Austria to commence night trains service to the Netherlands

Austrian federal railway ÖBB and Netherlands national railway NS have planned to restart regular overnight trains from December next year.

The trains, operated by NightJet, will run between Amsterdam and Munich, Innsbruck and Vienna

The commencement of operations was announced by State Secretary of Infrastructure & Water Management Stientje van Veldhoven.

Veldhoven stated that with the increased demand for night services and the recent flygskam anti-flying movement, the government has assigned €6.7m to restart night train operations between 2021 and 2024.

The final overnight train to the Netherlands was cancelled in 2016 after CityNightLine network was abandoned by DB.

The current NightJet service from Vienna to Düsseldorf will be extended to Amsterdam via Arnhem and is estimated to be 14 hours.

NS president Roger van Boxtel said: “The night train needs some support, but I am sure that travellers will appreciate it. At more and more destinations up to 700km, the train is already the best choice. With the night train we also offer longer distances sustainable alternative to the aircraft. “

The train is expected to leave from Amsterdam in the evening and will arrive at Munich, Innsbruck or Vienna the next morning.

At Nuremberg station, one train will travel to Munich and Innsbruck, while the second will travel to Vienna.

Passengers can choose among seating, lying and sleeping cars. The train will also feature luxury coupes with private bathroom to offer extra comfort to passengers.

Passengers in the sleeping areas will be provided with breakfast.

The train will also have a provision for wheelchairs and to transport bicycles.