There’s good news for European night train fans who were disappointed by the impending cancellation of the Paris-Berlin Nightjet. The Dutch cooperative European Sleeper has officially announced it will be taking over the route, with its first service set to run on March 26, 2026. This move ensures that the popular connection between the French and German capitals will continue, following a period of uncertainty after ÖBB cited the end of French subsidies as its reason for pulling out.
The new service will be a robust replacement, running three times a week. Travelers can plan for evening departures from Paris Gare du Nord on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, with return journeys from Berlin on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 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 route through eastern France. This change, which is currently being finalized, 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 running its Berlin-Brussels-Prague service 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.”
