It looks like the rail travel renaissance in Europe is showing no sign of slowing down, and though it was looking uncertain for a while, plans to revive an important route – the Madrid to Lisbon sleeper train – which was discontinued by Spanish rail operator Renfe in 2020, could finally fall into place.
Surprisingly, this service was the only direct link between the two Iberian capitals. Since it was cancelled, passengers travelling between the two cities by rail have to change trains at least twice, and sometimes up to three or four times. The journey can take over nine hours, longer than catching the bus, which only takes seven hours, and driving, which takes six.
The lack of rail links between Spain and Portugal has been a problem for a while, and it’s taken some time to organise because of back and forth between the two countries’ governments about spending commitments.
However, when the revival was first announced in November 2023, representatives from the Spanish government said that the reintroduction of the sleeper train is ‘something that many citizens on both sides of the Spanish-Portuguese border are waiting for,’ according to The Local.
And now, we finally have a date – kind of. The Portugal News reported that thanks to deepening negotiations between the Portuguese and Spanish governments, the Madrid-Lisbon sleeper train could be reactivated as soon as the ‘first half of 2025’.
While that remains a pretty vague window, connections between these two magnetic capitals could soon be a whole lot easier. In the mean time, check out our roundup of Europe’s best sleeper trains set to launch in 2025.
Did you see that a direct sleeper train between Italy and Sicily is launching this Christmas?
Plus: This ancient European city just opened a brand-new metro system.
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