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A new sleeper train connecting Brussels and Milan launches today, providing a new route between the two popular European cities for as little as £26.

The European Sleeper night train is due to roll out of Milano Garibaldi at 4.45pm local time on Wednesday, 9 September, for its inaugural overnight journey to the Belgian capital.

The train will then arrive at 11.42am at Brussels-Midi station the following morning.

The sleeper service will stop at nine other stations, including Como S. Giovanni on the banks of Lake Como before halting at villages across Switzerland such as Bellinzona and the ski resort gateway of Göschenen.

The train makes its final evening stop at the Swiss town of Aarau at 10.55pm, before journeying through the night in western Germany.

At 8am the next morning, the train will pull into Cologne, before making a stop in Aachen, then over the border to the Belgian city of Verviers, before reaching its terminating stop at Brussels.

Just after 7pm on Thursday, 10 September, the train will then depart Brussels for a return overnight journey lasting under 17 hours, arriving in Milan at 11.40am.

Currently, trains are running from Brussels on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Mondays, while the return journey from Milan operates on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The Brussels-Milan sleeper train route from 14 December (European Sleeper)

From 14 December this year, European Sleeper said it will add additional stops in Antwerp in Belgium and the Dutch cities of Breda and Eindhoven to the timetable for this sleeper train.

After this timetable change, departures from Brussels will be on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, whereas the northbound trains from Milan will depart Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings.

The Brussels-Milan train is European Sleeper’s third route, also operating other night train services across Europe, connecting cities such as Berlin, Prague and Amsterdam.

The route was scheduled to start running in June but was pushed to 9 September due to works on train tracks in Germany.

The sleeper train includes four classes of travel while on board. Fares in the budget class, which offer seats, start from €29.99 (£26) per person one way.

A couchette bed is available from €49.99 (£43), including ticket, reservation, luggage and bed linen.

Travellers can upgrade to “Comfort Standard” from €99.99 (£87) or “Comfort Plus” from €129.99 (£113), which includes breakfast.