The Dutch cooperative European Sleeper is set to make a major play in the European rail market with a new high-capacity service from Paris to Berlin, launching in March 2026. The company is strategically targeting a capacity of 600 to 700 passengers per train by running 12 to 14 dedicated coaches. This, as co-founder Chris Engelsman points out, is a significant advantage over the outgoing Nightjet service, which had to split its 12-coach train between the Berlin and Vienna destinations, limiting the number of seats available for each.
This new service is stepping in to fill the void left by the Austrian operator ÖBB, which is cancelling its Nightjet services from Paris next month. The cancellation, attributed to the end of French subsidies, had been seen as a major blow to the night train renaissance and had even sparked protests, including a “pyjama party” at a Paris station by the group ‘Oui au train de nuit!’. European Sleeper’s move is being hailed as a “partial victory” by these campaigners.
The service is planned to run three times per week, providing a reliable and frequent connection. Departures from Paris Gare du Nord are slated for Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings, with the return journeys from Berlin (Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof) departing on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. This schedule is designed to be convenient for both leisure and business travel.
A notable change for passengers will be the new route, which is being planned via Brussels. This path, which is pending final confirmation with infrastructure managers in France, Belgium, and Germany, differs from the Nightjet’s route via Strasbourg and Frankfurt. This strategic choice will create a new overnight link between the Belgian capital and the French and German capitals.
While the capacity is high, the amenities will be focused on the essentials. European Sleeper, a company known for its “mishmash of old carriages” and “no-frills nostalgia,” will use German-rented coaches from the 1990s. In a candid admission of the economic realities of rail, Engelsman confirmed there will be no dining car at the start, as the high rental and staff costs make it “difficult to break even” on sales of meals and drinks.