At 18:03 on Thursday, 26 March 2026, the first night train connecting Paris-Berlin operated by European Sleeper left the station at Gare du Nord in Paris. This marks European Sleeper’s second line after its Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin-Prague line, and a partial replacement for the Paris-Berlin-Wien line which was cancelled in December 2025.
The connection will stop in Bruxelles, and from July 13th, also in Hamburg. The line uses refurbished second-hand sleeping and couchette carriages from the 1990s, leased from RDC Deutschland and a brand-new leased locomotive. Prices start at 40 euros for a seat, 60 euros for a couchette, and a compartment from 210 euros. Due to current rolling stock availability limitations, the service will initially operate three times weekly in each direction. Trains depart from Paris on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and from Berlin on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
The inaugural reception in Paris brought together partners, policymakers, and supporters of night train travel—including the Belgian ambassador who fondly shared that he worked on night trains during his student days. He also offered to help as a night steward if European Sleeper should be short-staffed!
This route fills a connectivity gap created in mid-December 2025 when the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) discontinued its Paris-Berlin service. The previous line, operated in cooperation with SNCF and DB, was halted following the withdrawal of state subsidies by the French government. The move was met with negative reactions, triggering protests in Wien and Paris that coincided with the International Pyjama Party for Night Trains, an event co-hosted by ATERRA, Back-on-Track Europe, and Stay Grounded, drawing around 200 people across 13 cities.
The new European Sleeper Berlin-Paris connection still leaves Vienna disconnected. On the occasion of the first run of the new Paris-Berlin night train, the collective Ja Zum Nachtzug, the Austrian group of Back-on-Track, organised a demonstration at Wien Hauptbahnhof. Around 20 participants, including French and Austrian lawmakers, called for the reinstatement of the discontinued Paris-Wien connection, which has not yet been taken over by private operators.
A demonstration also took place in Paris at the same time. There, approximately 20 participants welcomed the new Paris-Berlin connection, but also criticised the withdrawal of the French government, which has cut subsidies for international night train services. The collective interprets this as a lack of political will—especially given that air travel continues to be subsidised at the same time.
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