The European night train network is gearing up to extend its reach northward: European Sleeper has announced, for April 2028, a new route that will connect the Benelux to Scandinavia, featuring a nocturnal service between Brussels and Amsterdam and the cities of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmö, in southern Sweden.
The project stems from a collaboration with RDC, the German railway operator that boasts extensive experience in managing overnight connections between Germany and Scandinavia, with the aim of creating a direct rail link capable of uniting overnight three regions of Europe: the Benelux, Denmark, and southern Sweden.
This means being able to reach some of Northern Europe’s most fascinating destinations without facing a long daytime journey or breaking the journey into several stages: you board in the evening and arrive at your destination the following morning.
The destinations linked by the new sleeper train
The new service represents, above all, a northern expansion of the European Sleeper network: the railway company, specialized in night-time connections, continues to broaden its presence across Europe and with the new route aims to more easily connect Western Europe with Scandinavia.
The connection will run from Brussels to Malmö, with Amsterdam included in the route, and will allow travelers to reach Copenhagen and the Swedish city pierced by the Øresund Bridge. According to initial plans, departures from Brussels and from Malmö are scheduled around 7:00 PM local time, with arrivals around 10:00 AM the following morning.
The new route could also become a starting point to reach other major Northern European cities: London, Paris, Stockholm, and Oslo will in fact be reachable with an additional transfer.
One of the central elements of the project concerns, of course, the onboard experience: there will be several options for spending the night on the train, with an offering designed to adapt to different needs (seats, couchettes, and compartments).
European Sleeper and RDC are also evaluating higher-comfort options, defined deluxe in the presented plan: among the possibilities under consideration are double beds and private bathrooms. These are, however, still under study and not yet confirmed for the service that will commence in 2028.
A new milestone in European Sleeper’s growth
The expansion into Scandinavia arrives as European Sleeper, as noted, continues to develop its international network. The collaboration with RDC is not entirely new: the German operator already provides rolling stock for the night services of the company bound for Paris and Milan.
Another major milestone is planned for September 9, 2026, when the first European Sleeper night train will depart between Brussels and Milan, connecting the Benelux, Switzerland, and Northern Italy. Meanwhile, preparations continue for another link between Brussels and Barcelona, slated for 2028.
As explained by Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper, the agreement with RDC enables the creation of a direct link between the Benelux and Copenhagen and Malmö, bringing a new part of Europe into a single night of travel. For RDC, on the other hand, the new route allows it to leverage the experience gained in the overnight connections between Germany and Scandinavia.
