Sleeper trains are having a moment in Europe, with several new overnight routes having launched over the past couple of years. Starting in March 2027, travelers in Germany will have a unique new option to choose from: night trains that have suite-like seats with lie-flat beds, tables, and storage and, in a later rollout, fully private rooms designed for one or two passengers.
The new service comes courtesy of Berlin-based startup Nox Mobility, which unveiled its first carriage on September 23 at InnoTrans, the world’s largest railway transport trade show, held in the German capital every two years. The trains comprise individual suites, each with a sliding door and a seat that converts into a lie-flat bed, similar to airlines’ international business-class seats. A later rollout promises even more space, privacy, and comfort, with three room categories that can accommodate solo passengers or two travelers.
An affordable alternative for travelers
The new Nox Mobility business-class sleeper trains will launch in spring 2027.
Photo by Richard Lohs/Courtesy of Nox Mobility
Starting at 65 euros (approximately US$73) for one-way fares, tickets are already on sale for Nox’s first scheduled service on March 23, 2027. The operator’s first route will connect Hamburg and Munich three times per week in each direction, with stops in Bremen and Augsburg. Trains depart Hamburg at approximately 9 p.m. and arrive in Munich at around 8 a.m. the following morning.
“Many people right now are traveling during the day, which is such a waste of time,” Nox Mobility cofounder Thibault Constant told Afar. “It shouldn’t be stressful. It could be relaxing. So that’s the problem we are trying to solve.”
Founded in June 2025, Nox is a private venture-funded operator; its executive team includes Janek Smalla, who helped launch the affordable, high-speed FlixTrain in the German market, and Artur Hasselbach, who hails from the financial services firm Fintech. The startup aims to scale quickly: “We have quite an ambitious goal of serving 100 cities on 35 lines by 2035,” Constant says.
Business-class lie-flat seats and private cabins
The train’s business-class-style Nox Suites include seats that convert into lie-flat beds.
Photo by Max Kissler/Courtesy of Nox Mobility
As early as 2028, the company plans to roll out three fully private room categories (bathrooms are shared). Designed for solo travelers, the Single Loft, with tickets starting at €79 (about US$89), will offer a loft-style bed reached via ladder, with extras like reading lights, power outlets, adjustable mood lighting, and storage. Double Loft and Double Vista rooms, meanwhile, will accommodate one or two passengers, with pricing starting at €149 (US$168) per room, not person, making them an especially budget-friendly option.
For now, travelers can book a business-class-style Nox Suite; each carriage of the company’s leased Deutsche Bahn intercity trains houses 30 suites. The private spaces’ seats convert into 6.6-foot-long beds, with sliding doors for added privacy, storage, large tray tables, reading lights, and adjustable headrests. A bonus for families: Kids under four years old can travel for free with an adult passenger.
Dining and added services
According to Nox Mobility cofounder Thibault Constant, travelers are looking for an upscale alternative to the standard European sleeper train experience and a way to avoid the stress of air travel.
Photo by Richard Lohs/Courtesy of Nox Mobility
There is no dining car; instead, travelers can order catered meals for an extra cost, including breakfast, served at their seats, similar to the airline model. Also in the works is a platform that will allow passengers to book arrival add-ons like a shower, a coworking space, or a hotel room, Constant said.
A lifelong train enthusiast, Constant says Nox aims to fill a gap in the European marketplace that he’s experienced firsthand on hundreds of overnight and long-haul routes—many of which he’s reviewed on the YouTube channel he founded in 2018, Simply Railway, which now has more than 306,000 followers.
“I was always getting people on my videos commenting, ‘Cool idea, but I would never do it again because either the train was dirty or I had to share my compartment with five strangers, and one was snoring,’” he says. “Or, ‘I paid like 200 euros, and I arrived three hours late.’”
According to Constant, both business and leisure travelers in Europe are clamoring for an upscale alternative to such experiences on sleeper trains, as well as a way to avoid the stressors and unreliability of air travel.
Amtrak inspired
In fact, he found inspiration for his entrepreneurial venture in an unlikely destination: the United States, especially in Amtrak’s Roomette product, a fully private cabin.
“I’ve been on every single train you can think of in the U.S., and I discovered that it’s such an enjoyable feeling when you can close the door,” he says. “You have your own space. You have the window just for you. I’m like, ‘Why [don’t we] have this in Europe?’”
