European Sleeper has confirmed it is reviving the Paris-Berlin night train connection in 2026.
The announcement comes less than two months after French operator SNCF announced it would discontinue all Nightjet services between Paris, Vienna and Berlin.
At the time, SNCF cited financial challenges as the reason for the closure, as the French Ministry of Transport ceased its state subsidy for the night trains.
Dutch operator European Sleeper will now offer the service three times per week, with the first journey scheduled for Thursday 26 March 2026.
Departures from Paris are scheduled for Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, arriving in Berlin the following morning.
The return service from Berlin will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.
A final timetable is expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
European Sleeper plans to operate the new route via Brussels, creating a six-times weekly Brussels-Berlin service alongside its existing service between Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin and Prague.
British travellers wishing to explore Europe by rail can connect to the service via Eurostar in Brussels.
Ticket sales for the Paris-Berlin service are scheduled to open on 16 December 2025, with two travel classes available.
Prices begin from €59.99 (£53) for a one-way ticket in a shared compartment.
European Sleeper is funded via a community-based ownership model, making it less reliant on state support. Shares in the business start at €230 (£200).
In a statement, Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper, said: “We are proud to start operations on this vital European night train route, proving that an entrepreneurial approach can strengthen international train travel while helping Europe move towards more sustainable mobility,”
“We’re ready to work with ÖBB and SNCF Voyageurs to ensure a smooth transition from their current Nightjet trains to the new Paris-Berlin European Sleeper service.”
The news follows a flurry of recent announcements regarding European rail sleeper services.
This week, a new sleeper train connecting Poland with Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Munich was confirmed by Polish state rail operator PKP.
The EN Carpatia service will begin on 14 December, with tickets starting from £50.
And in April 2026, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will launch a new sleeper-train service connecting Basel to Copenhagen and Malmö.
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