SJ Euronight

SJ EuroNight (EN 345/346) is a night train service between Stockholm Central Station in Sweden and Berlin Hauptbahnhof in Germany. The overnight train is part of the Euronight (EN) network, and operates with sleeping car, couchette car and seated carriages. A buffet car from SJ AB (Swedish Railways) is attached between Malmö Central and Stockholm.

SJ EuroNight

Mark Smith (Seat61) on the inaugural SJ EuroNight departure in 2022
Overview
First service	1 September 2022 (2022-09-01)
Current operators	SJ AB BahnTouristikExpress
Former operators	Hector Rail (Padborg‒Malmö, 2022‒2024)
Website	www.sj.se/en/about-the-journey/sj-euronight
Route
Termini	Stockholm Central Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Stops	Norrköping C. Linköping C. Nässjö Hässleholm Lund C. Malmö C. Copenhagen Airport Padborg Hamburg Hbf
Average journey time	15 hours
Service frequency	nightly
Train numbers	EN 345 (Sun‒Fri) EN 346 (Sun‒Fri) EN 13471 (Sat) EN 13472 (Sat)
Lines used	Western Main Line Grödingebanan [sv; de] Southern Main Line Continental Line Øresund Line Copenhagen–Fredericia Fredericia–Padborg Neumünster–Flensburg Hamburg-Altona–Kiel Hamburg-Altona link line Berlin–Hamburg Hamburg‒Stadtbahn connecting line [de] Berlin Stadtbahn
On-board services
Disabled access	Wheelchair-accessible (PRM) compartment
Seating arrangements	International seated (Stockholm‒Berlin) Domestic seated (Stockholm‒Malmö)
Sleeping arrangements	Couchette (1‒6 passengers) Sleeping car (1‒2 passengers) En-suite Deluxe Sleeping car (1‒3 passengers)
Catering facilities	SJ RB7 Buffet car (Stockholm‒Malmö) Mini-Kiosk (Padborg‒Berlin)
Baggage facilities	Private compartment, or second bed required
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	160 km/h (100 mph)
Rake maintenance	Hagalund Depot [sv; de] Berlin-Lichtenberg Talgo (Deutschland)
Route map Stockholm Central Norrköping C. Linköping C. Nässjö Hässleholm Lund C. Malmö C. (reversal) Øresund Bridge (SE/DK) Øresund Tunnel Copenhagen Airport (CPH) Great Belt Tunnel Great Belt Bridge Odense (2022‒2024) Little Belt Bridge Padborg (DK/DE) Rendsburg Loop Rendsburg High Bridge Hamburg-Altona (2022‒2023) Hamburg Hbf Berlin Hauptbahnhof Berlin Gesundbrunnen

Background

In January 2020, the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) published a draft investigation into re-introduction of night trains between Sweden and Germany.^[1] Proposed routes were Malmö‒Cologne‒Aachen and Stockholm‒Malmö‒Hamburg.^[1] Västra Götaland County (VGR) separately investigated and proposed Oslo‒Gothenburg‒Hamburg.^[2]

In January 2021, bids were invited by the Swedish Transport Administration for public service obligation operation of night train connections between Sweden and Germany.^[3] In June 2021 the Danish law covering operation of rail transport in Denmark was changed to allow the Swedish Transport Administration to procure overnight train services between the Denmark–Sweden border and the Denmark–Germany border.^[4] Inside Germany the train cannot be financially supported.^[5]

Contract

The Stockholm‒Germany tender was won by SJ AB, for four-years of service from 2022 until 2026, with up to 244 nights per year eligible for financial assistance.^[6][7][8] Existing operator Snälltåget did not bid.^[3]

Snälltåget subsequently increased the frequency of its own Stockholm‒Berlin overnight service along the same route up to 220 nights per year;^[9] so by October 2025^[update], SJ were only receiving financial support for 190 nights per year.^[5]

Route

The route runs from Stockholm through Sweden to Malmö, across Denmark using the Øresund Bridge, Great Belt Bridge and Little Belt Bridge,^[10] then inside Germany via the Rendsburg High Bridge towards Hamburg—initially ending at Hamburg-Altona station.

From 1 April 2023 the service inside Germany was extended via Hamburg Hauptbahnhof to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, running as an open-access operator with SJ operating the extension at its own risk.^[11] During the summer months both the Snälltåget and SJ Euronight night trains run on the Berlin‒Stockholm route.^[12]

SJ had originally planned to extend the new service south-east of Hamburg through the Ruhr-area of Germany in the direction of Cologne, to better serve travellers continuing towards London, Paris, Amsterdam, and parts of Western Europe.^[13] When no acceptable timetable or rolling stock solution could be found, a reserve Plan B heading south-east of Hamburg was initiated.^[13]

For 2026, several weekend closures of the Swedish Southern Main Line will mean diversions up the West Coast Line to Gothenburg Central Station.^[5]

Rolling stock

In 2021 Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) proposed the use of refurbished AB32 sleeping carriages.^[3] From the start of service on 1 September 2022 only couchette carriages could be used.^[14] Delays in authorising rolling stock through Denmark, meant initial trains consisted of two couchette carriages.^[15] After 7 December 2022 sleeping cars started to be added to the SJ Euronight.^[14] In 2023, SJ purchased three dining cars from Germany for potential renovation;^[14] in the interim, a Swedish RB7 Bistro wagon began to be coupled to the train between Stockholm‒Malmö.^[14] From 3 October 2024, five seated cars were available, thus enabling the previous couchette carriages to return to being available for passengers wishing to sleep.^[14]

SJ began operating the train using SJ Rc6 locomotives between Stockholm and Malmö. Alstom Traxx locomotives from Hector Rail were chosen for the journey across Denmark, instead of locomotives from DSB.^[16] In mid-December 2024, SJ took over full operation to the Denmark–Germany border at Padborg using their own drivers, for this SJ use Siemens Vectron locomotives leased from Green Cargo across Denmark.^[17] Inside Germany the train is operated with locomotives and crew from BahnTouristikExpress ^[de], a part of Railroad Development Corporation, on behalf of SJ.^[17]

2026

The public service obligation contract runs until the beginning of September 2026.^[18] As of October 2025^[update], partial financial support would remain until 31 July 2026, with SJ continuing to run the service for another month until 31 August 2026.^[19][20]

We have operated on commercial terms almost half the route throughout the full year, and the entire route six months a year, … even though we have had many passengers and the trains have often been fully booked during peak season, it is definitely not profitable for SJ if you exclude the government support.

— Christer Litzell, SJ, in Järnvägar.nu (October 2025)^[5]

Future

During mid-2025, SJ had registered future interest in running a night train Oslo‒Copenhagen or Oslo‒Copenhagen‒Hamburg‒Berlin.^[18] The night trains would consist of a restaurant wagon, one or two seated carriages (60‒120 seats) and five overnight couchette or sleeping cars (up to 244 beds).^[18]

As of October 2025^[update], Railroad Development Corporation (RDC) had proposed to continue operation of the Stockholm‒Malmö‒Hamburg‒Berlin route on a commercial basis with 50% of the previous number of departures.^[21] The night trains would consist of up to 390 places: 60 in sleeping carriages, 210 couchettes, and 120 seats. RDC had already been providing carriages and personal for the SJ Euronight service.^[21]

Gallery

• 
  SJ Rc6 locomotive in Stockholm Central
• 
  Binnenalster bridge in Hamburg
• 
  Padborg border station
• 
  Locomotive change at Padborg
• 
  Rendsburg High Bridge