Europe's Night-Train Revival On 'Shaky Ground'

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Taking a night train across Europe is romantic and climate-friendly, and demand is strong. Yet the much-touted revival of overnight lines is hampered by ageing rolling stock, patchy funding and overstretched infrastructure. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Europe's night-train revival on 'shaky ground' This content was published on March 19, 2026 - 09:00 8 minutes

I am a climate and science/technology reporter. I am interested in the effects of climate change on everyday life and scientific solutions. Born in London, I am a dual citizen of Switzerland and the UK. After studying modern languages and translation, I trained as a journalist and joined swissinfo in 2006. My working languages are English, German, French and Spanish.

More from this aut English Departm

Deutsch de Das holprige Revival der Nachtzüge in Europa Read more: Das holprige Revival der Nachtzüge in E Français fr Le retour des trains de nuit en Europe sur un ((terrain instable)) Read more: Le retour des trains de nuit en Europe sur un ((terrain insta 日本語 ja 欧州の夜行列車、需要はあるのに広がらないのはなぜ? Read more: 欧州の夜行列車、需要はあるのに広がらないの Русский ru Почему (пока) не состоялся ((ренессанс)) ночных экспрессов Read more: Почему (пока) не состоялся ((ренессанс)) ночных экспр

Night trains combine nostalgia with climate-consciousness. A passenger who chooses to cross the continent in a sleeper car produces 28 times fewerExternal link emissions than someone who opts to fly. Media attention on the lines has grown, startups have emerged, and governments have talked up their green-mobility ambitions.

But despite the excitement, night train services remain scarce – especially in central and western Europe. Tickets sell out months ahead, and reliability remains in question. High costs, fluctuating subsidies, ageing fleets (some carriages are nearly 50 years old) and operational hurdles have led to route cuts. Only a handful of countries - notably Austria - and a few startups are holding the network together.

The so-called“night train revival” is uncertain, says Timo Grossenbacher, who runs the comparison platform night-ride.

“It's on shaky ground,” he adds.“There was a lot of hype about a renaissance, but the current situation doesn't show that.” Declining subsidies and shifting political support make private investment difficult, Grossenbacher argues.

New – and scaled back – night train services

So far, 2026 has seen a flurry of announcements about new train services, though the path from plan to reality isn't always assured. Dutch-Belgian operator European SleeperExternal link announced it will operate a thrice-weekly Brussels–Cologne-Zurich–Milan service from SeptemberExternal link. But Swiss authorities say the crowdfunded company must first secure a domestic rail partner to operate in the Alpine country.

Austria's national railway company ÖBB continues to dominate the night train sector in Europe, running 20 international routes and maintaining the continent's largest sleeper fleet. It aims to doubleExternal link its number of overnight passengers from 1.5 million to three million by 2030 and is investing more than €500 million (CHF451 million) in its new Nightjet fleet. Even so, only 24 of the planned 33 trains will be running by mid-‐2026.

These lines rely heavily on subsidies. In December, ÖBB and its French partner SNCF cut Nightjet services from Paris to Vienna and BerlinExternal link after France ended an annual €10 million contribution. The routes, launched only in 2021 and 2023, are“not economically viable without state subsidies,” SNCF admitted. Grossenbacher says frequent, unannounced construction works in France and Germany also caused persistent delays.

'Embarrassing' for Switzerland

Switzerland, long proud of its rail network, has also found itself in the spotlight. A planned Basel–Copenhagen–Malmö night train due in April 2026 collapsed after parliament withdrew a promise of CHF10 million a year over five years - despite tickets already being on sale and enactment of a CO2 lawExternal link supporting international night trains. The December vote was tight, with opponents arguing the money could be better spent elsewhere.

External Content

“Night trains have something appealing and romantic about them,” centre-right Radical-Liberal lawmaker Damien Cottier told Swiss public radio RTS.“But I'm not sure we should be spending CHF50 million of public money to subsidise my weekend in Copenhagen or Malmö - and that of others too.” He argues Switzerland should instead focus on high-speed links to major European cities.

Environmental groups condemned the decision as“completely incomprehensible” during a climate crisis. The NGO actif-trafiC is preparing a popular initiative to revive the project through direct democracy.

Grossenbacher calls the episode“an embarrassing chapter” for Switzerland:“The Federal Railways claims to be committed to greener travel, but their hands are tied. They must do exactly what policymakers tell them,” he says.

>>After the Swiss parliament cut funding for a Basel to Malmö night train, Swissinfo journalist Kristian Brandt tried a similar route with his daughter.

More More Climate adaptation We travelled from Switzerland to Denmark by train – the journey took 24 hours

This content was published on Mar 19, 2026 There is no direct night train from Switzerland to Denmark. We tried to reach Scandinavia by rail anyway.

Read more: We travelled from Switzerland to Denmark by train – the journey took 24

MENAFN19032026000210011054ID1110884655