Night Train Service Between European Capitals Gets New Lease of Life
Rail enthusiasts and environmentally conscious travelers received welcome news this week as a Belgian-Dutch cooperative stepped in to rescue the Berlin to Paris sleeper train service. The much-heralded night route, which faced discontinuation by major European railway operators, will now continue under new management starting March 2026.
From Cancellation to Revival: The Timeline
The original service had been launched with great enthusiasm in December 2023, connecting two of Europe's most important capitals through overnight rail travel. However, in a disappointing development for sustainable travel advocates, French operator SNCF and Austria's OeBB—Europe's primary night train operator—announced they would discontinue the service from mid-December 2025.
The rescue comes from European Sleeper, a cooperative founded in 2021 that currently operates a single overnight train connecting Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, and Prague three times weekly. The company announced on Wednesday that it would launch a new service between Paris and Berlin starting March 26, 2026.
Service Details and Funding Campaign
The revived connection will operate three times weekly, with departures from Paris scheduled for Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings, arriving in Berlin the following morning. Return journeys will run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, maintaining consistent service throughout the week.
To finance this expansion, European Sleeper is launching its third fundraising campaign, seeking to raise €2.3 million (approximately $2.6 million) from individuals, investors, and institutions. These funds will cover costs associated with acquiring rolling stock and offset potential initial losses during the startup phase.
The cooperative, which boasts a community of over 6,000 co-owners, has already raised €5.5 million through two previous fundraising campaigns since 2021. Interested individuals can become co-owners from as little as €280, directly participating in bringing this night train connection back to life.
Broader Context and Reactions
The original Berlin-Paris and Vienna-Paris night trains operated by SNCF, Deutsche Bahn, and OeBB are being discontinued from December 14, 2025, after the French government halted a crucial €10 million subsidy that made them economically viable.
Night trains across Europe are experiencing a resurgence, particularly among younger travelers concerned about the environmental impact of air travel. However, questions about economic viability persist, alongside the practical challenges of shared sleeping compartments that sometimes contrast with romanticized visions of overnight rail travel.
Environmental activists from France's The Climate Action Network (RAC) welcomed European Sleeper's announcement, calling it "very encouraging" for those aspiring to environmentally friendly travel. Nevertheless, they cautioned that "the development of night trains cannot rely solely on private actors" and called for continued subsidies to support sustainable rail connections.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot praised initiatives that increase service "without taxpayer money, regardless of the operator."
Tickets for the revived Berlin-Paris night train service will go on sale December 16, 2025, marking a significant victory for sustainable transportation advocates and demonstrating that with community support, even discontinued services can find new life.
