By “Night trains are now making a comeback all over Europe and I am very glad that the Czech Republic is not left behind.”
European travellers can now fall asleep in Brussels and wake up in Prague with the launch of a new sleeper train service.
The first ‘Good Night Train’ service from the European Sleeper start-up departs Belgium’s capital this evening (25 March) bound for the Czech Republic. On the way, it will pass through Amsterdam, Berlin and other popular cities.
It’s another valuable node in Europe’s night train network, after European Sleeper began its Brussels to Berlin trips in May 2023.
And the company has no plans to stop there. “Our goal is to add a new route each year so we can continue to contribute to a more integrated and sustainable European transportation network,” says co-founder Elmer Van Buuren.
Euronews spoke to the Dutch entrepreneur about this vision back in 2021.
What’s driving this new dawn of train travel?
Van Buuren said the new line is fuelled by ‘flight shame’, a term used in Sweden to refer to shaming people for increasing their carbon footprint through flying.
“There needs to be a good alternative to flying or using your car,” he said, and the European Sleeper is a way of doing this with relatively low investment.
Trains are often more hassle-free than flying, he adds, as they depart from city centres and deliver you to city centres, unlike out-of-town airports.
“There used to be a lot more night trains than nowadays and I want to bring them back.
“People can sleep and get rested while being transported, and then wake up in a new city on time for a professional meeting. It’s kind of magical.”
Czech Minister of Transport Martin Kupka is happy that his country is getting on board.
“Night trains are now making a comeback all over Europe and I am very glad that the Czech Republic is not left behind,” he says.
The Good Night Train also passes through Antwerp, Rotterdam and Dresden. You can read more details about the sleeper options and those destinations in our piece here.
Watch the full interview with the co-founder of European Sleeper above.
