Belgian night train operator Moonlight Express will expand its planned services between Brussels and Berlin to include stops in Amsterdam and Prague when it kicks off in 2022.
The addition of the new stops comes after the Belgian start-up joined forced with the Dutch company European Sleeper in an effort to bring more sleeper trains to Europe.
Both of the companies previously announced they would start running trains on a similar route in 2022. Moonlight Express had plans to organise night train rides from Brussels to Berlin, while European Sleeper wanted to organise trips from Brussels via Amsterdam to Berlin and Prague.
Instead, they decided to work together, under the name European Sleeper.
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"We have decided to develop one strong night train operator instead of two competing initiatives," the companies announced.
It is unclear how the addition of Moonlight Express will impact the company going forward, but new routes have been promised for the future.
Earlier reports said that Ostend would be the new starting point for European Sleeper’s night train to Prague, not Brussels, but it is yet to be confirmed how (or if) the new partnership will impact this.
What is confirmed, is that the Czech operator RegioJet - previously partnered with European Sleeper on the route - will also be included in the cooperation.
RegioJet is a private rail and bus company that already operates night trains and regular trains in the Czech Republic and other Eastern European countries.
This news follows an already busy year for night trains after the Austrian company Nightjet introduced a connection between Brussels and Vienna.
The train, which did not run for a while due to the coronavirus pandemic, has been operating again since May.
