Rail transport

European Sleeper’s new Milan–Brussels night train makes its debut

On 9 September 2026, a direct service between Milan, Cologne and Brussels will commence, and from December it will also run to the Netherlands. On the Italian section, the service will be operated by Arenaways

by Marco Morino

1 September 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Good news for those who love travelling by train between northern Italia and Europe. The star of the show is the Dutch-Belgian railway company European Sleeper. On Wednesday 9 September 2026, the new direct overnight service between Milan, Cologne and Brussels will commence, with services to the Netherlands also starting in December. The service, for which bookings opened on 2 June, will connect northern Italia to Belgium for the first time via a direct overnight train with no changes.

The train will depart from Milan Porta Garibaldi on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evenings, travelling through Switzerland along the Gotthard line, with stops at Como San Giovanni, Lugano, Bellinzona, Arth-Goldau, Göschenen and Aarau, before continuing on to Cologne and arriving at Brussels Midi/Brussel Zuid the following morning. The return service from Brussels to Milan will run on Monday, Thursday and Saturday evenings. Departures from Milan Porta Garibaldi are scheduled for 17.12, with arrival in Brussels at 11.25 the following day. Departures from Brussels Midi/Brussel Zuid are scheduled for 17.22, with arrival in Milan at 11.30 the following day.

Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper, says: “We are ready for the first departure on 9 September. This is the result of extensive coordination with rail infrastructure managers across four countries and represents an important step in the growth of the European night train network.” To celebrate the debut of the new Milan–Brussels night train service, European Sleeper will be hosting a launch event on Wednesday 9 September at Milan Porta Garibaldi station. An interesting fact: the rolling stock for the Italian section of the new Milan–Brussels night train (up to the Swiss border) has been entrusted to the private company Arenaways.

Prices

Here are the prices. The Budget fare, with seating, starts at 29.99 euros per person each way. A berth in a Classic cabin is available from 49.99 euros, including the ticket, booking fee, luggage and bed linen. For those seeking a higher level of comfort, there are the Comfort Standard option, from €99.99, and the Comfort Plus option, from €129.99, the latter of which includes breakfast.

Tickets for journeys up to 18 March 2027 are already available to buy on the European Sleeper Italia website. From 8 September, it will also be possible to make bookings up to 1 September 2027, including through a selection of international sales partners.

Upcoming events

European Sleeper has announced that from 14 December 2026, when the new European timetable comes into force, the service will be extended to include additional stops at Antwerp, Breda and Eindhoven, thereby also offering a direct connection to the Netherlands. From the same date, in Switzerland, the stop at Aarau will replace the one previously scheduled, with connections to Zurich taking around 30 minutes.

The company

European Sleeper is a Dutch-Belgian railway company founded in 2023, wholly owned by its community of supporters and dedicated exclusively to night trains between major European destinations. The company meets the growing demand for international rail travel and is one of the few independent international rail operators in Europe. European Sleeper currently operates two international night-time services: Brussels–Berlin–Prague and Paris–Berlin, both running three times a week. Since its first departure, the company has carried over 300,000 passengers and operated more than 980 night trains across Europe. European Sleeper’s mission is to expand the network of night trains across Europe.

With a view to future development, including for Arenaways, this connection is of great interest: whilst the Arenaways brand currently operates in Piedmont with the Cuneo–Saluzzo–Savigliano route, the Flytrain shuttle between Savigliano station and Cuneo Levaldigi Airport, and special and charter services for private hire or seasonal use (the ‘Treno della Neve’), the operator – already a symbol of the liberalisation of the Italian passenger rail market – is working to extend its service to include intercity routes on the North-West–East and North–Centre–South axes, as well as other regional routes.

Marco Morinovicecaporedattore
- @marcomorino
Luogo: Milano
Lingue parlate: Italiano, francese
Argomenti: Infrastrutture, trasporti, logistica
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