BARCELONA – From December 2024, travelling through Europe will become even more comfortable and efficient with the introduction of new night train connections. This new service will connect Barcelona with several European cities.
Nightjet, a joint project of several European railway companies including SNCF (France), DB (Germany), CFF (Switzerland), and ÖBB (Austria), is set to transform the European railway network. This week the first Nightjet train was put into use in Austria.
Nightjet aims to connect thirteen European cities via a network of high-quality night trains. The first phase is already underway, with the lines connecting Vienna and Munich, as well as Zurich, Cologne and Amsterdam, which came into service at the end of 2021.
In 2022, the connection between Zurich and Rome via Milan was added. And now, at the end of 2023, the connection from Vienna and Berlin to Brussels and Paris will be added. Via Milan, is already there. And now, at the end of 2023, the connection from Vienna and Berlin to Brussels and Paris is planned.
Barcelona’s role in the Nightjet network
Barcelona will play a central role in this new network from the end of 2024. From then on, Nightjet trains will connect the Catalan capital with Zurich, creating a new, efficient, and comfortable route for travellers between Spain and Switzerland. The Catalan capital is connected via this service to Basel, Berlin, Brussels, Cologne, Florence, Hamburg and Milan.
Also read: By night train from Amsterdam to Barcelona
Comfort and technology on board
Designed for comfort and efficiency, the Nightjet trains are produced by Siemens and offer various accommodation options. Passengers can choose between economical seats, shared sleeping compartments with privacy, and private sleeping compartments. Each cabin has its own sanitary facilities. Tickets range from an economic rate of €50 to €160 for more expensive places with extra comfort and amenities.
The trains can carry 254 passengers and reach speeds of up to 230 kilometres per hour. A train taxes the environment seven to eleven times less than an airplane on the same route.
Other initiatives
In addition to Nightjet, the company Midnight Trains also announced plans to start night train services at the end of 2024. These will include connections between Paris and Barcelona, further expanding travel options between Spain and France.
Challenges
Although it is positive that more and more destinations in Europe are connected by train, it is not yet that easy to book these trips. Reserving a place remains complex because there is no good umbrella website for all international train journeys. Anyone who chooses a train journey should therefore read carefully to know which railway company should be booked with. The story becomes more complex when a switch has to be made.
Another problem resulting from an absent umbrella train organisation is that the traveller is not fully covered for possible train disruption. If you miss a connection due to a delay with one train company, it will not be reimbursed by the other company.
Also read: Renfe makes international train travel with the AVE to Spain more attractive
