:10 the following day.
In THIS DOCUMENT that the ACM website states that a train with a capacity of 884 people is used: 108 beds in a sleeping car; 540 bunk places; 36-berth bunks with bike spaces; 120 seats in carriages and 80 seats in ‘seated cars’ (?).
On the night train
European sleeper decided to put night train travel back on the map by founding a new Belgian-Dutch railway company in 2021. Because not only the founders are real train enthusiasts. Anyone who has ever traveled by night train will enthusiastically tell you about the adventure on board. It’s a nice way to travel, because stress doesn’t exist as you approach your destination while you sleep. Plus, it’s better for the earth than many other forms of travel, according to the website european sleeper van.
