Across Europe, the iconic overnight train is facing a steep and steady decline, squeezed out by the rise of budget airlines and high-speed rail. In a colourful and unconventional response, climate campaigners are taking to railway stations in their pyjamas to demand urgent investment and a reversal of the cuts.
The Pyjama Party Protests Take Hold
The latest wave of demonstrations occurred on December 12, organised by the groups Back-on-Track Europe, Stay Grounded Network, and Aterra. Nearly a dozen major stations experienced disruptions as activists held Europe-wide 'pyjama party' protests. Their core demand is better funding and support for the continent's night-train network, which they argue offers a vital, low-carbon alternative to flying.
According to the activist groups, passenger options today are more limited than in the 1970s, with many long-established routes scrapped. They blame a combination of factors: the allure of faster, cheaper air travel, a critical lack of investment, government subsidy withdrawals, and operational complexities.
Key Routes Axed as Subsidies Withdrawn
This decline has hit major services hard. Notably, the popular Nightjet routes between Paris and Vienna and Paris and Berlin, launched in December 2021 and December 2023 respectively, will be discontinued as of December 2025. Austrian national rail operator ÖBB, which runs both services, confirmed in September that the French government's withdrawal of crucial state subsidies led to the decision.
In response, the French campaign group Oui au train de nuit! held one of the first pyjama protests at Paris's Gare de l'Est on September 26. Activists, dressed in plush sleepwear, slippers, and eye masks, held signs displaying destinations like Nice, Lyon, and Hendaye to highlight lost connections. The peaceful action involved singing and engaging with travellers to promote night train travel.
This tactic has since spread. Protesters in cities including Vienna, Lisbon, and Helsinki have gathered in comfortable attire, sometimes holding 'silent discos' with headphones, to converse with passengers about destinations they would prefer to reach by sleeper train rather than plane.
A Glimmer of Hope and a Call for Connectivity
Despite a decade of cuts, there are signs of a potential turnaround. Dutch operator European Sleeper has confirmed it will take over the Paris-Berlin route, with the first service departing on March 26, 2026. It will run three times weekly, a move welcomed by campaigners as a partial victory.
However, activists insist more is needed. Their ultimate goal is a 'fully connected and accessible' European night train network to facilitate a fair reduction in air traffic. Ines Telles, an activist with Stay Grounded, stated: 'Night trains are the best alternative to flying. Aviation needs to shrink rapidly as the climate crisis worsens.'
The most recent coordinated pyjama protests across 11 European cities—including Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm, and Copenhagen—underscore a growing public campaign. They are fighting not just to save a nostalgic mode of travel, but for a practical, sustainable pillar of Europe's future transport system.
