Denmark night train service will return on 16 April 2026, when Swiss operator SBB and RDC Deutschland launch a thrice‑weekly EuroNight linking Basel, Copenhagen and Malmö; tickets went on sale on 4 November 2025. The route restores an overnight option for Danish travellers after more than a decade without scheduled sleeper services.
What the EuroNight offers: schedule, stops and onboard bistro
The new Basel–Copenhagen–Malmö EuroNight will run three times per week in both directions. Northbound, departures are scheduled from Basel SBB in the evening with arrival in Malmö the next morning; southbound, departures from Malmö will serve Copenhagen Airport and Høje Taastrup before reaching Basel SBB around 11:30.
Planned intermediate stops include Freiburg (Breisgau), Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Frankfurt (Main) Süd, Hamburg, Padborg, Kolding, Odense, Høje Taastrup and Copenhagen Airport. Trains will offer sleeping, couchette and seated accommodation for roughly 350 passengers, and a bistro car will operate on the Basel–Padborg section.
Key details:
- Start date: 16 April 2026.
- Frequency: three weekly round trips, year‑round.
- Ticket sales: from 4 November 2025 via standard SBB channels.
- On board: sleeper and couchette compartments, seats, accessible facilities, and a bistro service between Basel and Padborg.
From the last Copenhagen sleeper to a renewed offer
Copenhagen’s previous international sleepers were withdrawn in 2014, ending direct overnight connections via City Night Line. The new EuroNight marks a return of overnight rail through Denmark, re‑establishing a long‑distance option for travellers who prefer rail to short‑haul flights.
How the Denmark night train fits into Europe’s rail push
The relaunch comes as the EU accelerates plans to link capitals and major cities with high‑speed rail by 2040 under the updated TEN‑T framework and the Commission’s recent high‑speed rail acceleration plan. Flagship cross‑border projects such as the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link are expected to shorten journey times on the Hamburg–Copenhagen corridor and strengthen overnight and daytime connectivity. While the EuroNight is not a high‑speed service, it complements this strategy by adding long‑distance, cross‑border capacity and an alternative to air travel on one of Northern Europe’s key north–south axes.
What this means for Danish and Nordic travellers
For passengers in Greater Copenhagen and southern Sweden, the service provides a direct overnight route to Switzerland and an onward hub for continental Europe by day.
The stops at Copenhagen Airport and Høje Taastrup offer easy access without requiring a central‑station call, and morning arrivals enable same‑day connections towards Zurich, Bern, Geneva, Milan and beyond. For the region, the train signals a pragmatic revival of night services that can grow alongside high‑speed upgrades and the completion of major TEN‑T links.
What to watch
Implementation is supported by Swiss climate policy instruments and cooperation with a private night‑train specialist. Final timetables and rolling stock may be fine‑tuned as infrastructure projects advance and cross‑border capacity is allocated.
The EuroNight’s performance will be an indicator of demand for rail‑based alternatives to short‑haul flights between the Nordics and central Europe.
