Dutch Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NS) has decided to postpone the launch of their nightly service to Vienna. Passengers who already purchased tickets will be allowed to cancel their planned trip free of charge, or - if their trip is absolutely necessary - will be able to use their ticket to travel via the ICE to Düsseldorf before changing to a Nightjet service to Vienna.
Earlier this year, NS announced plans for a night-train service from Amsterdam to Munich, Innsbruck, and Vienna. The service had received a subsidy of 6,7 million euros from the Dutch government, and was set to launch on December 13.
However, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the travel restrictions in place across Europe, and the reduced number of travellers, NS has decided together with Austrian Railways (ÖBB) to postpone the launch date until 2021. The exact date is yet to be determined.
While the news of the nightly service led to much excitement, the decision to postpone the launch date doesn’t come as much of a surprise. In October, NS and Eurostar launched a new direct service between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and London amongst empty platforms and empty trains.
In a press release, NS said: “The situation surrounding the corona crisis and the government measures in the Netherlands, Germany and Austria, ensure that almost no foreign trips are made. As soon as travelling abroad becomes better possible and our customers start travelling again, this night train connection will start.”