Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna night trains: already under threat, can they still be saved?

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published on September 24, 2025

Board in Paris in the evening, wake up in Berlin or Vienna the next morning… It sounded almost too good to be true. Barely launched - and despite their popularity - the Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna international night trains are already under threat. Opened in December 2023 and December 2021 respectively, the two lines operated by ÖBB and SNCF Voyageurs could disappear or see their service reduced as early as December 2025.

The culprits, according to the citizen collective Oui au train de nuit? The French government (threatening to cut the subsidies that enabled the launch of these routes), SNCF Voyageurs (which “never really believed in the potential of international night trains”), and the European framework (which doesn’t make things any easier).

So, is this the final curtain for these symbols of Europe’s rail revival? Not necessarily. For several citizen collectives, the message is clear: Paris–Berlin and Paris–Vienna must not join the long list of abandoned night trains. Here’s why.

A Success That Isn’t Enough

Full trains… but too few of them

Barely two and four years after their launch, the Paris–Berlin and Paris–Vienna trains are enjoying strong demand: they run full, proof that European travelers are on board. But the offer remains marginal: just three round trips per week. The initial goal was daily service. Yet the consortium of historic rail operators, represented in France by SNCF Voyageurs, has still not found a way to make the trains daily. The result: high demand, but insufficient supply.

This under-capacity feeds a vicious circle: too few trains mean less visibility, less revenue, and ultimately fragile profitability.

An invisible offer for travelers

Another paradox: although SNCF Voyageurs operates these night trains in France, it doesn’t promote them. You can’t even buy a ticket for the Paris–Berlin night train on the SNCF Connect app. The result? Many travelers only discover the existence of this route… after booking their flight.

No tickets on SNCF Connect, no marketing push… “How can we imagine a real night train revival in France if the national operator doesn’t even make them visible?” asks Oui au train de nuit.

A Subsidy Under Threat

So far, the French government has subsidized the launch of these night train routes, considering them strategic for decarbonizing transport. But now, citing a lack of commitment from the French operator, it is threatening to withdraw this support as of December 2025. A decision that would run counter to the growing demand for night trains in France.

The Challenge of International Night Trains

A (too) restrictive European framework

Beyond French responsibility, there’s also Europe. Today, subsidizing an international night train is a bureaucratic nightmare: EU state aid rules are so strict they paralyze projects. That’s one of the reasons why there are so few regular cross-border routes today.

Unless Europe relaxes these rules, states will remain tied up and unable to provide financial support for such services.

A system skewed in favor of aviation

Meanwhile, aviation continues to enjoy huge tax breaks (no kerosene tax, reduced VAT, etc.) - the equivalent of €30–40 of hidden subsidies per ticket.

In other words: “we massively subsidize the most polluting mode of transport, while blocking aid for the most sustainable one,” says Oui au train de nuit.

A Story Repeating Itself?

This scenario is painfully familiar. In 2015, French domestic night trains were deemed unprofitable and poorly used… before being axed with the state’s approval.

Ten years later, the same pattern seems to be repeating: invisibility, under-capacity, looming subsidy cuts. But this time, it concerns the only two international night train routes leaving France.

Can Paris–Berlin and Paris–Vienna Night Trains Be Saved?

The key role of SNCF

For Oui au train de nuit, the ball is first in SNCF Voyageurs’ court. The carriages are provided by Austrian operator ÖBB—the main cost factor of a night train—which limits expenses for SNCF Voyageurs.

What the collective is asking for? Roll out the service originally promised: two daily night trains, one to Vienna and one to Berlin.

This would increase capacity, improve reliability, and move towards economic balance. In other words, “it’s a unique opportunity for the SNCF group to prove it believes in the future of international night trains,” stresses Nicolas Forien, a member of the collective.

The role of the French government

The second lever is political. Today, the government threatens to scrap the startup subsidy. For Oui au train de nuit, the opposite is needed: renegotiate the deal, in exchange for more seats.

More broadly, it’s about breaking with the “hands-off” strategy that led to the disappearance of French domestic night trains ten years ago, and instead pursuing a clear policy to support the revival of international services.

The European decision

The third key actor is Europe. Today, state aid for international trains remains legally murky, discouraging any initiative. The collective calls on the EU to step up: explicitly authorize subsidies for international night trains—at least for as long as aviation continues to enjoy preferential tax treatment, including the absence of any kerosene tax on intra-European flights.

“There can be no fair competition as long as aviation remains tax-exempt.”
— Nicolas Forien, Oui au train de nuit

Citizens and Collective Pressure: Our Voices Count!

But salvation won’t only come from above. Citizen mobilization is already massive (the first Oui au train de nuit petition has gathered over 200,000 signatures). Travelers themselves are saying loud and clear: they want alternatives to flying across Europe.

This pressure is crucial. Without it, history risks repeating itself once again. The Paris–Berlin and Paris–Vienna Nightjets must not be seen as relics, but as the first step in a broader European network: to Barcelona, Milan, Copenhagen, Malmö, Madrid, Venice, or Rome.

If we don’t want to watch one of the most beautiful symbols of low-carbon travel in Europe disappear once more… let’s make it known. Sign the petition, and join the collective’s call for mobilization this Friday, September 26, 2025 at Paris – Gare de l’Est at 6pm (more info on the collective’s Facebook and Instagram accounts).

And to understand the state of play on France’s own night train network, check out our article on the latest report from Réseau Action Climat.

Written by Sophie Renassia

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.