In a significant development for cross-border rail, European Sleeper has announced a new high-capacity night train service connecting Paris and Berlin, set to launch in March 2026. This move comes as a direct response to the market gap being created by the withdrawal of ÖBB’s Nightjet service. The new operator is highlighting its superior capacity as a key selling point, promising to run 12 to 14 coaches dedicated entirely to the Berlin route, accommodating 600 to 700 passengers per journey.
This strategy, as outlined by company co-founder Chris Engelsman, directly addresses a limitation of the outgoing Nightjet. The ÖBB service from Paris, which is being axed in December due to subsidy cuts, had to split its 12 coaches between two destinations, Vienna and Berlin. European Sleeper’s single-destination, high-capacity model aims to not only capture the existing market but to “extend the ridership” by offering more availability on this popular corridor.
The service is scheduled to commence on March 26, 2026, and will operate three times per week. The proposed schedule sees trains leaving Paris Gare du Nord on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings, with the return services from Berlin (Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof) departing on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. This consistent schedule is designed to meet the needs of both leisure and business travelers.
The route itself will also be different. While the Nightjet traveled via Strasbourg and Frankfurt, European Sleeper is finalizing plans to route its service through Brussels. This would create a new, major overnight link between the political centers of France, Belgium, and Germany. The final details are currently being coordinated with the infrastructure managers in all three countries.
Despite the ambitious capacity, the company is maintaining its reputation for a “no-frills nostalgia” approach. The rolling stock will be German-rented coaches from the 1990s, offering a comfort level described as similar to the Nightjet. However, passengers hoping for a hot meal in a dining car will be disappointed. Engelsman confirmed that a dining car will not be included from the start, as the high operational and staffing costs make it “difficult to break even” on food and drink sales.