Fall asleep in Berlin, wake up in Paris and save CO₂ at the same time – this has been possible since this week. For the first time in almost ten years, a night train is running between the two European capitals. If you want, you can also travel to Belgium: one half of the new night train goes to Brussels and the other half to Paris. This creates an alternative to flying on these two intra-European connections.
The connection is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) in cooperation with the Deutsche Bahn (DB), the French state railway SNCF and the Belgian NMBS/SNCB. The Austrian rail company, which has been driving night train traffic in Europe for a long time, is contributing the wagons of the so-called Nightjet. The trains are staffed and advertised by all participating railway companies. Ticket sales are also carried out by the four companies involved. Passengers will arrive at Paris Est train station. The night train will initially run three times a week between Berlin, Paris and Brussels. It is expected that the connection will be operated daily from October 2024 onwards, provided everything goes well, it was said.
In the mid-2010s, Deutsche Bahn withdrew from the night train business. At the time, the company justified the move with high investments: the vehicle material, which was partly completely outdated and neglected over the years, would have had to be renewed or completely replaced at a great cost. Experts thought the move was a mistake back then – and the pressure on the company continues to grow. Initially, the ÖBB took over many old wagons, spiced them up a bit (usually just visually) and continued to operate the night train network with increasing success. In recent years, the Austrians have continued to expand their Nightjet network.
And other rail companies have also recently entered the market: the Dutch European Sleeper started a connection between Berlin and Amsterdam this year. And the Swedish train operator SJ has been offering a night train between Hamburg and Stockholm since spring.
In addition, because of the climate crisis, a discussion arose about the extent to which fast and comfortable night train connections between European cities could replace intra-European flights and thus contribute to climate protection. That’s why the DB is now cooperating more and more with other operators on night trains. However, she has not yet used her own moves. That’s why critics don’t want to know anything about a renaissance of the night train at Deutsche Bahn for the time being.
“In the short term, that’s hardly possible,” says Dirk Flege from the Alliance for Rail interest group. “Even if DB were to decide today to re-enter the market with new vehicles – which the Pro-Rail Alliance would very much welcome – it would take at least four to five years before the offer would ultimately be on the rails.” But Flege sees a need to catch up not only at Deutsche Bahn, but also across Europe: “The new night train connection from Berlin to Paris and Brussels is the answer to the constantly growing demand from travelers,” he says. “We would also like to see attractive direct night train connections from Germany to Great Britain, Spain and southern France to make the journey even more comfortable.”
After all: With the timetable change last Sunday, another daily connection with sleeping and seated cars was put into operation on the line from Munich via Vienna and Krakow to Warsaw.
Here too, the DB cooperates with other rail operators, namely the Polish PKP, the Czech ČD and the ÖBB. On its way to Warsaw, the train stops in Rosenheim, Salzburg and Linz, among others. In December 2022, the DB said it had already expanded the Zurich-Prague night train line together with its partner railways and extended the night train from Munich-Venice/Rijeka/Zagreb/Vienna-Budapest to the start and destination station in Stuttgart.
The compartments now have their own toilets and showers
According to the company, new Nightjet trains are also running on the ÖBB routes Hamburg-Vienna and Hamburg-Innsbruck, which are intended to offer travelers more comfort. According to ÖBB, all compartments in the sleeping car are now equipped with their own toilet and shower facility. According to the information, single cabins can now also be booked in the couchette cars. According to ÖBB, the trains will also be used on other routes over the next year.
The demand for the new connection between Berlin and Paris or Brussels is high, according to the DB. “The new night train connections are very well booked over the holidays.” Only then will there be “sufficient free capacity” again. And the basic rule is: “As soon as we start a new night train connection together with our partner railways, there will be a real booking boom.”
However, the relatively high prices could be a setback for fans of the new night train between Berlin and Paris. The cheapest offer for a trip at the beginning of January currently costs just under 45 euros per person, but for a seat including reservation in second class. In the couchette cars, prices range from just under 100 euros (berth in a compartment with six couchettes) to more than 600 euros (private couchette compartment). In a sleeping car with beds, a journey costs between 165 euros for a journey in a compartment with three beds up to 475 euros for a compartment with one bed (all prices as of December 11th).
This is likely to be expensive, and not just for many families. “It’s certainly not a bargain, it’s not for people who want to travel very cheaply,” says Detlef Neuß from the Pro Bahn passenger association. The offer is aimed primarily at business travelers. “The price is not the main focus, but rather convenience and relaxed travel.” Nevertheless, the new connection is a step in the right direction, emphasizes the passenger representative. More alternatives to air travel by rail are needed.
However, mobility researchers complain that the potential of cross-border rail transport could still be expanded. Traveling by train across European borders is still complicated. For example, there is still no platform operated jointly by the European railways through which all bookings could be processed easily and conveniently.
With material from dpa.