Tonight at 20.38, the first regular scheduled night train to Belgium leaves Vienna to arrive in Brussels South station tomorrow at 10.55.
The new service is run by Austrian railway authority OBB, who have named it Nightjet. Two trains depart from Austria, one from Vienna and slightly later one from Innsbruck. The two trains come together in the night at Nuremberg in Germany, to complete the journey to Liege, Brussels North and Brussels Midi.
OBB announced the new service in October last year, as the latest addition to its night service to destinations in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. The Belgium train will depart from Vienna and Innsbruck twice a week, on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. The return journey from Belgium takes place on Monday and Thursday. Travellers from Belgium could spend as little as two days in Vienna, arriving on Tuesday and returning on Wednesday on the next available train.
The cheapest available one-way ticket costs €29.90, offering the barest minimum of comfort: an ordinary seat without couchette for the overnight trip of more than 16 hours. On the new train, a couchette pushes the price up to €119, with a sleeper costing €229. Currently, the journey from Brussels to Vienna involves as many as four changes, and costs between €119 and €129 one way. No other direct links are available.
The train from Brussels to Vienna and Innsbruck also stops in Munich in Germany and Passau and Linz in Austria. In the opposite direction it offers travellers the option of going from Vienna to London (or the other way around) with only one change to Eurostar, at Brussels South.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
