Europe Rail News: May 2023

European train companies competing with budget airlines, crowdfunded night train start-up European Sleeper, 5 new European sleeper trains to ride this summer.

Europe Rail News

Ouigo, Avlo and Lumo: These cheap European train companies are competing with budget airlines

See inside one of Europe's fastest high-speed trains, which bolts at 186 miles per hour and serves meals in first class

You could get paid to train-hop around Europe this summer – here’s how

From train guard to CEO: Meet the Dutchman who crowdfunded night train start-up European Sleeper

5 new European sleeper trains to ride this summer

Forget budget flights: it’s all about sleeper trains

EU agency seeks to boost train travel by simplifying rail rules

Flight-free family holidays: Trains are cheaper than planes on these epic European journeys

🇦🇹 Austria

Škoda Group to modernise couchette coaches for Austria’s ÖBB

🇧🇪 Belgium

Belgium to expanded train services in Flemish Brabant by 2026

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Positive Story: A train full of Hungarian tourists entered BiH

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

All aboard the night train to Istanbul: the reality of one of the ‘world’s best’ rail journeys

Bulgaria to realign railway to Romanian border

🇭🇷 Croatia

€4bn to be invested in Croatia’s rail infrastructure development by 2033

🇨🇿 Czechia

Czech Railways launched “All-You-Can-Travel” summer ticket

A panoramic Swiss train will ride on Czech railways this summer

The Czech Republic plans to open a railway connection from Prague to Lviv. The transfer will be made in Przemyśl, Poland

🇩🇰 Denmark

How to get (almost) free travel on Danish trains in summer 2023

Get a sneak peak at Denmark’s future electric train 

🇫🇷 France

France bans short-haul domestic flights in bid to boost rail travel

Ride a French train for only 1 euro

🇩🇪 Germany

Germany launches €49 monthly ticket for nationwide public transport

Record number of people in Germany travelling abroad by train

Germany’s incredible BRAND-NEW high-speed train – the ICE 3neo (Video)

🇬🇧 Great Britain

World Cup of Stations

“As part of Community Rail Week 2023, Rail Delivery Group have teamed up with Community Rail Network to host the World Cup of Stations. This annual tournament established in 2019, celebrates the UK’s best stations by having them battle it out head-to-head in an online public vote.”

Great British Railways Derby: Government plays down reports new railway body and city HQ will be scrapped

Prime Minister urged to create Great British Railways soon

There could be a new sleeper train linking Paris and Edinburgh

TransPennine Express loses contract over poor service

What does rail renationalisation mean and who owns UK railways?

British train passengers at risk of losing free Wifi

Great Central Railway to celebrate 50 years in operation

🇭🇺 Hungary

Entire train service in Eastern Hungary threatened with collapse

Hungary-Serbia railway under construction

Review: Ister Night Train Budapest to Bucharest

An exhibition about the history of Hungary’s oldest narrow-gauge railway opened in Debrecen

🇮🇪 Ireland

Ireland’s historical rail network mapped in new online resource with ATU and Heritagemaps.ie

Closed Irish Rail line track 'could reopen soon' bringing back old stations

Irish railway to test onboard vending machines

🇮🇹 Italy

High-speed train will connect Rome to Pompeii

Travelling through Emilia Romagna by train

In Italy, the Dante Train traces poet’s journey from Florence to Ravenna

🇱🇻 Latvia

Rail Baltica presents vision for future Riga Central Railway Station

🇲🇹 Malta

Stamp issue commemorates The Malta Railway 1883-1931

🇲🇩 Moldova

Moldova will repair two sections of railway to increase transit from Ukraine to the EU.

🇲🇪 Montenegro

Joint border crossing in Bijelo Polje – symbol of regional cooperation

“Rail border crossing in Bijelo Polje will house authorities of Montenegro and Serbia under the same roof and speed up the procedures without the need for train to stop at two borders.”

🇳🇱 Netherlands

The Dutch Railways just got new trains and they’re AMAZING (Video)

I took the night train from Amsterdam to Zurich - with plenty of time for sightseeing

Train travellers to Belgium and Germany will have to reserve seats this summer

How the Dutch mastered bike parking at train stations

🇳🇴 Norway

Rail route of the month: tracking St Olav from Sweden to Norway

🇵🇱 Poland

In Poland, a train with panoramic windows will operate for the first time

🇵🇹 Portugal

High Speed Rail latest - Spanish railways eyeing entry into Portugal

Taking the train from Lisbon to Madrid is a slow journey - but the stopovers (and views) make it special

🇷🇴 Romania

One of the most beautiful railway stations in Romania to be rehabilitated

Romanian railway company to receive first new trains in two decades

🇸🇰 Slovakia

Slovakia is modernizing the railway infrastructure on the border with Ukraine

🇸🇮 Slovenia

Slovenia also introduces country-wide public transit ticket

🇪🇸 Spain

Spain encourages summer travel by slashing youth Interrail ticket prices in half

Ouigo to launch low-cost train service between Murcia and Madrid in 2024

This enormous former railway station once called the 'Titanic of the mountains' is now a luxury hotel. Check it out.

Barça ditching private jet for train points to greener football

“FC Barcelona’s male players caught the train for the first time ever to play a game in Madrid as a way to reduce travel emissions.”

🇺🇦 Ukraine

Ukraine and Lithuania agree to develop railway link bypassing Belarus and Russia