Night train operator European Sleeper has announced plans for an Amsterdam to Milan service from next June.

The trains will run three times a week, starting in Amsterdam and Brussels and joining up in Germany before continuing via Cologne, Bern and Stresa, on Lake Maggiore.

Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper, said the timetable had yet to be finalised, but the service is expected to start on June 18. “The plan is to arrive in Milan before 10am, but we don’t have definite times for Italy yet,” he said.

Trains will pull out of Amsterdam at around 7pm and European Sleeper hopes to arrive in Italy after a 15-hour journey through Germany and Switzerland.

Prices for a one-way journey are expected to start at around €80 for a berth in a shared coupé. The company hopes to attract tourist and business customers.

European Sleeper began running night trains from Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam in 2023 and extended the line to Prague the following year.

On Monday GoVolta, a new Dutch-based train operator, unveiled plans to run services to Hamburg and Berlin next year.

The Berlin line will compete directly with the existing service operated by NS and Deutsche Bahn, while the direct route to Hamburg will mean travellers no longer have to change in Osnabrück.

However, GoVolta trains will only run three times a week initially and passengers will have to pay extra for large bags. The average one-way fare will be €30, the company said.