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Boarding a train in Paris in the evening and waking up in Berlin or Vienna in the early morning… It almost seemed too good to be true. In 2025, the only two international overnight routes departing from Paris were on the verge of being canceled, despite their high ridership. The Paris–Vienna route was discontinued in December 2025, with no operator stepping in to take it over to date. The Paris–Berlin route, however, was saved at the last minute by European Sleeper, which relaunched the service in March 2026. Here’s a look back at the factors that led to this crisis and what it reveals about the state of overnight rail travel in Europe.
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Updated November 12, 2025 - Plot twist, the Paris-Berlin overnight route still has a bright future ahead of it, and it's in good hands!
A few weeks after the announcement in December that the two lines would be discontinued, and as the petition from the collective Yes to the Night Train approaches the 100,000 signatures, the efforts seem to be paying off, with a new player entering the picture.
The Company European Sleeper has in fact just announced that she will be taking up the torch, with a Resumption of the Paris-Berlin overnight service in March 2026 ! Unexpected good news for European rail.
Article
Paris–Berlin night train: European Sleeper relaunches the route (and adds Hamburg)
Of course, the mobilization must continue so that the government will continue its subsidy, to support the European Sleeper teams as they resume operations, and—why not?—to help them establish themselves in the The Paris-Vienna route remains canceled to date! But this news sends a strong signal to the European rail sector.
In the meantime, to explore alternative routes to the Paris-Vienna overnight train:
Article
The Paris-Vienna overnight train no longer runs: here's how to get to Vienna by train anyway
Nothing is decided yet. While the Paris–Berlin and Paris–Vienna night trains may stop running on December 14, 2025, but the battle isn't lost yet. First of all, it's still possible that the line won't stop in December, even though every day that passes makes that scenario less likely.
“This would require an imminent decision by the French authorities, given the time needed to reserve train paths and organize the operation of the line”, explains Alexis Chailloux, head of aviation and rail at Climate Action Network.
But above all, The Department of Transportation has left the door open during a budget debate in Parliament: a budget of approximately 5 million euros might still make it possible to save the lines.
The The next two months (November–December 2025) will therefore be crucial : Budget decisions are being made right now. All the more reason to act now.
"This is the moment that will decide everything. If lawmakers restore the subsidy as part of the 2026 budget, the trains could start running again." as early as the beginning of 2026, thereby avoiding an excessively long service outage. "—Alexis Chailloux (Climate Action Network)."
Citizen engagement is more crucial than ever: as of October 23, 2025, More than 85,000 people have already signed the petition. The goal? To quickly reach the 100,000 signatures to tip the scales.
The imminent arrival of Jean Castex to Lead the SNCF (appointment confirmed by Parliament; set to take office shortly) also offers a glimmer of hope. During his parliamentary hearings, he affirmed his ambition to the resumption of night trains, and even specifically mentioned before the National Assembly on October 22 that the Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna lines would be among his “top priorities” upon taking office.
Numerous elected officials from across the political spectrum (Greens, Socialists, Renaissance, MoDem, etc.)—including Clément Beaune (former Minister of Transportation, Renaissance), Karima Delli (former chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport, EÉLV), Fabienne Keller (Renaissance MEP), Olivier Jacquin (Socialist senator from Meurthe-et-Moselle), and Louis Roquebert (chair of En Marche! Youth)—have also expressed their support for keeping both lines (See the complete list here).
Another reason for hope: in Europe, private operators are stepping in to take up the torch when governments pull back. A recent example of this is the Berlin–Stockholm overnight train, which was also set to be shut down. In the end, a private German operator, RDC Deutschland Group, decided in October 2025 to resume the route without public funding, after the Swedish government stopped providing funding.
"This example is interesting because it shows that international routes can be profitable, a point that was also made by the 2021 report by the Department of Transportation, Alexis Chailloux points out. This bodes well for the Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna routes. Nevertheless, we believe it is essential for the government to maintain its subsidies, at least to help get these routes off the ground. And that, in the long run, the European Union develop a genuine public policy in support of night trains, to strengthen the nighttime network in Europe."
Further proof that the history of night trains is never set in stone, and that Everything could still change in the coming weeks.
Just two and four years after their launch, the Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna routes are experiencing a very encouraging attendance : The trains are packed, proof that European travelers are turning out in force. But the service remains limited: only three round trips per week. The initial goal was to offer daily service. However, the consortium of traditional rail companies—represented by SNCF Voyageurs on the French section of the route—has still not found a way to make the train run daily. As a result, while there is demand, service remains inadequate.
This undercapacity contributes to a vicious cycle : too few trains, which means less visibility, less revenue, and in the end weakened profitability.
Another paradox: although SNCF Voyageurs operates these night trains within France, it doesn’t promote them, since it’s impossible to buy a ticket for the Paris–Berlin night train on the SNCF Connect app. The result? Many travelers only discover this route… after they’ve already booked their flight.
No tickets on SNCF Connect, no promotional content… “ How Can We Envision a True Economic Recovery? "night trains in France if the incumbent operator doesn't make them visible", the collective wonders Yes to the Night Train ?
Until now, the government has subsidized the launch of these night routes, which are considered strategic for decarbonizing transportation. However, citing a lack of commitment on the part of the French operator, the government is now threatening to phase out this assistance as of December 2025. A decision that would run counter to the growing demand for night trains in France.
Today, subsidizing an international night train remains an uphill battle: European rules on state aid are so restrictive that they stall projects. That is one of the reasons why there are currently so few regular cross-border connections.
Until the European Union relaxes these rules, member states will have their hands tied when it comes to providing financial support for cross-border connections.
Meanwhile, the plane continues to benefit from massive tax loopholes (no tax on jet fuel, reduced VAT, etc.) : the equivalent of 30 to 40 € in hidden subsidies per ticket.
In other words: “We’re providing massive subsidies to the most polluting mode of transportation, while cutting back on support for the greenest one,” the group points out Yes to the Night Train.
This scenario brings back sad memories. In 2015, French domestic night trains had been described as unprofitable and underutilized… before being eliminated with the government's approval.
Ten years later, the same pattern is repeating itself: being overlooked, insufficient capacity, and the threat of funding cuts. But this time, it involves the the only two European overnight routes departing from France.
For the collective Yes to the Night Train, the ball is first in SNCF Voyageurs’ court. The trains are supplied by the Austrian company ÖBB, and since this is the main expense for a night train, it keeps costs down for SNCF Voyageurs. What is the group asking for? To roll out the service that was originally promised: two daily night trains, one toward Vienna and one toward Berlin.
This would increase capacity, improve reliability, and move toward economic equilibrium. In other words, "It's a unique opportunity "for the SNCF Group to show that it believes in the future of international night trains", notes Nicolas Forien, a member of the collective.
The second lever is political. For the collective Yes to the Night Train, rather than cutting the seed grant, the government could renegotiate to expand service and ensure daily service.
More broadly speaking, this involves break with the “laissez-faire” strategy which had led to the discontinuation of domestic night trains ten years ago, and to implement a decisive policy to support the revival of international night trains.
The collective Yes to the Night Train calls on the EU to take responsibility: explicitly authorize subsidies for international night trains, at least as long as the airline industry benefits from a preferential tax regime, including, in particular, the absence of any kerosene tax on European flights.
"It's impossible to talk about fair competition when the aviation industry remains tax-exempt. " - Nicolas Forien, of the collective Yes to the Night Train
But salvation will not come solely from above. There is already massive citizen mobilization (the first petition Yes to the Night Train (has surpassed 200,000 signatures). Travelers themselves are speaking out loud and clear that they want to be able to travel across Europe by means other than air travel.
Even today, Our voices can make a difference. This pressure is essential because without it, history risks repeating itself once again. Citizen activism has already borne fruit elsewhere: it is thanks to this activism that the line Paris–Tarbes was maintained.
The Paris–Berlin and Paris–Vienna Nightjet trains should not be viewed as relics, but as the first step toward a broader European network : to Barcelona, Milan, Copenhagen, Malmö, Madrid, Venice, or Rome.
So, what should we do? If we don’t want to watch one of the most beautiful symbols of low-carbon travel in Europe fade away—yet again… Let's spread the word by signing this petition, and by responding to the call for mobilization This Friday, September 26, 2025, in Paris—Gare de l’Est at 6 p.m. (more info on the accounts Facebook and The collective's Instagram).
To understand where France stands on its own night train routes, we’ll explain everything in this article on the Climate Action Network's Overview of Night Trains in France.
And to stay up to date on the decisions that will be made in the coming weeks, feel free to subscribe to our Locomissive (All the latest news and tips on low-carbon travel, delivered to your inbox every other Thursday):
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And for an overview of the active lines in Europe, check out our A Complete Guide to Night Trains in France and Europe.
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.
