Night trains between Belgium and Austria will start running again from Vienna on Tuesday evening, after a break of more than six months.
The first "Nightjet" from Vienna will arrive in Brussels on Wednesday morning, a spokesman for the Austrian railway company ÖBB confirmed.
ÖBB had launched a night-time rail link between the two countries in early 2020. But since November, it has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought international travel to a halt. In April, ÖBB had announced the restart of the ‘Nightjet’ night trains would be pushed back until the end of May.
The night trains will run three times a week, the ÖBB spokesman said. Almost all of Austria has a red colour code for travel, meaning that travel to and from that country involves quarantine and two tests when entering Belgium.
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To travel on the night train, proof of a recent negative coronavirus test, including PCR and self-tests will be necessary, or proof of a person being "tested, vaccinated, or recovered" will be accepted if these are valid for entry into the destination country, the website stated.
The first regular scheduled night train service between the two cities since 2003 ran at the start of January 2020, but its success became dampened by the coronavirus crisis, which resulted in many European countries closing their borders and introducing strict travel measures.
ÖBB will also be re-launching a series of other night-time train services next week, including to the Netherlands on Monday.
The Brussels Times
