Finland’s first open-access rail operator prepares operations, what did their journey look like?
InterviewNewly founded operator Suomen Lähijunat Oy (Finland Commuter trains) has big plans in Finland. “We chipped away at the existing monopoly in Finland on the bus side, and we could very well be at a...Read more
Rail operators want to run more international trains, but where to get them?
With the European market increasingly opening up to private operators and with the comeback of night trains well underway, the availability of rolling stock has become a large obstacle, especially for open-access train operators. What...Read more
‘ÖBB and ČD breached EU rules by blocking RegioJet from access to rolling stock’
Czech Railways ČD and the Austrian ÖBB boycotted RegioJet to keep the operator from access to used rolling stock between 2012 and 2016, the European Commission says in a preliminary statement to the companies.Read moreFlixTrain: a change of strategy?
AnalysisThings are moving fast for the privately owned Munich-based firm FlixMobility, which has been running FlixTrains since 2017. The acquisition of the American bus icon Greyhound in 2021 has shown a change in strategy for...Read more
New UK operator Lumo starts services
New UK private operator Lumo has started its electric rail service on Monday. The trains run from London King’s Cross station to Edinburgh and back, and the first week is sold out completely. One of...Read more
Green light for first Dutch open-access train services by Arriva
Arriva is allowed to offer three new open-access train services in the Netherlands from 2023, a breakthrough in the country. The trains will run partly at night, once a week between Groningen and Schiphol and...Read more
New open-access operator Lumo to join UK network
Despite the crisis and major changes in rail governance, Britain will see the arrival of a new operator called Lumo. Lumo will begin operations between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh on 25 October 2021, calling...Read moreFlixTrain increases train capacity in Germany
Private operator FlixTrain has increased the number of seats between 20 and 50 percent on all routes in Germany. From now on, they also guarantee a seat for every traveler – at no extra charge....Read more
The unique formula of operator Railcoop
Railcoop, France’s first cooperative society of collective interest dedicated to the railways, aims to give new meaning to rail mobility. Everyone, from citizens to local authorities, can be a part of it. The mission: to...Read more
Snälltåget launches night trains from Sweden to Berlin
Swedish open-access operator Snälltåget relaunched a night train service connecting Stockholm and Berlin on June 27. Now running via Copenhagen, the train runs daily this summer.Read more
Dutch and Belgian night trains start-ups join forces
New night train operators European Sleeper and Moonlight Express decided to merge the companies under the name European Sleeper and together develop a night train connecting Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin and Prague. They announced that the...Read more
Share-funding European Sleeper a success: sold out in 15 minutes
The shares of night train start-up European Sleeper went up for sale on May 27, and were all sold out in just 15 minutes. The Dutch night train initiative will run sleeper trains between Brussels,...Read more
What led up to the revival of night trains?
ANALYSIS – Will the Year of Rail be remembered as the year of new night trains? That’s what one might think looking at all the projects announced in recent weeks. Let’s take a look at...Read more