Berlin-based startup Nox Mobility emerged this month with ambitious plans for a night train service connecting more than a dozen European cities. The network will feature sleek, private cabins — all for the price of a short-haul plane ticket.

While there are some night trains operating in Europe, cabins are typically very small and private booths are hard to find. Some, like the European Sleeper, which runs from Brussels to Prague, use repurposed trains, which some travellers report being noticeably dated.

Nox’s co-founder Janek Smalla said sleeper trains were the “worst-managed transport mode” in Europe.

“Right now, night trains are unreliable and uncomfortable — you’re crammed into a noisy cabin with strangers, and private cabins are either incredibly cramped or very expensive,” he said. “And with fares often more expensive than air travel, it’s just not an attractive option for most people.”

But Smalla believes that sleeper trains have the potential to not only be as affordable as flying, but more comfortable and convenient as well.

“Short-haul flights are a headache with security, queues, tight seating, little privacy,” said Smalla, who previously co-launched FlixTrain and before that headed up Bolt’s German ridesharing market.

“With night trains, you just get on, sleep during the trip, and wake up refreshed somewhere new,” he added. “It’s way more relaxed, and a lot better for the planet.”

Nox aims to run 100 routes between major European hubs by 2036. Credit: Nox Mobility

To realise that vision, Smalla launched Nox in March alongside his co-founder, Thibault Constant — known as Simply Railway to his 500k social media followers. Together, they plan to tackle the practical shortcomings that have long plagued overnight rail.

Nox aims to offer three cabin types. The “Single” and “Double Loft” rooms feature elevated beds accessed by ladder, with separate seating and table areas. You sleep perpendicular to the direction of travel and can look out through a small window.

Single Loft Room. Creidt: Nox Mobility

Double Loft Room. Credit: Nox Mobility

For more luxury, the “Double Vista” cabins come with low-floor beds at chest height that convert into daytime seating. These rooms let you sleep in line with the train’s direction. They also offer a larger, panoramic window. All the rooms offer 2-metre-long mattresses.

Smalla said the company is exploring the possibility of installing soundproof doors between select cabins. These would give passengers the option to connect rooms — ideal for families or groups travelling together. When not in use, the doors could be securely closed, returning the cabins to private single or double occupancy.

The Double Vista room. Credit: Nox Mobility

Nox says it will offer an onboard food and drink service, bike storage, and wheelchair-accessible coaches.

Single rooms will start from €79 and double rooms from €149. Prices will fluctuate based on demand, and the rate will be charged per room.

Nox aims to launch the first route in 2027 and expand to 100 routes across Europe by 2036. Cities in the planned network include Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin, Warsaw, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Zurich, Milan, and Rome.

A long track ahead

Nox isn’t the first startup with ambitions to disrupt the night train sector. French venture Midnight Train launched in 2021 with its concept for a “hotel on wheels,” but the company folded last year after failing to attract enough investment.

Smalla hopes Nox will have better fortune. The startup plans to handle the booking platform and timetabling in-house to improve the customer experience. It also plans to build new trains, not repurpose old stock. For that, the company will partner with established rail companies. The carriages will be standardised and modular to reduce costs.

While the promise is appealing, especially for those looking for greener alternatives to flying, Nox faces an uphill battle as it tries to disrupt one of Europe’s most traditional and heavily regulated industries.

European rail is notoriously slow-moving, with complex national regulations, fragmented infrastructure, and long procurement cycles. For a startup promising sleek design, private cabins, and airline-level pricing, the real challenge will likely lie not in reimagining the customer experience, but in working in a system that wasn’t built to be agile.

Smalla isn’t oblivious to these challenges, though. “We know that what we’re doing isn’t easy,” he said. “But if we can pull it off, it could unlock a new way to get around Europe. It could get more people out of planes and cars and into trains, which I’m sure most of us can agree would be a good thing.”

Nox is now working on securing final approval for its cabin designs as it plans its first major funding round later this year.