The new European train schedule for 2017 is just around the corner and will be valid from 11 December 2016. Just as every year, there will be some minor changes as well as some more substantial ones. Below I have listed all the changes to European night trains that are already known. The most important of which will be the withdrawal of all CNL trains operated by DB (German Railways). Luckily ÖBB (Austrian Railways) will take over the most important rules, see below for details. Another major letdown will be the withdrawal of most of the French domestic night trains. SNCF will continue to operate only a small number of trains. In other countries there are some minor changes along with the introduction of some new connections as well. I will update this post as soon as new information surface.
Sweden
SJ (Swedish Railways) have been thinking of reintroducing a Stockholm – Oslo night train. This would also allow the reintroduction of a Malmö – Oslo night train by running the current Malmö – Stockholm night train via Göteborg and exchanging through cars there. The result would be a system of through cars offering overnight connections between Stockholm, Oslo and Malmö.
Other night trains should remain, with the Göteborg – Östersund – Are – Duved service running only on a limited number of days.
Germany
DB will withdraw all remaining CNL night trains starting from December. Instead, they are going to run more overnight IC and ICE services (without couchette and sleeper accomodation). The following night trains will be withdrawn:
Cologne - Warsaw/Prague
Zurich - Prague
Amsterdam - Munich/Zurich
Luckily, ÖBB will step in and take over the remaining night trains from DB. See below for the details.
Austria
As already mentioned, ÖBB will take over a number of services from DB and operate the following routes in Germany:
Vienna - Hamburg with through coaches to Düsseldorf
Innsbruck - Munich - Düsseldorf with through coaches to Hamburg, replacing the current Munich - Hamburg CNL
Munich - Salzburg - Venice (running as through coaches as in the current timetable)
Munich - Salzburg - Rome (with through coaches to Milan; replacing the current train via Innsbruck)
Zurich - Berlin - Hamburg
The Zurich - Vienna night train will gain two through coaches (seats and sleeper) to Prague via Linz - Ceske Budejovice. The seating car could run in summer season only. A new through coach sleeper will be introduced from Vienna via Bohumin to Kosice.
France
SNCF (French Railways) is going to withdraw a number of overnight trains with only the Paris to Briancon and Paris to Latour de Carol/Rodez services guaranteed to remain. There is still hope that the services from Paris to Nice and Cerbere will remain too. All other services are bound to be withdrawn by December 2016 the latest. The night trains operated by RZD (Russian Railways) from Moscow to Paris and Nice will remain, however the Moscow - Paris train could run once weekly only.
Italy
The future of the Thello brand is unclear as Veolia has dropped out of the joint venture with Trenitalia. This could result in the withdrawal of both the day trains Milan - Nice - Marseille as well as the night train Paris - Milan - Venice. Night trains to Germany are taken over by ÖBB and reorganised (see above in the Austria section).
Serbia/Slovenia/Bulgaria/Greece
The night train from Belgrade to Sofia will be withdrawn, with only the day train to remain. The future of the Belgrade to Thessaloniki and Belgrade to Ljubljana night trains still is uncertain. Both probably will run during summer season only.
Czech Republic/Slovakia
Reintroduction of through sleepers Cheb - Plzen - Prague - Kosice and Presov - Kosice - Bratislava - Brno and prolongating of the Cheb - Usti - Prague - Kosice through sleeper to Humenne. The Prague - Banska Bystrica through sleeper will run on weekends only.
Russia
Finally the new Talgo service from Moscow to Berlin is scheduled to start in December. There will be two trains running every week. The future of the through coaches from Moscow to Budapest/Belgrade/Bar/Sofia/Burgas/Varna is unclear at the moment. The trains from Moscow to Paris/Nice/Prague/Vienna will remain, most trains will run once weekly only.
Update: October 2016
👁 8289
