It’s Friday 13th, and I got some bad news that make it necessary for me to be at the other end of the country tomorrow. There’s one upside to the sad occasion: I get to ride on the new Nightjet train that OEBB put in service last winter. Here are some first impressions.

Outside

The train rolls into the station while it’s raining hard. This time last week, we were throwing the summer’s last BBQ party. Now there’s snow on the mountains, and Austria is under a warning for massive flooding. This train, however, seems to have made it out mostly ok.

Fine, it’s a little late. And the passenger information system isn’t working. At the front of the train there’s a cab car for the driver. And in front of that is a locomotive, because I think the cab car isn’t certified for operation yet. Still, I’m confident that the train will make it to Hamburg and Amsterdam in good shape.

Boarding

I have to be in car 404. But because the passenger information system isn’t working, the cars aren’t displaying their numbers. No problem: Mrs Tatjana, the attendant, lets me know that I’m in the right car. Then she gently but firmly guides me to my mini cabin, and walks me through the basics of using it.

There’s a key card that opens the cabin, and also the shoe / luggage locker next to it. And with that, she’s off, leaving me to puzzle over the workings of the cabin interior.

The mini cabin

The cabin is basically like one of those Japanese coffin hotels. It’s small – really just the bed, and I wouldn’t recommend being much taller than 1.85m.

There’s a sliding curtain that you unlock with the key card. It’s nice to have privacy and a secluded space on a night train! There’s a mattress, a bedsheet, a cushion, a blanket and a bottle of water. This sounds simple enough, but it does take me some time to figure out how exactly I’m supposed to use the bedsheet. Should I pull it over the blanket, German style?

In the end, I just use it as a very light sleeping bag. This works so well that I believe it’s the approach intended by the train’s designers.

The cabin is nicely appointed. There’s a power outlet with an additional USB connector. A wireless charging pad. A mirror on a wooden slat on the wall – and folded down, the slat turns into the table on which I’m typing this post. Smart!

There’s also a control panel that let’s me adjust the lighting, including the color. For some unfathomable reason, it beeps on every key press. Not sure which designer thought that was a smart idea on a night train.

There’s also a generous baggage compartment hidden under the mattress, at least in the bottom cabins. Great idea, works well, but maybe, like, put a sticker somewhere indicating its existence? I’m certain that 90% of riders never discover this one.

No one thought to put a trash can in the compartment. That probably helps to reduce cleaning efforts, but it would have been practical.

Into the night

The train also turns out to have perfectly acceptable wifi. Except that the default OEBB portal tells me we’re headed to Vienna, which I sincerely hope is a mistake related to the non-functional passenger information system. No matter.

This isn’t my first night train ride. I’ve brought an ebook reader, chocolate, whiskey, and ear plugs. The cabin is cozy. So now, if you’ll excuse me; I have a book to read.

Morning report

I got a pretty good night’s sleep, actually! The ride is comfy, with the suspension smoothing out most of the bumps and irregularities in the track. The earplugs were a good idea, though.

Outside, the terrible weather in the South is long forgotten, and the sun is shining on the birch trees in their autumn colors.

Breakfast is the usual in the OEBB night trains: a couple of rolls, a tiny bit of butter, an adorable mini jar of jam, and coffee that brings to mind Umberto Eco:

“American coffee can be a pale solution served at a temperature of 100 degrees centigrade in plastic thermos cups, usually obligatory in railroad stations for purposes of genocide”

The sanitary facilities offer a bit of a puzzle. There are two toilet cabins. As far as I can tell, they’re exactly identical. Still, OEBB decided to invest in little displays on the outside that display one female icon, and one male one. Presumably the purpose is that no persons of any gender shall demean themselves by peeing the same bowl as someone with another gender before them. How this is a reasonable approach on a train, where space is at a premium, is quite beyond me.

There’s also a third cabin, even smaller than the other two. It contains just a sink, and is irresponsibly ungendered. Perfect for brushing teeth, and in case the train makes any sudden movements, one simply ends up leaning against.

Conclusion

We’ll soon arrive in Hamburg, nearly on time. I’m pretty well rested. And it’s really somewhat miraculous: Last night, I had dinner with my family, and we went about our Friday night routine. At some point, my wife drove me to the station, where I got on the train. And now I’ve travelled to the other end of the country, about 800km, and the trip has taken barely any time where I would have otherwise done other things – because I was sleeping.

So after posting this, I’ll swap my pyjama pants for jeans, quickly pack my belongings, grab a coffee and a Franzbrötchen at Hamburg main station, and then go on to my destination.

I’ve really enjoyed the ride. The new trains are definitely a big step up in terms of comfort. If you’ve been unsure whether night trains are for you, give this one a try.