Nightjet Paris Cancelled: Night Trains End Dec. 2025
Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna Nightjet services end December 14, 2025. Cause: SNCF subsidy withdrawal (€10M). Alternatives and refunds explained.
TrainsNews 
Overnight rail services between Paris and Berlin, and between Paris and Vienna, operated by ÖBB and SNCF, will be permanently withdrawn on December 14, 2025. Austrian operator ÖBB announced the decision on September 29, following SNCF's withdrawal from the partnership due to the French government ending public subsidies. The announcement marks the end of two popular routes despite strong ridership and growing interest in low-carbon overnight travel.
Updated on September 30, 2025
France's Subsidy Withdrawal: The Primary Driver
The French government has decided to end financial support for overnight trains operated in partnership with ÖBB. This subsidy, introduced after the Covid-19 pandemic to boost the economy and support long-distance rail, enabled the restart of Paris-Vienna services in 2021 and Paris-Berlin in December 2023. It covered the first two years of operation, a period deemed necessary to stabilize services and build commercial visibility.
According to French railway sources cited by International Railway Journal, the subsidy for the Paris-Berlin route amounted to €10 million per year. The figure for the Paris-Vienna service has not been officially disclosed [to be verified]. The current government is actively seeking budget savings ahead of the 2026 budget preparation, leading to the abandonment of this public support. Without this aid, SNCF deemed the operation economically unviable and withdrew from the partnership, making it impossible for ÖBB to maintain services alone.
Post-Covid Relaunch Context
Both routes were relaunched amid political ambitions to promote night trains as an ecological alternative to aviation. The Paris-Vienna connection resumed in 2021, followed by Paris-Berlin in December 2023 after a nine-year hiatus. Initial funding aimed to absorb start-up costs and offset low profitability during early operational years.
High Demand Yet Insufficient Capacity: A Cruel Paradox
The service cancellation occurs despite surging demand for night trains across Europe. ÖBB, Europe's leading night train operator, publicly stated it could fill a complete daily train on these routes, compared to only three weekly departures currently. This frequency limitation prevented meeting actual demand and constrained potential profitability.
The main obstacle lay in rolling stock shortage. Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna trains used older sleeping and couchette cars purchased from Deutsche Bahn (DB) in 2015. ÖBB had planned to cascade this older equipment to the Paris-Vienna route once 24 new next-generation Nightjet trains, currently on order from Siemens Mobility, were delivered and deployed on other connections. This cascading plan will ultimately not materialize.
Structural Challenges of Cross-Border Night Rail
Beyond subsidy withdrawal, operators faced several systemic difficulties undermining service reliability and profitability:
- Lack of European coordination: track maintenance works are not synchronized between France, Germany and Austria, regularly causing costly diversions or cancellations.
- High traction costs in Germany: track access charges (tolls) are significantly above the European average in Germany according to French sources, heavily impacting operations.
- Absence of German support: despite over 60% of the Paris-Berlin route and over 40% of the Paris-Vienna route running through German territory, Germany provides no subsidy to these services, unlike France (until now) and Austria.
- Extended suspensions: both connections were interrupted for over two months (August 12 to October 25, 2024) due to major infrastructure works in France and Germany. ÖBB explained it could not guarantee reliable service under these conditions.
These cumulative factors made operations complex and costly, even during periods of strong demand.
What Changes for Travelers: Alternatives and Solutions
Passengers who booked tickets for departures after December 14, 2025 will receive full refunds according to ÖBB's commercial policy. Travelers wishing to reach Berlin or Vienna from Paris must turn to other options.
Alternative Comparison
| Route | Mode | Duration | Frequency | Indicative price (2nd class) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris – Berlin | Direct TGV | ~8h | Daily | €89–149 |
| Paris – Berlin | TGV + ICE (via Frankfurt) | ~9–10h | Multiple | €100–180 |
| Paris – Vienna | TGV + Railjet (via Munich) | ~11–12h | Multiple | €120–220 |
| Paris – Vienna | Flight (CDG-VIE) | ~2h flight + airport time | 3–5/day | €80–250 |
The direct Paris-Berlin TGV, launched in late 2024, represents the most obvious alternative for the German capital. With an 8-hour journey, it offers a competitive daytime solution, though depriving travelers of the overnight experience and the savings of a hotel night. For Vienna, no direct daytime connection exists, requiring connections via Munich or Frankfurt with journey times exceeding 11 hours.
The Future of Nightjet: ÖBB Maintains Its European Commitment
Despite this setback, ÖBB reaffirms its position as Europe's night train leader and its commitment to network development. The Austrian company confirms maintenance of the Vienna-Brussels connection, which will continue operating three times weekly in 2026. This route also crosses Germany but benefits from better economic viability.
ÖBB continues investing in fleet modernization. The 24 next-generation Nightjet trains currently on order will increase capacity and improve comfort on existing routes (Vienna-Zurich, Vienna-Rome, Vienna-Hamburg, notably). These new trains, developed with Siemens, feature modern individual cabins, family spaces and improved accessibility for persons with reduced mobility.
The Austrian operator remains Europe's largest night train operator, with a network serving Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands from Austria.
Context and Challenges: A Symbol of European Rail's Limits
The cancellation of Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienna Nightjet services illustrates persistent challenges facing cross-border rail transport in Europe. Despite ambitions expressed by the European Union to favor trains over aviation (Green Deal, 2021 European Year of Rail), funding mechanisms remain fragmented and dependent on national policies.
The French case reveals a paradox: while the country has massively invested in high-speed daytime lines (TGV), it struggles to sustainably support night trains, despite strong appeal among customers seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. The absence of a sustainable European funding mechanism for international night connections constitutes a major barrier to this transport mode's development.
Several passenger advocacy associations and environmental organizations, including Greenvoice, have launched petitions demanding subsidy maintenance and a reversal of the decision. To date, no policy change has been announced by the French government.
