Dutch night train operator European Sleeper will launch
services between Paris and Berlin by the end of March 2026, stepping in to
replace current Nightjet services between the cities which ÖBB and SNCF
recently announced will be terminated on 15 December.
European Sleeper plans to operate services three times per
week between the capital cities with the first departure from Paris scheduled
for Thursday 26 March. Departures from Paris are currently scheduled for Sunday,
Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with return services from Berlin running on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.
The company is currently coordinating a final timetable with
the infrastructure managers in each country and is confident of confirming a schedule in the coming weeks. Tickets for the new service are due to
go on sale from 16 December. Services will feature “the usual night train
travel classes”, with pricing “similar” to Nightjet services which cease next
month.
“We are proud to start operations on this vital European
night train route, proving that an entrepreneurial approach can strengthen
international train travel while helping Europe move towards more sustainable
mobility,” said Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper.
“We’re ready to work with ÖBB and SNCF Voyageurs to ensure a
smooth transition from their current Nightjet trains to the new Paris–Berlin
European Sleeper service.”
ÖBB and SNCF announced the termination of its services on
the route last month, blaming the withdrawal of subsidies from the
French government.
European Sleeper’s existing Good Night Train service
connects Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden and Prague three times a week
and, since launching in 2023, has carried more than 230,000 passengers.
With the new service expected to operate via Brussels, European
Sleeper will ultimately offer six services a week in total between Brussels and
Berlin.
The company is aiming to raise €1.3 million in a new funding round
starting today, followed by an additional €1 million from early December, to
cover “preparation expenses”, the acquisition of rolling stock, and “possible
initial operational losses during the start-up phase”.
In addition to the Paris-Berlin launch,
European Sleeper says it is making “strong progress” on two other potential
routes – Amsterdam/Brussels to Switzerland/Milan and a new night service to
Barcelona – and expects to confirm one of the routes “in the coming weeks”.