The Dutch cooperative European Sleeper is making its most significant expansion to date, announcing a new flagship service between Paris and Berlin. This move places the company, which has been steadily growing since its 2023 launch, as a central player in the European night train revival. The new route, launching in March 2026, will replace the Nightjet service being cut by Austrian operator ÖBB, and will do so using 1990s-era German-rented coaches.
The choice of rolling stock is a deliberate one. Co-founder Chris Engelsman assured that these coaches are “newer” than the 1950s-era carriages used on the company’s Prague service and offer a comfort level “quite similar” to the outgoing Nightjet. This decision reflects European Sleeper’s brand of “no-frills nostalgia” and its reliance on a “mishmash” of older, refurbished carriages, which has earned it mixed reviews but a strong identity.
This new service is a direct response to the market gap created by ÖBB’s withdrawal, which was blamed on the end of French subsidies. The cancellation had sparked protests, including a “pyjama party” by the ‘Oui au train de nuit!’ group, which is now celebrating this new service as a “partial victory.” European Sleeper, which has already carried over 230,000 passengers on its other lines, is betting it can make the route work.
The service will run three times a week, with evening departures from Paris Gare du Nord on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and return trips from Berlin on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It will also feature a new route via Brussels, a strategic move to link three major capitals. The train will boast a high capacity of 600-700 passengers, thanks to 12-14 dedicated coaches.
Reflecting the economic realities of the sector, the company is managing expectations on amenities. Engelsman confirmed the service will launch without a dining car, a feature that is a significant “challenge” to profitability due to high rental and staff costs. This pragmatic approach is a hallmark of the cooperative’s strategy as it takes on one of Europe’s most iconic rail routes.
