My Journeys

CityNightLine "Aurora" to Copenhagen

One of the night trains that I have used most frequently was the CityNightLine "Aurora" on my trips between Germany and Finland. The Aurora was a very convenient overnight jump from the southern part of Germany to reach Copenhagen where good onward connections existed to Stockholm. In total I used this train four times: North-bound during its inaugural year 2006 (sleeper), south and north-bound in 2013 and one more time north-bound in its final year of operations, 2014 (all couchette). In addition to that, I went to see this train many times at Copenhagen Central station during summer 2010 while I was studying in Copenhagen.

"I still recall my first trip on this train back in 2006. This new service had just started a couple of months earlier that year and back then the CityNightLine cars were still dark blue with yellow letters on it. This was also my first trip in a CityNightLight double decker sleeping car so I was quite excited about this trip. I was on my way to my Erasmus exchange year in Finland and as I already back then didn't want to fly (long before flight shaming was invented) I decided instead to take the train. Unlike today already then, Erasmus required to find the cheapest option to reach the destination country. In order to make the train an acceptable option, I went to my local travel agent (yes they still existed back then) and asked them to find me the most expensive flight to Finland. Compared to this expensive flight, traveling by CNL sleeper to Copenhagen and then by X2000 to Stockholm as well as by night ferry with own cabin to Turku was out of the sudden cheaper than flying. After boarding the train at my university's city Offenburg, I was assisted by the friendly Swiss sleeping car attendant with storing my large suitcase in a special luggage compartment as the sleeping compartment was surprisingly small. In fact I never met the person I shared the night with in the same compartment as he was staying in the restaurant car late and only entered our compartment while I was already asleep. By the time I woke up, which was well across the border to Denmark, I found myself being the single occupant of the compartment. I still remember the beautiful yellow corn fields in Denmark shining in the morning sun with the blue sea always nearby and the train stoping in beautiful red brick stations that looked as they were from another era. After I had enjoyed my compulsory breakfast I was off to Copenhagen where I had a couple of hours to spare before getting on my X2000 train to Stockholm."

Interestingly the "Aurora" was also carrying through coaches to Moscow which ran on the train between Basel and Hannover.

Safety instructions placed on the walls of the cars as the train was operating through the Great Belt Tunnel between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen. 

"I recall another interesting trip on this train back in December 2013 when the star of the CityNightLine was already descending as DB had obviously lost interest in its night train services by then. After my arrival from Stockholm at Copenhagen Central Station I learned that the "Aurora" was not running from Denmark that day but only from Hamburg. I had been looking forward to board my couchette in Copenhagen, store by luggage in the compartment and then just get to southern Germany in one go. Instead I was asked to board the crowded ICE 30 to Hamburg. While this gave me the opportunity to cross one more time the Baltic Sea by train (back then Copenhagen-Hamburg trains were put on a ferry across the Fehrman belt), as it was December most of that crossing happened during the dark which wasn't as enjoyable as it usually had been during the many crossing I did in the summers before. After arrival in Hamburg, I had to wait several hours before I could finally board the actual "Aurora" to Basel. At the same time this had also cut the time spend on the train to almost half which meant less time to sleep before the arrival in Offenburg the next morning."

Berlin-Night-Express from Berlin to Malmö

Another night train that I have used more frequently is the "Berlin-Night-Express" between Berlin and Malmö. Like the CityNightLine "Aurora" has this train provided me several convenient connections between Germany and Scandinavia. I used this train for the first time in 2004 on the way from Berlin to Malmö traveling on couchette. The following year I used the train again on the same route but this time I upgraded to the sleeper. Finally, in 2019 I travel one more time on the "Berlin-Night-Express", only months before the train ferry between Sassnitz and Trelleborg was discontinued, that had carried trains across the Baltic Sea since 1909.

The "Berlin-Night-Express" entering the M/S Sassnitz which will take the night train across the Baltic Sea to Sweden. As the crossing took place during the night, passengers were allowed to stay in the sleeping compartments. Alternatively, train passengers were also allowed to visit the upper decks of the ferry during the crossing.

The "Berlin-Night-Express" in 2005 seen at Berlin Ostbahnhof. Back then the cars were still provided by Swedish Railways SJ although the train was operated by Georg Verkehrsorganisation (GVG). During my 2005 trip on the "Berlin-Night-Express" the train ran due to track works only until Trelleborg from where a replacement bus had to be used to reach Malmö. Below is a rare picture of the "Berlin-Night-Express" at Trelleborg station, which usually is not served by any trains. In the background can be seen the ferry M/S Sassnitz that had carrier the train across the Baltic Sea that night.

"I still remember my last trip I did on this train back in 2019 while it was still running across the Baltic Sea on board the M/S Sassnitz. Back then, nobody would have expected that the COVID-19 pandemic would kill off this connection putting an end to the ferry that had taken trains across the sea to Sweden for over 110 years. I was traveling with a good friend of mine and we were on the way from Prague to Finland. After we had left Prague by EuroCity to Berlin we boarded the Berlin-Night-Express operated by Snalltåget at the lower level of Berlin Central Station. The colorful exterior of the couches were certainly appealing, compared to the black and blue livery the cars had worn when still operated by SJ during my previous trips with this train in 2004 and 2005. We were accommodated in a six-bed couchette together with four girls from Switzerland that had just finished school and embarked on their first Interrail adventure. There was a lot to talk and laugh about while we all were settling in to our compartment as the train made its way to the old ferry port of Sassnitz. Before the train was ready to enter the ferry we were parked in a rail yard that was full of old German locomotives and railcars that obviously were no longer in use and were awaiting their fatal end. Due to the age of the cars the windows could be opened which made our train being pulled onboard the ferry an exciting event that I was able to document with my camera very well. Once onboard the ferry we could not hold ourselves from climbing up the stairs to explore the upper decks of the ferry, something I had clearly missed during my previous two crossings. All the excitement of exploring the ferry made us almost forget that our beds were awaiting for us in the hull of the ferry. Rather tired we arrived the next morning to Malmö after a short night."

Taking the night train through China

Another night train adventure worth mentioning was my journey on two different night trains in China from Baoji to Beijing and from Beijing to Xi'an. This happened back in 2013 when I had flown with a group of friends from Helsinki to Xi'an to attend our close friend's wedding nearby Baoji. After the wedding we were off to see Beijing before returning to Xi'an our port of entry. On both trains we were booked on soft sleepers. Heading from Baoji to Beijing West we traveled on the T56. On the way back from Beijing West to Xi'an we took the T231.

Night train T56/T55 Beijing-Baoji

"I still remember the adventure we had to even getting to the railway station in Baoji as taxi drivers in China are usually quite reluctant to take on foreigners. Luckily our hotel was kind enough to help us arranging transportation to the railway station in the end. As we were booked on soft sleeper, we got exclusive access to a waiting lounge at Baoji station and we were personally escorted by the railway personal to our sleeping car at the time of boarding. Although I appreciated this service as it ensured we were not missing the train or getting on the wrong train, it didn't allow me to move around the platform to photograph our train prior to departure. The compartments in the double decker sleeping cars were cosy, they had room for four occupants. Together with my two travel companies we shared our compartment with an elderly Chinese man. He didn't speak to us and seemed a bit uncomfortable to be placed with foreigners in one compartment. I still remember to have woken up in the middle of the night because of a smell indicating that the train was on fire. I was almost relieved when I noticed that the smell came from a cigarette the Chinese man in our compartment had lid up in the middle of the night. I remember only in my childhood that smoking was still allowed indoors, in China this was at least back then still the norm even in a small sleeping compartment occupied with four persons not a concern."

Double decker restaurant car that served delicious meals throughout the trip. I still remember the delicious dumplings I had for dinner in that very restaurant.

Side walk in the sleeping car.

The conductor was handing out these reusable bed cars that had to be returned at the end of the journey. With this card one could identify as a passenger of this train during the journey.

Departure board at Beijing West station.

Night train T231/T232 Beijing-Xi'an

"I still recall our experience at Beijing West station which reminded me a lot of being at an airport. After arriving by metro, we entered the concourse before proceeding through security to a waiting area. The security control more or less resembled that of an international airport with the exception that liquids were allowed. Before we were allowed to the platform, we had to wait in a designated waiting area like at an airport. Once "the gate" opened we were descending on an escalator down to the platform where our train was ready for departure. Time for boarding was rather short, not giving many opportunities to explore the train or to see what kind of locomotive it was hauled by. Also on our way back we were placed in a soft sleeper. This time we had more luck with our compartment as we were sharing it with a Geography teacher who spoke fluent English as she just had returned from a teaching exchange in the United States. I remember the next morning that we had no idea when the train was about to arrive in Xi'an and as we were already prepared to disembark at any moment, we were sitting for many hours on our luggage wondering when we will finally arrive. Unfortunately, there was nobody on the train that was able to tell us in English at what time we supposed to arrive. The friendly Geography teacher had already gotten off the train in the early morning hours, maybe she could have told us? Luckily I had bought an interesting book in a 6 story book store in Beijing the day before called "Factory Girls" by Leslie T. Chang that was telling the fascinating story of the lives of female factory workers in China. I started reading the book while from times to times admiring the beautiful hilly landscape of Shaanxi Province passing by the window."

Soft sleeper compartment.

Xi'an railway station after our arrival back from Beijing West.

Sydney to Brisbane in 14 hours

While living in Australia for three months back in 2019, I also had the chance to engage in some night train travel. Although I didn't had the time to travel on the famous night trains such as the "The Ghan" or "The Overland", I did succeed in taking the New South Wales XPT No 31 on an overnight ride between Sydney and Brisbane. Unfortunately, the few sleeping compartments were already sold out so I had to spend the night in couch. 

"After enjoying the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the sandy beaches at Bondi, I had an afternoon departure from Sydney Central on the XPT that was about to take me back to Brisbane. I was impressed by the Sydney Central station and even more by the wonderful railway book store I found right on the concourse. Would I have not faced any luggage restrictions on my way back to Europe, I would have bought half of the store as I found so many interesting books there. Instead I got a "Railway Digest" which brought me up to date with what was going on in Australia concerning railways and that kept me busy for most of the train ride back to Queensland. The platforms at Sydney Central were only accessible with a valid ticket which slightly limited my possibilities to take pictures of trains getting in and out of the station but I was able to get some decent shots from the platform my XPT train departed from, once I had been given access. The XPT reminded me immediately of the British InterCity 125 which was not a coincidence. After settling in to what would be my home for the next 14 hours, the train departed on time from Central. After we had left behind the suburbs of Sydney it got more rural. The train passed throught beautiful scenery and the more I was looking out the window the more attention I got from my fellow passengers. Those were very friendly elderly ladies that adopted me the moment I had mentioned that I was visiting from Europe. They not only shared many interesting stories about their train travel experience on this line with me but also some of their snacks they had brought along on this trip. While I was about to spend the entire night on the train, the ladies got off at some intermediate stations along the way and before dark fell over us. I am not sure but I must have fallen asleep at some point missing the stop in Casino I was most keen about to witness. I woke up as we were nearing Brisbane which was, however, still asleep as our arrival at Roma Street station was rather early at about 4 am local time. I still had to wait about an hour for the first bus to take me back to my apartment. I certainly had enjoyed this 14 hours ride more than the 1 hour flight that took me to Sydney two days earlier"