European Sleeper Seeks Community Investment to Expand Night Train Routes

European Sleeper, the Dutch company behind the Brussels-to-Prague night train, is once again turning to the public to help fund its expansion plans.

With the growing interest in sustainable rail travel, the company is looking to raise €1.5 million through a community share sale at the end of August, with each share priced at €140.

The company has already seen success with previous crowdfunding rounds in 2021, 2022, and 2023, raising a total of €5.5 million in seed capital.

“European Sleeper is quite a unique project, because it is entirely community-funded, driven by people’s enthusiasm for night trains. We do not have any major investors backing us,” said co-founder Chris Engelsman in an interview with The Brussels Times.

The money from this year’s share campaign will primarily support two initiatives: launching a second night train route—most likely to Barcelona—and acquiring a small tour operator to offer train-and-hotel package deals.

Engelsman believes that adding package trips will generate more revenue while making train travel more accessible to a wider audience.

Currently, the company’s only route connects Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Prague. While passenger numbers are growing and revenue is increasing, Engelsman admits that operating profitably has been slower than expected.

“The Brussels-Prague connection is doing very well, but funding new initiatives from operational income is challenging. This is why we are asking the community to get involved again,” he said.

European Sleeper has faced the same hurdles many small rail operators encounter: high costs, limited carriage availability, and fragmented ticketing systems.

While some national railway companies have supported the venture—Belgium’s SNCB has sold tickets through its platform from the start—larger package travel operators such as TUI and Sunweb have been reluctant to integrate train-based holidays into their offerings.

One major barrier, Engelsman explains, is the complexity of booking train journeys compared to air travel. Unlike airlines, European rail operators lack coordinated reservation systems and track allotments, making integration costly for smaller firms.

“Nearly all existing travel systems are built for flights. We are pushing companies to include train travel, but it takes time and persuasion,” he said.

The planned Barcelona route is seen as a key step toward establishing a broader network and making the business sustainable. New routes require rental or conversion of carriages and take time to become profitable, but Engelsman remains optimistic.

“We think the train to Prague will become profitable next year. That is great, and then we want to continue to grow. I believe the route to Barcelona has even more potential than the route to Prague.”

With community support, European Sleeper hopes to usher in a new era for night trains in Europe, offering a greener alternative to short-haul flights. As Engelsman put it, “One route is no network yet. We are really ready to take the next step.”

This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members