EuroNight Basel-Malmö from April 2026

[doc7austin]

The Swiss Federal Government has announced a subsidy of 8.9 million Swiss Francs to support SBB (the Swiss national railway company) in launching a new EuroNight train service from Basel to Malmö. This exciting new route is scheduled to begin service in April 2026, offering a convenient overnight travel option between Switzerland and Sweden.

While the funding is a significant step forward, it will be interesting to see how SBB secures the necessary rolling stock to meet this timeline. Still, this development is a promising addition to Europe’s growing network of night trains. Stay tuned for more updates as the launch date approaches!

Source: https://cms.news.admin.ch/fileservi...7/10/b42b7c58-47be-4877-bb44-a6b1c9e055fe.pdf

 

[The exile]

Could this service be provided by means of one through coach being attached to other overnights? If so, minimum rolling stock requirement is 2 vehicles (with slightly increased pressure on the “spares” pool)

 

[doc7austin]

I am not sure there is any other suitable night train, that could take the Basel-Malmö through car group.
That train would have to leave Malmö quite early in the day (something like 18:00) in order to ensure a suitable arrival time in Malmö in the Morning.

The train Zürich-Berlin/Prague + Amsterdam + Hamburg depart too late from Switzerland for that.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jul 2025 ==

DB cancelled the CityNightLine night train Basel SBB - Copenhagen in late 2014.
I do expect a similar timetable with a departure out of Basel SBB at around 18:30 and an arrival in the Copenhagen/Oresund region at around 11:00.

Datenbanksuche — Datenbank Fernverkehr

Datenbanksuche - Datenbank Fernverkehr

www.fernbahn.de

 

[bspahh]

I am not sure there is any other suitable night train, that could take the Basel-Malmö through car group.
That train would have to leave Malmö quite early in the day (something like 18:00) in order to ensure a suitable arrival time in Malmö in the Morning.

The train Zürich-Berlin/Prague + Amsterdam + Hamburg depart too late from Switzerland for that.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jul 2025 ==

DB cancelled the CityNightLine night train Basel SBB - Copenhagen in late 2014.
I do expect a similar timetable with a departure out of Basel SBB at around 18:30 and an arrival in the Copenhagen/Oresund region at around 11:00.

Datenbanksuche — Datenbank Fernverkehr

Datenbanksuche - Datenbank Fernverkehr

www.fernbahn.de

I went on a sleeper from Basel to Copenhagen in 2013. It left Basel at 6:04 6:26pm and arrived in Copenhagen at 10:07 am.

 

[EuxtonNeutral]

I went on a sleeper from Basel to Copenhagen in 2013. It left Basel at 6:04 pm and arrived in Copenhagen at 10:07 am.

Do you remember what intermediate stops it made in Germany?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jul 2025 ==

Do you remember what intermediate stops it made in Germany?

Have dug out my 2011 euro rail timetable. City Night Line Aurora.

Basel SBB 1826
Karlsruhe hbf 2022
Frankfurt Süd 2219
Hamburg hbf 0356
Neumünster 0451
Flensburg 0556
København 1002

København 1820
Flensburg 2233
Neumünster 2355
Hamburg hbf 0031
Frankfurt Süd 0640
Karlsruhe hbf 0817
Basel SBB 1037

The Frankfurt stop would be such a boon for London-Scandi journeys. Getting to Hamburg on day trains in time for the SJ sleeper is a pain in the backside.

There was an Amsterdam-Copenhagen sleeper too. Those were the days…

 

[bspahh]

Have dug out my 2011 euro rail timetable. City Night Line Aurora.

Basel SBB 1826
Karlsruhe hbf 2022
Frankfurt Süd 2219
Hamburg hbf 0356
Neumünster 0451
Flensburg 0556
København 1002

You're right it left Basel at 18:26. The 18:04 was the time when my tram arrived at the station.

I remember waking up in the night at a stop. I thought it was Hanover. I had worked near there in 1989, and Hanover station was the only place to get magazines in English.

The ticket was €218 for a single room on the top deck with an en suite shower and toilet.

 

[Jealgu]

SBB is going to work with RDC for this connection. According to a Dutch article the Amsterdam Zürich nightjet is switching to the new sets upcoming December. So it seems likely this connection is going to use the rolling stock currently used on Amsterdam Zürich.

Sources:

Direct night train from Denmark to Switzerland | RAILMARKET.com

RDC and SBB plan to reintroduce the direct night trains service connecting Malmö, Copenhagen and Basel.

railmarket.com

Redirect Notice

 

[ABB125]

SBB is going to work with RDC for this connection. According to a Dutch article the Amsterdam Zürich nightjet is switching to the new sets upcoming December. So it seems likely this connection is going to use the rolling stock currently used on Amsterdam Zürich.

Sources:

Direct night train from Denmark to Switzerland | RAILMARKET.com

RDC and SBB plan to reintroduce the direct night trains service connecting Malmö, Copenhagen and Basel.

railmarket.com

Redirect Notice

Berlin to Zurich isn't changing over to new stock then? Is that because it operates a through car (or two?) to/from Prague, so is a bit more complicated?

 

[Jealgu]

Regular cars can be attached to the new sets
, but I have no idea where the new sets will run or not run (other than a Dutch source that Amsterdam Zürich will change to the new sets).

 

[doc7austin]

What I found interesting: the Swiss Federal Government is going to subsidize the night train Basel-Malmö with CHF 10m in 2027. That is EUR 10.8m / GBP 9.3m.

Considering engineering works and all kind of other desasters, one can safely assume that this train runs around 600 times in 2027 (both directions combined).
Each train ride is propped up with around CHF 16.700.

 

[30907]

Berlin to Zurich isn't changing over to new stock then? Is that because it operates a through car (or two?) to/from Prague, so is a bit more complicated?

At Zurich, Hamburg/Berlin interwork with Vienna/Graz, so would need switching over en bloc - are there enough of the first batch of new NJ to do that?

 

[doc7austin]

I need to correct myself. Apparently, the EuroNight train is slated to run only 3 times week.
So its maybe only 250 trains a year.
The subside would amount to almost CHF 40.000 a train.

 

[ABB125]

At Zurich, Hamburg/Berlin interwork with Vienna/Graz, so would need switching over en bloc - are there enough of the first batch of new NJ to do that?

You learn something new every day!
The article linked previously suggests the both the Amsterdam and Hamburg sleepers will switch together, no mention of Berlin (hence my question). Perhaps that means the interworking will be switched around?
Notably, from the switch it says that ÖBB will be taking over all aspects of the Amsterdam operation from SBB (though presumably SBB/DB/NS will still provide traction* on the Amsterdam route?), thus incurring a need to interwork the Amsterdam service as well.

*This leads to another question: are Re420/460 compatible with the new NJ sets?
And another question I've just thought of, why do SBB provide all sleeper traction in Switzerland? (Yes, obviously it's their railway, but RailJet services don't change locomotives...). Main reason I can think of is operational convenience: reversal is required at Basel/Buchs for all the sleepers so locomotive swaps are easy.
Which leads to a third question, once the new NJ sets are in use and usable in push-pull formation**, will this change to a single locomotive (probably a Vectron?) throughout?
**Pretty sure I saw a set running cab end first this afternoon, presumably in test, though I wasn't expecting it and so didn't get a very good view.

 

[popeter45]

Could this service be provided by means of one through coach being attached to other overnights? If so, minimum rolling stock requirement is 2 vehicles (with slightly increased pressure on the “spares” pool)

if Copenhagen is used instead of Malmo this could be done using existing trains
NJ470 Zurich 21:00/Basel 22:15 - Hamburg Hbf 8:00
50 minute wait to factor in delays
EC 398 Hamburg Hbf 8:50 - Copenhagen 13:45

EC399 Copenhagen 16:30 - Hamburg Hbf 21:10
60 Minute wait to factor in delays
NJ 471 Hamburg Hbf 22:10 - Basel 8:10/ Zurich 10:05

would be messy once the Talgo's are in service but could also be fixed if IC60470/60471 are extended to Malmo in place of a Talgo Slot

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jul 2025 ==

At Zurich, Hamburg/Berlin interwork with Vienna/Graz, so would need switching over en bloc - are there enough of the first batch of new NJ to do that?

33 sets on order so presume the following

Vienna/Innsbruck to Hamburg/Amsterdam = 4 sets each way so 8 in total
Vienna to Rome = 1 sets each way so 2 in total
Vienna to Bergenz = 1 set each way so 2 in total

thats 12 in total in use at the moment so factoring in 1 spare thats the intial batch all in use

that leaves 20 for other routes in the second batch

 

[ABB125]

33 sets on order so presume the following

Vienna/Innsbruck to Hamburg/Amsterdam = 4 sets each way so 8 in total
Vienna to Rome = 1 sets each way so 2 in total
Vienna to Bergenz = 1 set each way so 2 in total

thats 12 in total in use at the moment so factoring in 1 spare thats the intial batch all in use

that leaves 20 for other routes in the second batch

Wasn't one of the reasons for the order due to new Italian regulations about not needing any run-rounds etc at termini?
So presumably Stuttgart/Vienna to Venice will need to switch (2 sets each way, 4 total) and, once the various engineering works are finished, the remainder of the Munich/Vienna to Rome/La Spezia circuit (so another 6 on top of the 2 at present). Which therefore leaves 10 spare sets for use elsewhere...

(Unless the La Spezia portions are highly seasonal and therefore more suited to the flexibility of individual coaches? Probably the easiest Italian destination to continue using loose coaches for as well. Which would put 4 sets back into the general use pool.)

The Vienna-Zurich portion works with Vienna-Venice to Salzburg then joins Budapest-Zurich after a few hours sat idling the night away. If hypothetically that were to subsequently interwork with one of the Zurich to Amsterdam/Hamburg/Berlin services, that would work quite nicely, needing 4 sets each night total plus some extra SBB seated coaches. Repeat with another pair of routes and that's another 4 sets gone, at which point you kind of run out of sets to use (unless the La Spezia circuit stays with old coaches, in which case you could interwork, say Zurich-Berlin-Graz to use up those four sets. Which results in all three non-Austrian Zurich origin services, plus several others, now using new stock).

 

[popeter45]

Wasn't one of the reasons for the order due to new Italian regulations about not needing any run-rounds etc at termini?
So presumably Stuttgart/Vienna to Venice will need to switch (2 sets each way, 4 total) and, once the various engineering works are finished, the remainder of the Munich/Vienna to Rome/La Spezia circuit (so another 6 on top of the 2 at present). Which therefore leaves 10 spare sets for use elsewhere...

(Unless the La Spezia portions are highly seasonal and therefore more suited to the flexibility of individual coaches? Probably the easiest Italian destination to continue using loose coaches for as well. Which would put 4 sets back into the general use pool.)

The Vienna-Zurich portion works with Vienna-Venice to Salzburg then joins Budapest-Zurich after a few hours sat idling the night away. If hypothetically that were to subsequently interwork with one of the Zurich to Amsterdam/Hamburg/Berlin services, that would work quite nicely, needing 4 sets each night total plus some extra SBB seated coaches. Repeat with another pair of routes and that's another 4 sets gone, at which point you kind of run out of sets to use (unless the La Spezia circuit stays with old coaches, in which case you could interwork, say Zurich-Berlin-Graz to use up those four sets. Which results in all three non-Austrian Zurich origin services, plus several others, now using new stock).

todays announcement of reducing NJNG orders prob kills off ideas of Zurich to Amsterdam/Hamburg/Berlin moving to them so in likelyhood they will remain on classic coaching stock

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Jul 2025 ==

so in theory if NJ470 was modified with a earlier arrival into Hamburg Altona (maybe by removing the Bremen detour) to enable using a odd hour path to Denmark then all that is needed is 2 additional carriages as NJ40470 to enable this service in a cost efficent manner
(using a 7:50 departure from Altona to avoid messing with EC398)

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » sci-fi » SBB DB OBB DSB NJ » NJ 470

www.vagonweb.cz

NJ470 Zurich - Hamburg Altona
IC60470 Zurich - Malmo C (splits in Hamburg Altona)
NJ40470 Zurich - Malmo C

 

[Jealgu]

In this German article it is explained the current Amsterdam Zurich stock is going to be used. The article is mainly about the (rather generous) subsidy allocated. It is also noted that the subsidy needs to be reapproved yearly. So let's see how long this one is going to run.

Nachtzug nach Malmö erhält Subvention von 47 Millionen Franken

Um Bahnfahrten ins Ausland zu fördern, sollen 47 Millionen Franken an eine neue Nachtzugverbindung nach Malmö fliessen.

www.srf.ch

 

[popeter45]

In this German article it is explained the current Amsterdam Zurich stock is going to be used. The article is mainly about the (rather generous) subsidy allocated. It is also noted that the subsidy needs to be reapproved yearly. So let's see how long this one is going to run.

Nachtzug nach Malmö erhält Subvention von 47 Millionen Franken

Um Bahnfahrten ins Ausland zu fördern, sollen 47 Millionen Franken an eine neue Nachtzugverbindung nach Malmö fliessen.

www.srf.ch

so if running by itself i assume it would be classed as EN/NJ 472/473 based on the similar service that used to run during the CNL days

 

[mountainpixel]

The Frankfurt stop would be such a boon for London-Scandi journeys. Getting to Hamburg on day trains in time for the SJ sleeper is a pain in the backside.

I'm almost certain it wont stopp in Frankfurt. It needs to make as much time as possible during the night and needs flexibility for rerouting.

Also it is heavily subsidized and if they can fill the train with Swiss passengers, I assume a stop in Frankfurt to pick up some British ones wont be that popular.

 

[doc7austin]

I'd not be surprised if that new night train is marketed as SBB EuroNight.
However, the onboard staff may all work for Newrest again.
Newrest is already working on all ÖBB Nightjet trains.

Economy of Scale:
Zürich-Graz
Zürich-Vienna
Zürich-Berlin
Zürich-Hamburg
Zürich-Amsterdam
Basel-Malmo

I think Zürich-Dresden-Prague is staffed by Czech JLV.

Bahn-Unternehmen sucht Personal in der Schweiz – für 3700 Franken Lohn

Das französische Unternehmen Newrest sucht in der Schweiz Personal für die beliebten ÖBB-Nachtzüge. Der Startlohn liegt bei nur 3700 Franken – brutto.

www.bluewin.ch

 

[popeter45]

I'm almost certain it wont stopp in Frankfurt. It needs to make as much time as possible during the night and needs flexibility for rerouting.

Also it is heavily subsidized and if they can fill the train with Swiss passengers, I assume a stop in Frankfurt to pick up some British ones wont be that popular.

a Frankfurt Sud stop would make way more sence

how much more time would going via Cologne add as North Rhine-Westphalia - Scandinavia would also be a useful flow if it doesnt arrive there too late

 

[kaspertron]

I'm almost certain it wont stopp in Frankfurt. It needs to make as much time as possible during the night and needs flexibility for rerouting.

Also it is heavily subsidized and if they can fill the train with Swiss passengers, I assume a stop in Frankfurt to pick up some British ones wont be that popular.

Brits wanting to go Scandinavia via Frankfurt are so minuscule in number that nobody is ever going to factor them into the equation. But Frankfurt would be a useful stop for many others, for example Frankfurters (not the sausage) who don't have any direct trains to Denmark or Sweden currently.

Subsidy or not I would presume the operator is quite keen on filling the train, I doubt this can be done year round with only Swiss passengers. The SJ night train from Stockholm to Berlin is funded by the Swedish government but that doesn't stop them from picking up Danes along the way.

It would be interesting to know where tickets will be available from. ÖBB's ticket platform I guess? How are Swedes going to know about the train's existence and where to book it? There's no ticket offices left in Sweden to ask in...

 

[mountainpixel]

Brits wanting to go Scandinavia via Frankfurt are so minuscule in number that nobody is ever going to factor them into the equation. But Frankfurt would be a useful stop for many others, for example Frankfurters (not the sausage) who don't have any direct trains to Denmark or Sweden currently.

Subsidy or not I would presume the operator is quite keen on filling the train, I doubt this can be done year round with only Swiss passengers. The SJ night train from Stockholm to Berlin is funded by the Swedish government but that doesn't stop them from picking up Danes along the way.

It would be interesting to know where tickets will be available from. ÖBB's ticket platform I guess? How are Swedes going to know about the train's existence and where to book it? There's no ticket offices left in Sweden to ask in...

I agree with all of you points.

The train will definitely be bookable on SBB and probably ÖBB too, although this time they are not involved with the connection at all.

The SJ and ÖBB collaboration on ticketing during the early stages of the SJ EN was a total desaster, so it might not even be bookable trough swedish sales channels.

 

[EuxtonNeutral]

Brits wanting to go Scandinavia via Frankfurt are so minuscule in number that nobody is ever going to factor them into the equation. But Frankfurt would be a useful stop for many others, for example Frankfurters (not the sausage) who don't have any direct trains to Denmark or Sweden currently.

Subsidy or not I would presume the operator is quite keen on filling the train, I doubt this can be done year round with only Swiss passengers. The SJ night train from Stockholm to Berlin is funded by the Swedish government but that doesn't stop them from picking up Danes along the way.

It would be interesting to know where tickets will be available from. ÖBB's ticket platform I guess? How are Swedes going to know about the train's existence and where to book it? There's no ticket offices left in Sweden to ask in...

Obviously it is not going to be planned around Brits. But I don't see why it wouldn't be reasonable for the planners to consider a 'pick up/drop off' stop at a location that has direct services to/from Brussels, S/W Germany, Eastern France, etc.

 

[JonasB]

It would be interesting to know where tickets will be available from. ÖBB's ticket platform I guess? How are Swedes going to know about the train's existence and where to book it? There's no ticket offices left in Sweden to ask in...

Swedes have access to the internet and the news has spread. Also, people in Malmö will discover it when they see a night train on the platform and Basel listed on the departure boards.

 

[Stephen Lee]

if Copenhagen is used instead of Malmo this could be done using existing trains
NJ470 Zurich 21:00/Basel 22:15 - Hamburg Hbf 8:00
50 minute wait to factor in delays
EC 398 Hamburg Hbf 8:50 - Copenhagen 13:45

EC399 Copenhagen 16:30 - Hamburg Hbf 21:10
60 Minute wait to factor in delays
NJ 471 Hamburg Hbf 22:10 - Basel 8:10/ Zurich 10:05

would be messy once the Talgo's are in service but could also be fixed if IC60470/60471 are extended to Malmo in place of a Talgo Slot

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jul 2025 ==


33 sets on order so presume the following

Vienna/Innsbruck to Hamburg/Amsterdam = 4 sets each way so 8 in total
Vienna to Rome = 1 sets each way so 2 in total
Vienna to Bergenz = 1 set each way so 2 in total

thats 12 in total in use at the moment so factoring in 1 spare thats the intial batch all in use

that leaves 20 for other routes in the second batch

Latest news is that the production ratio between Siemens Viaggio Next Level Railjets and Nightjets was adjusted: 33 new Nightjet trains down to 24, and 27 Railjet 2.0 up to 40 sets (28 with 7 carriages, plus 12 with 9 carriages) I.e. a total of 472 coaches within the 700 coaches framework. Although ÖBB can order extra nightjet sets within the framework.

 

[doc7austin]

SBB has already published timetable data for the new EuroNight train Basel-Malmö.

Train NZ 472 Basel SBB - Padborg
Departure Basel SBB: 17:35
Arrival Padborg: 05:15

Operations start on April 1, 2025. The trains runs three times a week (Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday).

One note: the funding for this train still has be confirmed by the Swiss Parliament.

 

[A S Leib]

Operations start on April 1, 2025

2026?

 

[popeter45]

SBB has already published timetable data for the new EuroNight train Basel-Malmö.

Train NZ 472 Basel SBB - Padborg
Departure Basel SBB: 17:35
Arrival Padborg: 05:15

Operations start on April 1, 2025. The trains runs three times a week (Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday).

One note: the funding for this train still has be confirmed by the Swiss Parliament.

so assuming same path timing as the eurocity (~2:35 between padborg and copenhagen) that aims for a copenhagen arrival at 8:00 ish and onwards to malmo at 9:00 ish

 

[doc7austin]

2026?

yes, it was a typo.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Sep 2025 ==

so assuming same path timing as the eurocity (~2:35 between padborg and copenhagen) that aims for a copenhagen arrival at 8:00 ish and onwards to malmo at 9:00 ish

I don't think they get such a quick path. I'd assume a travel time of around 3 hours between Padborg and Copenhagen. Add in half an hour for immigration checks and loco change in Padborg.
I expect an arrival into Malmo at around 09:45.