Track capacity constraints force European Sleeper to cut planned night train service short

European Sleeper will run its first planned night train service to from Brussels to Berlin instead of Prague in 2023, the company has announced. Infrastructure works in Germany mean that the company did not receive track access south of Dresden next year.

In 2023, German authorities will only allow one long-distance train every two hours. For this reason, European Sleeper will aim for track access again in 2024 in a bid to reach Prague as final destination. For the time being, Berlin will be the terminal station on the service that will also call at Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

Additionallty, European Sleeper notes that it has almost secured sufficient rolling stock for its first planned service next year. The company is considering to lease regular passenger carriages and converting those to sleeper cars. Finally, there are exploratory talks ongoing regarding the purchase of brand new rolling stock. In order to stream line the efforts related to rolling stock, European Sleeper has hired Rob Gelissen as project manager for carriages.

Further reading:

• European Sleeper talks 2023 and beyond
• European Sleeper’s winter night train to France put off
• European Sleeper targets 2023 for delayed first night train service
• Financing rolling stock biggest problem for European Sleeper: ‘Will we get the support we need?’
• European Sleeper postpones sleeper train to Prague once again