
ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress: A Pop-Up Night Train
By Edward | Night Trains
Transparency disclaimer: I work for the company that runs the ALPEN-SYLT night express. I've also put a lot of work into starting it up. So I may not be 100% neutral. Just so's you know.
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At the beginning of the year, nobody knew about the ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress. Not even me.
Then in May, during lockdown, I got a phone call from the company I work for.
"You fancy doing something with night trains?"
My head began to spin. I steadied myself on my son's pram.
"Um. Yes?"
"We are starting a new night train service from Sylt to Salzburg and back, twice a week. We need you to come back".
So I went back to work. The company drafted me into the sales task force and wheeled me on as their night train consultant.

My equipment raring to go
A little background
I've been working for this company (BahnTouristikExpress, and by extension Rail Development Corporation, an American rail company) since 2018 - see my Flixtrain post for more on that.
Most of the time I was working Flixtrain services for them, using couchette carriages in day mode. Flixbus sold the tickets and handled customer service, we ran the trains.
These veteran coaches plied the Hamburg-Cologne and Cologne-Berlin route by day heaving with stag dos and football fans.
Then came coronavirus, and for reasons I cannot divulge, the partnership with Flixtrain disintegrated into searing acrimony that continues to this day.
So what to do with all these couchettes standing around, to say nothing of the engines rented specially?
Start a pop-up night train service, that's what.
The ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress - the service
The ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress (night express. NEX for short) is a twice-weekly overnight train service from the North Sea island of Sylt via Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich to Salzburg.

ALPEN-Sylt Nachtexpress ready to leave Westerland (Sylt). Photo credit: Marc Förste
It consists purely of couchettes and takes 16 hours to get from the very north of Germany to the very south and across the border into Austria.
On Thursdays and Saturdays it runs North-South, on Fridays and Sundays it runs South-North.
The current service is scheduled to run until the 7th of November. See below for future plans.
ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress - destinations
On its way south, the train starts at Westerland (Sylt) and calls at Niebüll, Husum, Hamburg-Altona and Hamburg Central to pick up passengers. Then it passes the night en route south. First stop for getting off is Frankfurt Süd, then Würzburg, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Munich, Rosenheim, Prien, Traunstein, Freilassing and Salzburg.

The train on its way across the Hindenburgdamm. Photo credit: Marc Förste
What is the ALPEN-SYLT night express like?
The ALPEN-SYLT night express currently consists of couchettes only. These are ex-Deutsche Bahn couchettes as previously seen on CityNightLine services and now dispersed all over mostly private operators such as RegioJet and Snälltaget. A few went to ÖBB as well.

Some of the couchettes have nice new lining
These were most recently used for running Flixtrains. There hasn't been time to obliterate the Flix foil, so they coaches still run in green livery with ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress branding pasted over the Flixness.

A look down the corridor on the ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress
Each compartment has six padded berths with blue lining. Sheets, pillows and blankets are provided.

Middle bunk made up for sleeping
Every compartment has USB- and 220V sockets and every carriage is equipped with WiFi routers.

ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress compartment with its ducks in a row
How much do ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress tickets cost?
Whichever ticket you buy, you always get a whole compartment to yourself
Ticket prices
The cheapest promo tickets start at €99 for a single travelling with one child.
From September there will also be a special offer for couples, starting at €199.
The standard fare is €399 for the whole compartment to yourself, irrespective of whether it is just you or there are six of you and irrespective of where you get on and off.
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Extras
Bicycles go for €49. If you book both ways, this is only charged once.
Breakfast is extra and costs €5. This ensures that only people who actually want breakfast get it - free breakfasts waste mountains of food. For my night train insider's breakfast rant, see my Astra Transcarpatic post.

Me at Salzburg with the ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress
Where to buy
Most agencies in Germany specialised in railway tickets can sell you tickets for the ALPEN-SYLT night express.
You can also simply book online. As yet the website is only in German, though I expect English to be added eventually. If you've subscribed to my blog, send me an email and I will gladly help you book.
What about future Nachtexpress trains?
The outlook is good at the moment. Many people are very excited about this train. The management is very enthusiastic too,
It makes such a difference: When I was at Deutsche Bahn the night trains were treated like some mad aunt who simply won't die.
RDC, on the other hand, are completely enamoured of their new night train and already have exciting plans for 2021.

More night express awesomeness. Photo credit: Marc Förste
I can't write any of it just yet, but it looks like the future holds expanded service and more destinations. On the carriage front, they are looking into sleeping cars and seated cars.
Right now I'm tasked with developing a service training for the night train crews - so there is definitely going to be something.
I suggest you subscribe to my blog. That way you will be the first to know when new Nachtexpress services are announced. And if as my subscriber you ever book on the Nachtexpress, just let me know. Perhaps you'll see me on the train too.
I'll leave you with this video by vlogger Superalbs Travels in which he beautifully captures the entire experience.
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Join my Rail Guide Europe Club FREE
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