The Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna night trains will stop running from 14 December 2025. This was confirmed yesterday by the Austrian operator ÖBB, which, together with SNCF, is responsible for providing this service. A few days ago, we reported on this possibility, which eventually could not be avoided.
The suspension is due to the withdrawal of the French state subsidies that allowed it to operate. The withdrawal is due to SNCF’s lack of commitment to promoting the service and for failing to meet the objective of a daily return train.
Both services, operated in consortium by SNCF Voyageurs and ÖBB, were launched in 2021 and 2023 with the aim of reviving the night train as an alternative to air travel. Despite high occupancy levels, they never achieved profitability, with only three weekly frequencies and very limited promotion in France.
Citizens’ groups and platforms such as Oui au train de nuit denounce that the withdrawal of state support contradicts European climate objectives and demand that public aid be maintained and renegotiated.
They are also calling for SNCF to increase the frequencies it has committed to and for the European Union to relax the rules on cross-border financing in the face of aviation’s tax advantages.
Meanwhile, the Austrian Nightjet network will continue to expand in Europe, with new routes and destinations such as Vienna-Amsterdam, Munich-Rome or Vienna-Brussels, the latter continuing with three weekly rotations in 2026.