diff --git a/powersimdata/input/converter/pypsa_to_grid.py b/powersimdata/input/converter/pypsa_to_grid.py
index ad8423c5c..a9f0eecac 100644
--- a/powersimdata/input/converter/pypsa_to_grid.py
+++ b/powersimdata/input/converter/pypsa_to_grid.py
@@ -172,7 +172,6 @@ def _read_network(self, n, add_pypsa_cols=True):
         # Read in data from PyPSA
         bus_pypsa = n.buses
         sub_pypsa = pd.DataFrame()
-        bus2sub_pypsa = pd.DataFrame()
         gencost_cols = ["start_up_cost", "shut_down_cost", "marginal_cost"]
         gencost_pypsa = n.generators[gencost_cols]
         plant_pypsa = n.generators.drop(gencost_cols, axis=1)
@@ -207,37 +206,48 @@ def _read_network(self, n, add_pypsa_cols=True):
 
         # substations
         # only relevant if the PyPSA network was originally created from PSD
+        sub_cols = ["name", "interconnect_sub_id", "lat", "lon", "interconnect"]
+        sub_pypsa_cols = [
+            "y",
+            "x",
+        ]
         if "is_substation" in bus:
-            sub_cols = ["name", "interconnect_sub_id", "lat", "lon", "interconnect"]
             sub = bus[bus.is_substation][sub_cols]
             sub.index = sub[sub.index.str.startswith("sub")].index.str[3:]
-            sub_pypsa_cols = [
-                "name",
-                "interconnect_sub_id",
-                "y",
-                "x",
-                "interconnect",
-            ]
             sub_pypsa = bus_pypsa[bus_pypsa.is_substation][sub_pypsa_cols]
-            sub_pypsa.index = sub_pypsa[
-                sub_pypsa.index.str.startswith("sub")
-            ].index.str[3:]
+            sub_pypsa.index = sub.index
 
             bus = bus[~bus.is_substation]
             bus_pypsa = bus_pypsa[~bus_pypsa.is_substation]
 
             bus2sub = bus[["substation", "interconnect"]].copy()
             bus2sub["sub_id"] = pd.to_numeric(
-                bus2sub.pop("substation").str[3:], errors="ignore"
-            )
-            bus2sub_pypsa = bus_pypsa[["substation", "interconnect"]].copy()
-            bus2sub_pypsa["sub_id"] = pd.to_numeric(
-                bus2sub_pypsa.pop("substation").str[3:], errors="ignore"
+                bus2sub.pop("substation").str[3:], errors="coerce"
             )
         else:
-            warnings.warn("Substations could not be parsed.")
-            sub = pd.DataFrame()
-            bus2sub = pd.DataFrame()
+            # try to parse typical pypsa-eur(-sec) pattern for substations
+            sub_pattern = "[A-Z][A-Z]\d+\s\d+$"
+
+            sub = bus[bus.index.str.match(sub_pattern)].reindex(columns=sub_cols)
+            sub["interconnect"] = np.nan
+            sub["sub_id"] = sub.index
+            sub_pypsa = bus_pypsa[bus_pypsa.index.str.match(sub_pattern)][
+                sub_pypsa_cols
+            ]
+
+            sub_pattern = "([A-Z][A-Z]\d+\s\d+).*"
+            bus2sub = pd.DataFrame(
+                {
+                    "sub_id": bus.index.str.extract(sub_pattern)[0].values,
+                    "interconnect": np.nan,
+                },
+                index=bus.index,
+            )
+
+            if sub.empty and bus2sub.empty:
+                warnings.warn("Substations could not be parsed.")
+                sub = pd.DataFrame()
+                bus2sub = pd.DataFrame()
 
         # shunts
         # append PyPSA's shunts information to PSD's buses data frame on columns
@@ -332,7 +342,7 @@ def _read_network(self, n, add_pypsa_cols=True):
         values = [
             (bus, bus_pypsa, grid_const.col_name_bus),
             (sub, sub_pypsa, grid_const.col_name_sub),
-            (bus2sub, bus2sub_pypsa, grid_const.col_name_bus2sub),
+            (bus2sub, None, grid_const.col_name_bus2sub),
             (plant, plant_pypsa, grid_const.col_name_plant),
             (gencost, gencost_pypsa, grid_const.col_name_gencost),
             (branch, branch_pypsa, grid_const.col_name_branch),
@@ -367,7 +377,7 @@ def _read_network(self, n, add_pypsa_cols=True):
             df_psd = df_psd.reindex(const_location, axis="columns")
 
             # Add renamed PyPSA columns
-            if add_pypsa_cols:
+            if add_pypsa_cols and df_pypsa is not None:
                 df_pypsa = df_pypsa.add_prefix("pypsa_")
 
                 df_psd = pd.concat([df_psd, df_pypsa], axis=1)