A new dawn is breaking for the embattled European sleeper train network. After the disheartening news that ÖBB’s Nightjet would abandon its Paris-Berlin route in December, the Dutch firm European Sleeper has announced it will relaunch the service in 2026. This move breathes new life into a key artery of European travel, ensuring the French and German capitals remain connected by night. The first train is scheduled to run on March 26, 2026, offering a sustainable and relaxing alternative to air travel.
The new service will be a high-capacity operation, running three times per week. Travelers can expect departures from Paris Gare du Nord on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings, with return journeys from Berlin (Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This schedule is designed to cater to both weekend adventurers and mid-week commuters, demonstrating a strong commitment to the route’s viability.
One of the most significant changes will be the train’s path. European Sleeper is planning to route the service via Brussels, a major shift from the Nightjet’s current journey through Strasbourg and Frankfurt. This new routing, which is being finalized with the infrastructure managers of all three countries, will create a powerful new link between the political hearts of France, Belgium, and Germany.
This development has been celebrated by rail advocates who had fiercely protested the Nightjet’s cancellation. The French group ‘Oui au train de nuit!’ gathered 91,000 signatures and held a “pyjama party” protest, and they are claiming this new service as a “partial victory.” It affirms their position that there is a strong public and commercial appetite for night trains, even in the face of shifting government subsidies.
European Sleeper’s co-founder, Chris Engelsman, is confident the service will be a success, pointing to its superior capacity. By running 12-14 coaches solely for Berlin, as opposed to the Nightjet’s split service, the train can carry 600-700 passengers. However, he also managed expectations, confirming the use of 1990s-era coaches and the absence of a dining car at launch. The high costs of food service, he explained, make it a significant profitability “challenge” for the burgeoning company.