Planned night train from Belgium to Austrian Alps currently 'not possible'

Planned night train from Belgium to Austrian Alps currently 'not possible'
Winter scenic view of village of Hallstatt in the Austrian Alps from window of ship. Famous postcard view of Hallstatt. Credit: Canva

Plans to run a night train from Belgium to the Austrian ski areas of Tyrol and the Salzburg are currently "not possible," operator Ostende Vienne Orient Experience (OVOE) announced on Wednesday.

Initially announced in April, the aim was to provide a weekly connection from Belgium (Ostend and Brussels) and the Netherlands (Breda and Amsterdam) to the Austrian Alps during the winter season 2021-2022.

But due to the uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic "it is not possible to organise these trains under the current circumstances," the company explained.

"There is a potential risk that travelling through Europe could get harder in the next months and this risk is too big to take at the moment, or to get insured," Kristof Blomme of OVOE told The Brussels Times. "So we have to put these trains on hold until next year."

The company says it will continue to focus on other projects, including a weekly night train connection between Belgium and Italy, expected for summer 2022.

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This news follows on from the cancellation of a planned night train service between Brussels and Malmö, which was called off in September despite having been given the green light by the Swedish government in July.


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