A Eurostar train
(Picture: PA Wire)An announcement to all ravers, currywurst lovers and history buffs, from May 25, 2023 a new sleeper train will take you from London to Berlin in under 16 hours.
Gone are the days of frantic airport trips and awkward arrival times that eat up precious OOO relaxation. As per train blogger The Man in Seat 61, the train will alight at St Pancras at 15:04 and arrive in Brussels Midi at 18:04. Following a quick changeover, passengers will be whisked off to Berlin Hauptbahnhof - arriving at 06:48 sharp, leaving holiday goers with ample time to explore the city.
As part of a growing appetite for more sustainable modes of transport, this new passage will join other newly opened routes spearheaded by the European Sleeper service, such as Hamburg to Stockholm and Brussels to Prague. Currently the London to Berlin route will run three times a week, upping to nightly excursions by 2024. The company also plans to extend the service to Dresden and Prague by December.
Chris Engelsman, the co-founder of the European Sleeper service, explained in a recent interview with The Guardian that this initiative had been previously held back by a lack of available train carriages.
“It’s just that because of all the new initiatives there’s just very few carriages left, and for many years nothing has been invested in the rolling stock,” he said.
Regardless, the business has been renting sleeper carriages and refitting normal carriages with the required arrangements to ready itself for a successful 2023 launch.
The first 10-carriage sleeper will depart on 25 May with tickets available from 20 February. Prices will start from €49 for a seat, €79 for a couchette (a seat that converts into a bed) and €109 for a more comfortable sleeper compartment, making it an accessible option for both modest travellers and those prioritising comfort.
See you at the Berghain.
