A wave of new cross-border train services is launching across Europe in 2026, connecting major capitals and offering travellers direct rail alternatives to short-haul flights for the first time in years.
The expansion spans daytime expresses, overnight sleepers and low-cost services, with routes linking Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris, Amsterdam, Basel and Milan among the most significant additions to the continent’s rail network.
Prague to Copenhagen via Berlin and Dresden
The most high-profile launch of the year is a new direct daytime service connecting Prague, Berlin and Copenhagen, operated jointly by Czech Railways, Deutsche Bahn and Danish State Railways. The route, which has been named one of the most exciting new train journeys in the world by CNN Travel, runs using Czech Railways’ new ComfortJet trains, which reach speeds of up to 230 kilometres per hour.
A limited service of one train per day in each direction began on 1 May, operating via a diverted route while construction work continues on the Berlin-Hamburg corridor. Full service, with stops in Dresden, Berlin and Hamburg, is scheduled to begin on 14 June 2026. Journey times are expected to be around seven hours between Berlin and Copenhagen and approximately 11 hours between Prague and Copenhagen.
The ComfortJet trains seat 555 passengers and feature an on-board restaurant, Wi-Fi, bicycle storage, a children’s cinema and wheelchair lifts. A summer overnight service on the same route is also planned, running as a night train without sleeping or couchette cars.
Paris to Berlin overnight sleeper
European Sleeper, the Belgian-Dutch rail cooperative, launched a three-times-weekly overnight service between Paris Gare du Nord and Berlin Hauptbahnhof on 26 March 2026, reviving a route abandoned after Austrian operator ÖBB withdrew funding in late 2025.
Trains depart Paris on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, with return services from Berlin on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The service carries up to 700 passengers across 14 coaches, with compartment options ranging from budget six-person couchettes to Comfort Plus cabins with breakfast and welcome drinks. A Hamburg stop was added from 13 July 2026, providing onward connections to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo.
Basel to Malmö night train
Swiss Federal Railways launched a new sleeper service linking Basel with Copenhagen and Malmö on 16 April 2026, operated in partnership with RDC Germany. The three-times-weekly service accommodates up to 350 passengers in beds, couchettes and standard seats, and calls at Frankfurt and Hamburg en route. The 16-hour journey offers a direct overnight connection between Switzerland and Scandinavia for the first time.
Amsterdam to Berlin and Hamburg: low-cost rail arrives
Dutch start-up GoVolta launched its first services on 19 and 20 March 2026, connecting Amsterdam with Berlin and Hamburg respectively. The operator is positioning itself as a low-cost alternative to established rail services, with advertised fares from 10 euros, slower journey times and a planned expansion to Paris in December 2026.
Amsterdam and Brussels to Milan by night
European Sleeper is adding a second major route in 2026, with a new overnight service connecting Amsterdam and Brussels with Milan scheduled to launch on 18 June. The train will pass through Cologne and Berne, offering a low-carbon overnight connection between Northern Europe and Italy via Switzerland.
Paris to Munich high-speed service
Deutsche Bahn and France’s SNCF are set to launch a new high-speed daytime service between Paris and Munich by the end of 2026. While one TGV service per day already runs between the two cities, the new joint operation will offer faster journey times and increased frequency.
A broader shift for European rail
The 2026 launches form part of a wider policy push by the European Commission to promote cross-border rail as a sustainable alternative to short-haul aviation. The Prague-Copenhagen route is the first of ten pilot projects selected by the Commission to overcome obstacles in international rail transport.
A 2025 survey by rail company Hitachi Rail found that 62 percent of respondents across the US, UK, European Union and other markets said they would forgo short-haul flights if a train alternative were available.
Further expansion is already in planning. European Sleeper has confirmed a Brussels-Barcelona night train is in development, with a launch expected in late 2026 or 2027. Danish State Railways has also indicated ambitions to extend services from Copenhagen to Amsterdam and Oslo, though no firm dates have been announced.
