The vital night train connection between Paris and Berlin has been secured, following a period of intense uncertainty. The Dutch cooperative European Sleeper has announced it will launch a new service on the route starting March 26, 2026. This development comes as a welcome relief after the Austrian state operator ÖBB announced it would be axing its Nightjet service on the same route from December, a move that prompted protests from rail advocates.
The new service will be a robust replacement, running three times a week. Departures from Paris Gare du Nord are planned for Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings, with return journeys from Berlin on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This schedule offers a reliable and convenient option for sustainable travel between the two major cities.
European Sleeper is also making some strategic changes. The train will be routed via Brussels, a new path that differs from the Nightjet’s. This strategic move, pending final confirmation, will create a new sleeper link for the Belgian capital. Furthermore, the company is promising a much higher capacity of 600-700 passengers, thanks to 12-14 dedicated coaches.
This announcement was hailed as a “partial victory” by French campaigners from ‘Oui au train de nuit!’. This group had staged a “pyjama party” protest and gathered 91,000 signatures to fight the Nightjet’s cancellation, and their efforts have highlighted the strong public demand for such services.
The company, which has been operating since 2023, is known for its “no-frills nostalgia” approach. The new route will use 1990s-era German coaches, which are an upgrade on some of their older stock. However, in a candid admission of the financial challenges, co-founder Chris Engelsman confirmed there will be no dining car at launch, as the high costs make it “difficult to break even.”
