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Night train travel in Europe is getting yet another boost, with a new route linking Amsterdam and Brussels with Milan slated for summer 2026.

European Sleeper, a 100% community-owned Dutch-Belgian railway firm, is already on track to launch its Paris-Berlin route in March.

The company hopes the Milan service, running three times a week, will start in June. Tickets are expected to go on sale early in the new year.

“After Paris–Berlin, this new night train to Switzerland and Milan is our next step in building a real north–south backbone for travellers in Europe, city centre to city centre, while you sleep,” said European Sleeper’s co-founder Chris Engelsman. “As a community-owned cooperative, we’re proud to make it easier to reach places … with a comfortable, low-impact alternative to short-haul flying.”

The route follows Switzerland’s historic Simplon line before crossing into northern Italy, offering views along the way of alpine valleys, with stops in Cologne, Bern, Brig and Stresa on the shores of Lago Maggiore.

European Sleeper has steadily expanded since its launch in 2023, responding to growing demand for international rail travel. The company currently connects Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden and Prague, and has carried almost a quarter of a million passengers to date.

Image: European Sleeper