After a break of several years, Deutsche Bahn (DB), together with the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and the railway companies from Belgium and France, has resumed the direct night train connection from Berlin to Paris and Brussels.
The return of this route marks an important step towards more environmentally friendly and comfortable travel options in Europe and is part of the Europe-wide efforts to establish night trains as an alternative to air travel. The first journey took place recently in the presence of prominent personalities such as DB CEO Richard Lutz and Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) and was celebrated as an important contribution to the transport transition.
Details of the new night train connection
The night train connection, which has been available since October 2024, will initially depart from Berlin three times a week and reach both the Belgian capital Brussels and the French capital Paris overnight. Daily departures are planned from October 2024. The "Nightjet", as DB and ÖBB call the new connection, departs in one train and splits up during the journey. One part of the train goes to Paris, the other to Brussels. This structure makes it possible to travel to both important European metropolises with one train and offer passengers from Berlin a direct, environmentally friendly connection.
The resumption of this route is being carried out in cooperation with SNCF, the French railway company, and NMBS/SNCB, the Belgian railway companies. According to DB, there is already high demand for the tickets, especially during the holidays. According to DB, the high demand for the new connection is a sign of the growing attractiveness of night train travel as a climate-friendly alternative to short-haul flights.
background of the development
Deutsche Bahn discontinued its night train services in 2014 due to a lack of demand and economic difficulties. The high maintenance effort and costs led DB to focus on other train services. But in recent years, demand for environmentally friendly travel options has increased. Awareness of the climate crisis and pressure to reduce environmentally harmful emissions are contributing to the return of night train services. At a time when the climate debate and the role of air travel are increasingly becoming part of the public debate, travelers are increasingly seeing the night train as a good alternative.
During this time, the ÖBB introduced the Nightjet concept in Europe and successfully took over some of the DB's former night train connections. The Nightjet concept has proven itself and is one of the ÖBB's most popular offers, especially between Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) is also participating in the form of an expanded offer that aims to connect up to 13 major European cities with a night train network.
Comfort and equipment of the new trains
The new night trains are more comfortable than their predecessors and are designed to give passengers the feeling of a "floating hotel". The newer ÖBB sleeping and couchette cars have been extensively modernized and now offer their own toilets and showers in the sleeping compartments, which is a major improvement, especially for longer journeys. The seated and couchette cars have also been optimized and are designed to maximize privacy and comfort for passengers. The train offers a total of 254 seats, with the sleeping cars having compartments with two beds and the couchette cars having compartments with four beds.
This increased level of comfort is already being tested on the connections from Vienna to Hamburg and from Innsbruck to Hamburg and will also be used on the new Berlin-Paris-Brussels route. The aim of the operators is to use these comfortable offers to establish the night train as a comfortable and sustainable alternative to flying.
The Future of Night Trains in Europe
The revival of night train services is seen as part of the European transport transition, in which sustainable means of transport are specifically promoted. In view of the increasing demand, DB is striving to further expand the night train network together with European partners. In the coming years, more cities are to be connected with night trains in order to meet the increasing interest and climate goals.
The planned connections include cities such as Zurich, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Rome, which should offer not only tourists but also business travelers an attractive alternative to short-haul flights. Deutsche Bahn is committed to establishing night train services as a permanent part of the European mobility network in the coming years, offering travelers the opportunity to reach their destination overnight in comfort and with low emissions.