WLABmz | TrainsDepot.org

In December 2021, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) launched a new night train service between Zürich and Amsterdam. Despite the fact it will run under ÖBB's NightJet brand, the train is departing from Switzerland, crosses Germany, and arrives in the Netherlands.

The seating cars initially used for this service are all from DB's and SBB's stock, built in the 1970s and 1980s, but are air conditioned, have sealed windows and decent suspensions, and have been used regularly for daytime services for the past three decades. But when it came to the night train stock, things got complicated... None of the four companies closest to the operation of the train – ÖBB (with its NightJet brand), and SBB, DB and NS (the incumbent operators in the countries the train serves) had any extra night train stock to use. Thus the decision was made to lease Bvcmz couchette cars and WLABmz sleeping cars for a three year period from RDC Germany, registered with BTE Bahntouristikexpress GmbH.

The problem will ease as new NightJet carriages being built by Siemens enter service from 2023.

Sources: https://trainsforeurope.eu/rolling-stock-for-a-new-night-train-even-sbb-and-obb-have-plenty-of-difficulties/

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