A new business-class-style train will link two major cities, with journeys starting next March. All passengers will get their own private pods complete with a seat that unfolds into a flat bed for the overnight sleeper service between Hamburg and Munich, one of the busiest domestic flight routes. The new Berlin-based start-up, Nox Mobility, aims to connect 100 European cities with train services by 2035, giving passengers an alternative to short-haul flights.
Former Flix-Train project manager Janek Smalla co-founded the business with trainfluener Thibault Constant to make night trains “an essential part of European travel”. With luxury journeys lasting up to 11 hours, they say passengers no longer need to book separate flights and hotels. Mr Constant added: “Our mission is to make overnight rail travel something you look forward to, not something you need to get through.”
The luxury ‘Nox suites’ feature a large seat, a table for dining or working, luggage space and power sockets, all within private compartments with sliding doors for privacy. Described as a “workspace by day, a lounge to unwind by night”, they look remarkably similar to their business-class counterparts in the sky.
There is also no restaurant carriage. Instead, passengers can pre-order meals to their cabins, just like on a plane. The private suites are built into a former Deutsche Bahn Bpmz inter-city coach.
The debut service is due to depart from Hamburg on March 23, 2027. Afterwards, it will run three times a week in each direction, stopping at Bremen and Augsburg.
Trains will depart from Munich on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9.20pm, arriving in Hamburg at 8.27am the following morning. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, the train will leave Hamburg at 9.22pm, arriving in Munich at 8.14am.
Tickets start from €65 (£55) and children under the age of four can travel for free with an adult passenger. They are available to book now.
By 2035, Nox aims to serve more than 100 European cities, including Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome and Barcelona.
Speaking to Railway Gazette International, three styles of ‘Nox Rooms’ are due to join the fleet in 2028. The Double Loft is the most spacious, with two seats and a raised 1.7metre bed. The Single Loft is the same concept for one passenger.
The Double Vista has two berths parallel to the direction of travel, with window views from bed. The lower bed converts into two seats and a table by day.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
