Sleeper train considered from Sweden to Brussels

Making post-coronavirus travel plans? A night train from Brussels to Malmö in Sweden is being considered - but it might not launch until 2023.

Following the popularity of the new Brussels-Vienna overnight sleeper service, which launched in January, now the Swedish government has identified the Belgian capital as a destination for a new rail link.

Sweden's transport authority has produced a report recommending that Malmö to Brussels via Cologne would be a suitable first route, due largely to the wealth of onward travel connections at Brussels-Midi station.

Many obstacles remain before the route can launch. Agreements would need to be concluded with the Danish, German and Belgian authorities. The rail link would also not be profitable from day one, with the study estimating a €5 million loss in the first year.

When foreign travel restrictions are eased, rail is likely to be an increasingly attractive option, due to the coronavirus crisis but also the "flight-shaming" initiative led by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg.