New Night Train from Prague to the Baltic Sea

As a trial, PKP Intercity add a sleeper to the newly inaugurated Baltic Express

Since April 14th, the new night connection on the Baltic Express route between the Polish sea port of Gdynia and the Czech capitol Praha will also carry a sleeper car – which upgrades the connection to a new international nigh train route.

The sleeper option has a pilot character. The complete route was opened only in December 2024 with one night time and tree daytime connections. In the fist three months since inauguration the new route has attracted 215.000 passengers, which roughly equals 300 passengers per train – which is not bad for a start in the winter season. As even more passengers are expected in the summer an additional sleeping car with 26 beds, including 2 beds for persons with reduced mobility will be added to the train composition.

The train starts southbound in Gdynia at 23.13 and will arrive in Praha at 09:06. On the northbound way it leaves Praha fairly early at 18:51 resulting in a even earlier arrival time of 04:53 in Gdańsk Gl 05:20 in Gddynia. The train is stopping at 29 stations on the way, however the nightly departure or arrival times make it unlikely that the Sleeper is an attractive passangers form Poznań or Bydgoszcz. Only the northbound route offers attractive departure time for passengers from Pardubice (19:54) and Wrocław (23:50).

Fares start at about €105 for a bed in a triple cabin, on some days you might fetch a Super Promo International fare available for €80 or even €60 (each for the full route). You may also book double and single occupancy compartments. Each compartment offers a washing facility, a small breakfast with hot drinks is also included when booking a double compartment, single compartment travellers will also get a chocolate bar and fruit juice.

The type 308A sleeping car which will be used for this connections was originally produced in the German Democratic Republic and was since modernised by Pesa Bydgoszcz. The modernisation included the introduction of disc brakes, significantly improving the comfort of the ride.

Let’s keep fingers crossed the pilot becomes a permanent night train connection with more to follow. By 2028 PKP expects to have 26 new night train coaches avialable which are currently manufactured at FPS Poznán – with an option to extend the order.