The experience of traveling by night from Paris to Berlin is being reimagined. Starting in March 2026, the Dutch cooperative European Sleeper will take over the route, bringing its unique “no-frills nostalgia” vibe to one of Europe’s key corridors. This new service replaces the ÖBB Nightjet, which is being axed in December, and will feature a new route via Brussels and a significantly higher passenger capacity.
The first train is set to run on March 26, 2026, operating three times a week. Departures from Paris Gare du Nord are planned for Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings, with return trips from Berlin on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This new service has been hailed as a “partial victory” by French rail advocates who had protested the Nightjet’s cancellation.
European Sleeper’s co-founder, Chris Engelsman, is promising a 600-700 passenger capacity, thanks to 12-14 dedicated coaches. This is a major increase from the Nightjet, which had to split its train between Berlin and Vienna. This high-capacity model is key to the company’s plan to “extend the ridership” and prove the route’s commercial viability without the subsidies the Nightjet relied on.
The new route via Brussels is a strategic move, creating a new link for the Belgian capital, and is currently being finalized. This is a departure from the Nightjet’s path through Strasbourg and Frankfurt. Passengers on the new service can expect 1990s-era German coaches, which are described as a comfort-level match for the Nightjet and an upgrade on European Sleeper’s older stock.
However, the “new vibe” also includes a pragmatic approach to amenities. Engelsman has confirmed the service will launch without a dining car. The high rental and staffing costs associated with onboard dining make it a “challenge” to profitability, a common reality that defines the “no-frills” (but still romantic) experience of this new wave of sleeper trains.