Sleeper train relaunched between Berlin and Paris

An overnight sleeper train from Berlin to Paris is available again. It is he first such service in almost a decade and was launched on December 11, 2023.

The journey takes 15 hours with tickets starting at around €30 ($32). It initially operates three times a week with the goal of running every night by October 2024.

The revived night train is result of a partnership between Germany's national railway operator Deutsche Bahn and French state railroad SNCF, with the trains themselves provided by Austrian railway ÖBB's Nightjet brand.

"The new night train connections are very well booked over the holidays," Deutsche Bahn said.

"Basically, as soon as we launch a new night train connection together with our partner railroads, there is a real boom in bookings."

Night trains making a comeback

Deutsche Bahn discontinued its Berlin-Paris night train service in 2014 with an aging fleet and a decrease in demand.

Now interest in sleeper trains is booming once again in Europe as travelers grow more aware of the environmental costs associated with air travel.

However, night trains still remain unreliably profitable and the new service was made possible with €10 million ($11 million) per year in subsidies from the French government.

Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn aims to expand its night train connections to 13 other large European cities in partnership with other operators.

zc/wd (dpa, AFP)

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