The Slow Renaissance of Europe’s Night Trains

In a striking display of determination, pajama-clad protesters recently camped out in Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Vienna, demanding better investment in Europe’s sleeper train network. Their actions highlight a growing frustration with the sluggish revival of night trains across the continent. Despite years of promises about a renaissance in overnight rail travel, progress has been painfully slow. With 2026 approaching as a pivotal year for new trains, funding decisions, and private operators, the future of Europe’s night train network hangs in the balance. While some promising developments are on the horizon, significant hurdles remain—from inconsistent government funding to aging infrastructure and coordination challenges that continue to derail the ambitious vision of a comprehensive European night train network.

At the forefront of Europe’s night train operations stands Austria’s national railway company, ÖBB, which is investing over €500 million in new Nightjet trains—more than any other European railway company. By mid-2026, they plan to have 24 completely new night trains in service, featuring modern amenities and improved comfort. However, even this ambitious plan represents a scaling back from their initial vision of a 33-train fleet, with funds being redirected to daytime services. The challenges facing ÖBB are emblematic of the broader struggles in the sector. In December, the company was forced to cut its recently launched Nightjet services from Paris to Vienna and Berlin due to subsidy reductions by the French government—routes that had only been operational since 2021 and 2023, respectively. The operator also had to suspend its Brussels-Berlin line and plans to halt night trains from Vienna to Milan and La Spezia in 2026 due to construction work. Similar funding problems have affected other routes, including the planned SBB night train from Basel to Copenhagen and Malmö, which was canceled after the Swiss Parliament withdrew funding despite tickets having already been sold. These setbacks highlight how vulnerable night train services are to changing political priorities and inconsistent government support.

The need for modernization stands as perhaps the most critical challenge for Europe’s night trains. While Austria’s new Nightjets represent the gold standard—running “so smoothly it’s a dream,” according to Poul Kattler of Back-on-Track—they remain the exception rather than the rule. Most of Europe’s night trains rely on antiquated rolling stock, with some carriages dating back to the 1950s-70s. This aging infrastructure not only affects passenger comfort but also impacts reliability, which is crucial for convincing travelers to choose overnight trains over flying. Fortunately, some countries are making significant investments in modernization. Italy’s Trenitalia has struck a €732 million deal with Czech manufacturer Škoda to bring 370 new night train coaches into service, featuring more hotel-style sleeping compartments with double beds instead of bunk beds. Similarly, the French government plans to order 180 new carriages for its internal night train services, with an option for an additional 160 carriages to serve regions poorly connected by the high-speed network. This investment will help ensure that France’s overnight trains continue running for the next two decades. However, replicating this momentum across borders remains challenging, as governments often have different priorities and funding levels, making it difficult for private operators to fill the gaps left by inconsistent public investment.

The environmental benefits of night trains present a compelling argument for increased government support. Back-on-Track estimates that a fully developed night train network could prevent up to 3% of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions by replacing short-haul flights, assuming widespread adoption on major routes. This makes night trains a relatively cost-effective tool in Europe’s green transition strategy. Moreover, public funding for night trains doesn’t necessarily need to be permanent. Once demand for a new route has been established through initial government support, private operators can often take over operations. This model is already working in some places—when state-owned SJ announced the end of its Stockholm-Berlin night service from September 2026 due to funding cuts, private operators RDC Deutschland and Snälltåget stepped in to save the route, albeit with reduced frequency. Similarly, Belgian-Dutch startup European Sleeper is set to take over ÖBB’s discontinued Paris-Berlin line in March. These examples demonstrate how public funding can reduce the risks of launching new routes in their early years, creating opportunities that the private sector can eventually sustain. However, more consistent support is needed, particularly at the EU level, where institutions like the European Investment Bank could play a crucial role in financing new rolling stock as part of Europe’s broader climate strategy.

Technical challenges further complicate the revival of Europe’s night train network. Current night trains often cannot access high-speed lines—typically the most direct routes between major cities—because their locomotive-hauled design concentrates weight on too few axles to meet the requirements of infrastructure built for lighter, articulated trains like France’s TGV. Access to these high-speed corridors would make night trains more competitive with short-haul flights, especially on routes under 1,000 kilometers. Additionally, differences in signaling systems and track sizes between countries create operational headaches for cross-border services. While a new EU-wide rail capacity regulation is being implemented to improve cross-border planning, its impact on night trains specifically remains uncertain. Track availability also presents a challenge, as night trains must compete for limited infrastructure capacity with freight services and maintenance work that typically occurs overnight. These technical barriers, combined with variable demand for newly established services, create a complex puzzle that operators must solve to make night trains viable across Europe’s fragmented rail network.

Despite these obstacles, private operators are forging ahead with new routes that offer hope for the future of European night trains. In June 2026, European Sleeper will launch a service connecting Amsterdam and Brussels to Milan, running three times weekly via Cologne, Bern, and several Italian destinations, with affordable starting prices of around €29 for seats and €80 for basic sleeper accommodations. For luxury travelers, Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express will introduce a high-end itinerary linking Paris with Italy’s Amalfi Coast, though at the considerably less accessible price point of €10,000. By 2027, new players like Berlin-based Nox Mobility plan to enter the market with sleeper trains featuring private rooms, though the fate of such ventures remains uncertain—as demonstrated by French premium night train startup Midnight Trains, which abandoned its plans in 2024 due to funding difficulties. Significant gaps in the network persist, particularly in southern and eastern Europe, where international night train services remain sparse or non-existent. As Europe approaches 2026, the future of its night train revival remains precarious, balancing precariously on the tripod of public funding, private entrepreneurship, and political will. Whether this pivotal year marks a turning point or another missed opportunity will depend on how firmly governments commit to keeping these services on track, and whether they can coordinate effectively across borders to create a truly connected European night train network that offers a viable, sustainable alternative to short-haul flights.