Amsterdam departure in doubt for Barcelona night train
Plans for a night train from Amsterdam to Barcelona are now in jeopardy, as scheduling constraints in France could potentially push the service to depart too early for Dutch passengers. While a feasibility study by French rail manager SNCF Réseau confirms that a suitable timetable exists in France, European Sleeper is now considering shifting the departure point to Brussels instead.
The SNCF Réseau study marks a crucial step forward for the much-anticipated route, confirming that a timetable can be accommodated within the French rail network. However, European Sleeper co-founder Chris Engelsman acknowledged that the earliest feasible departure time from Amsterdam may be too inconvenient for passengers. "If we can't find an acceptable departure time from Amsterdam, we may need to start the train in Brussels," he told Treinreiziger.nl.
Although the company had originally planned to launch the service in 2025, the timeline has been delayed to 2026, with no firm start date set. The uncertainty surrounding the departure point further complicates the situation. “The option to depart from Amsterdam is still on the table and remains our priority,” Engelsman said, but he emphasized that passenger convenience is a key factor in the decision.
European Sleeper's expansion plans have continued to evolve. The company began with a Brussels-Berlin night train in May 2023, later extending the route to Dresden and Prague in 2024. This winter, a seasonal service was introduced connecting Brussels, Eindhoven, and Innsbruck, with some trains continuing to Venice.
