Night train services connecting Paris with Vienna and Berlin will be discontinued in December following the withdrawal of funding by the French government, state-owned rail operator SNCF announced this week.
The NightJet services, launched in 2023 in partnership with Austria’s ÖBB, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, and Belgium’s SNCB, will no longer be offered as of December 14, 2025.
In a statement, SNCF said, “operating night trains is indeed a huge economic challenge” and that its commitment to the cross-border project was “conditional” on government support.
Even with an average occupancy rate of 70 per cent, according to SNCF, the French rail operator stressed the night services “are not economically viable without state subsidies”.
“Even with very high traffic assumptions, economic equilibrium is not achievable, particularly given the level of production costs. While a seat on an airplane can be sold up to five times a day and a seat on a day train up to four times, a seat on a night train can only be sold once a day,” SNCF said.
The statement continued: “In addition, the personnel costs are higher on night trains (more service staff are needed, more cabin crew due to border crossings, and the cost of night services is higher). Long journeys incur costs related to accessing infrastructure in several countries and high energy costs.”
In response, ÖBB issued a statement expressing regret over the decision. However, the company confirmed the Vienna–Brussels Nightjet service will continue to operate three times weekly through 2026.