Inspiration and great deals for your next low-carbon trips
Do you remember Nox Mobility, those new night trains we told you about? in this article ? A little over a year later, the project took shape—literally. A few days ago, before the world’s leading rail trade show, InnoTrans, opened its doors in Berlin, the young German company invited us to get a world-exclusive first look at the interior of its very first car (a full-scale prototype), even before most of its own team had seen it.
A private tour that gave us the opportunity to test the innovations developed by the young Berlin-based company and to speak with Thibault Constant, the project’s co-founder, who is originally from northern France.
Reservations for its first commercial route open today, with service set to begin Starting March 23, 2027, between Hamburg and Munich ! And the good news is that the members of the HOURRAIL Club! will be able to enjoy a 20% discount on tickets (more info at the end of the article). An immersive experience aboard the new Nox Mibility night trains.
Thibault Constant, co-founder of Nox Mobility, and Benjamin Martinie, founder of HOURRAIL!, in front of the first prototype of Nox’s night trains
“In June 2025, we sat down with Thibault for an exclusive interview in which he revealed his project to us. It’s pretty amazing to see that in just over a year, they’re already able to unveil their first car. Even though it’s a prototype, it’s very tangible and gives us a sense of the in-car experience they hope to offer.” - Benjamin Martinie, founder of HOORAY!
Article
Nox: The New European Night Train Company Promising Comfort at Affordable Prices
Above all, this first car provides a much clearer picture of what Nox is trying to do differently. Founded in 2025 in Berlin by Thibault Constant, creator of Simply Railway; Janek Smalla, formerly of FlixTrain; and Artur Hasselbach, an entrepreneur and investor in mobility, the company is based on a fairly simple observation: European night trains aren’t always well-suited for travelers who want privacy, comfort, and an affordable price all at once.
His answer can be summed up in two words: private spaces. Rather than compartments shared with several strangers, Nox aims to offer each traveler their own space, designed for working, relaxing, and—eventually—sleeping comfortably. And that’s exactly what we were able to experience in Berlin.
Benjamin in a Nox private room
This first car is not yet the one that will carry passengers next March. It is, in fact, a prototype, presented by Nox as its “first car” to bring the project to life and allow people to see the features designed by its teams in real size.
An important caveat: there are still several hurdles to overcome before this car on display at InnoTrans can become a commercial train capable of running every night. But for the first time, visitors can step into the Nox experience, sit down, explore the various features, and begin to get a much clearer idea of what the onboard experience will be like.
The first Nox car (prototype)
At launch, Nox plans to equip its trains with Nox Suites, private individual spaces designed to accommodate the different stages of the journey.
Inside: a large seat, a table for working or eating, easily accessible outlets, and plenty of storage space for bulky luggage. The seat can then be reclined into a lounge position, providing about two meters of space along the window where you can stretch out and rest.
Benjamin's desk in the “double vista” of the Nox night train
The idea is to stop thinking of the night train solely as a place where you have to somehow find a spot to sleep, but rather as a real living space during the trip.
Nox actually takes the comparison with the hotel industry quite far and claims that its experience is inspired by boutique hotels : The materials, lighting, storage, and details were all designed to make it feel more like stepping into a small bedroom than a traditional train compartment.
Among the facilities we had the opportunity to explore, one in particular caught our attention.
“My favorite part? Without a doubt: the double vista! Being able to sleep facing the direction of travel while the scenery rolls by must be pretty magical.” - Benjamin Martinie, founder of’HOORAY!
Watching a sunset or sunrise from your own private space—it's a dream, isn't it?
Beyond the “wow” factor, this layout illustrates Nox’s philosophy quite well: making creative use of the available space in a rail car to offer more privacy without incurring the cost of a luxury cabin.
However, the Nox Suites are just the first step. At InnoTrans, the company is also offering a glimpse of its future Nox Rooms, private cabins designed for one or two people, which are expected to be added to the fleet as early as in 2028.
In the longer term, Nox even aims to go beyond just train travel. The company is envisioning a platform that would allow travelers to book certain services for when they arrive—such as a shower, a coworking space, or even a hotel room—at the same time they purchase their ticket.
An example of a Nox Room - © Nox Mobility
"Even today, taking a night train in Europe means sharing a compartment with four or five strangers and hoping the trip will be somewhat bearable. At Nox Mobility, every traveler has their own space where they can work and rest. Ultimately, a night aboard a Nox train will combine everything that usually requires three separate reservations: the trip, the overnight stay, and the morning at the destination.” - Thibault Constant, co-founder of Nox Mobility.
An example of a Nox Room with a double loft - © Nox Mobility
Along with the unveiling of its first car, Nox is also announcing the opening of its ticket office. The first line must connect Hamburg to Munich starting March 23, 2027, with three round trips per week, making stops at Bremen and Augsburg.
On the Hamburg-Munich route, the departure is scheduled for 9:22 p.m., arriving at 8:14 a.m. the next morning. The train is scheduled to arrive in Bremen at 10:30 p.m. and in Augsburg at 7:35 a.m.
In the other direction, departure from Munich at 9:20 p.m. and arrived in Hamburg at 8:27 a.m., with stops in Augsburg at 9:51 p.m. and Bremen at 7:20 a.m.
Tickets start at 65 € one-way.
The compartments on the Nox night train
The choice of this first route is not insignificant. Hamburg–Munich is, in particular, a major domestic air route in Germany : according to the data According to figures from the German Federal Statistical Office cited by Nox, more than 1.2 million passengers traveled by plane between the two cities in 2024.
Nox therefore aims to attract some of these travelers—particularly business travelers—by offering them the chance to leave one city in the evening and wake up right in the center of another the next morning. Thibault Constant sums up this positioning with the following phrase: "Bringing Hospitality to Life". So the idea isn't just to sell a nighttime trip, but to make the time spent on board an integral part of the journey.
© Nox Mobility
And since we're talking about first trips: the members of the HOURRAIL Club! are eligible for 20 % off their Nox tickets.
This offer is valid for all reservations made September 23 through October 14, 2026, for trips to September 23, 2027.
Article
The HOURRAIL Club: the community for low-carbon travel and slow travel
The HOURRAIL Club!, what is it? ? A community for people who want to travel more by train, offering discounts and perks negotiated with rail travel partners, as well as Premium access to our application mobile.
Please note: Nox Mobility is a new rail company. It plans to launch in March 2027, but as with any new rail service, this date is subject to change. If necessary, Nox Mobility will offer a rescheduled trip or a full refund.
Hamburg-Munich is, on paper, just the beginning. Nox aims to gradually build a network connecting 100 European cities by 2035.
The startup raised 2 million euros in pre-seed funding in April 2026, during a funding round led by IBB Ventures. Five months later, the company unveiled its first prototype car in Berlin.
Article
Nox Raises €2 Million: The Night Train Is (Finally) Attracting Investors
The timeline is tight. But between a prototype that can be viewed at InnoTrans and trains actually carrying passengers across Europe, there are still several steps to be taken.
Benjamin in the very first Nox car
“ There’s still a long way to go before they can run their first train (raising funds for new hires and financing train renovations, obtaining certification, securing the right train paths from the infrastructure manager…), but if they succeed, it could really stir things up. ” - Benjamin Martinie, founder of HOORAY!
The first deadline has now been set : the March 23, 2027. For now, the car unveiled in Berlin remains a prototype. It’s still impossible to say what might be most important on a night train: the actual quality of sleep once it's on track.
But this visit still marks an important milestone. A little over a year ago, Nox was still just a project that Thibault Constant was telling us about on camera.
Today, there’s a car you can get into, seats you can sit in, features you can touch, and now a front desk and a ticket office.
Now comes the hardest part : to turn this prototype into trains capable of running, night after night, with passengers on board. And we certainly plan to follow that closely! If you haven't already, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest rail news:
Our best train deals, straight to your inbox
Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).
Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.
