European Sleeper’s Amsterdam-Barcelona night train delayed until 2026 due to French bureaucratic and logistical challenges

The launch of the European Sleeper night train service connecting the Netherlands and Belgium to Barcelona has been delayed to 2026 due to logistical and bureaucratic challenges, particularly in France. The company had initially planned to start the service in 2025 but faced significant hurdles with SNCF Réseau, France’s railway infrastructure manager.

According to Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper, the French railway’s conservative planning of track maintenance at night has been a major barrier, contributing to the delay. He highlighted that much of the planned track work in France does not always materialise, making it difficult for night train operations. Other railway ventures, such as Midnight Trains, have also encountered similar frustrations with SNCF.

The European Commission’s political and administrative support has helped ease some challenges, but rolling stock issues—the availability of modern and adequate carriages—remain another major obstacle. European Sleeper is working on acquiring and possibly refurbishing 30 to 35 carriages.

While 2026 is the projected start date for the service, Engelsman remains optimistic that operations could potentially begin by the end of 2025. The train will run from Amsterdam, through Brussels and Lille, before reaching Barcelona.