European Sleeper has announced it will operate a new sleeper service from Paris to Berlin starting 26 March 2026, replacing the Nightjet service that Austrian state operator ÖBB is axing from 14 December. The Dutch cooperative will run the train three times a week, with departures from Paris Gare du Nord on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, and return services from Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The route will travel via Brussels, with precise timings and details still being confirmed with infrastructure managers in France, Belgium and Germany. European Sleeper co-founder Chris Engelsman said the company will offer higher capacity than the Nightjet, with 12 to 14 coaches carrying 600-700 passengers entirely to Berlin, compared to ÖBB's 12 coaches that split to Vienna and Berlin.
The news has been welcomed by French campaign group Oui au train de nuit!, which protested the cuts to sleeper services in September. Spokesperson Nicolas Forien called it "a partial victory" for the 91,000 people who signed their petition. European Sleeper has carried over 230,000 passengers on more than 750 night trains since its inaugural Berlin-Brussels service in May 2023.
However, the new service will not include a dining car from the start. Engelsman explained that profitability is a challenge due to high rental and staff costs, and the company would need specific coaches for a dining car. The coaches for the new route, rented from Germany, were built in the 1990s and offer similar comfort to the current Nightjet.
Prices for a couchette compartment will start from €59 or €69, with tickets available from 16 December 2025.
