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08.12.2020

TransEuropExpress 2.0: A night train through Europe

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Europe is to grow even closer together – on railways as well. To this end, Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland want to offer new cross-border night train connections beginning in 2021. Leading partner railway companies agreed to the measure in a joint declaration.

“With our TransEuropExpress (TEE) 2.0 and attractive overnight rail services, we will be travelling throughout Europe in an even more climate and environmentally friendly way in the future,” said Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer, adding that this was a very concrete result of Germany's Presidency of the Council of the EU.

On the path towards TransEuropExpress 2.0

Over the coming years, four new Nightjet lines, connecting a total of 13 European metropolises with millions of inhabitants, will serve as the first results of this expansion of cross-border cooperation between railway companies:

  • December 2021: Vienna - Munich - Paris and Zurich - Cologne - Amsterdam
  • December 2023: Vienna/Berlin - Brussels/Paris
  • December 2024: Zurich - Barcelona

This cooperation is an important step on the path towards a TransEuropExpress (TEE) 2.0. Minister of Transport Scheuer first presented the concept at the EU Rail Summit in September 2020. It aims to make Europe even more climate and environmentally friendly with attractive, continuous long-distance rail services.

European Year of Rail

The declaration of the four railway companies marks the start of the European Year of Rail. On 1 December, members of the European Parliament's Transport Committee agreed to dedicate the coming year to strengthening rail transport.

According to the agreement, a strong rail network is indispensable to achieve the EU's climate goals. This also includes a strong night train network, which is key to sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility.

More information can be found in the following press release (German only):

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