Will 2026 be the year Europe’s night trains finally take off?

A European night train renaissance has long been teased, but in reality, it has been slow to materialise.

In December, pyjama-wearing protestors camped out in Amsterdam, Lisbon and Vienna to demand better investment in Europe’s sleeper train network.

With 2026 looming as a make-or-break year for new trains, funding decisions and private operators, will their wishes be granted? Here’s a rundown of where Europe’s night train network stands.

New trains, old problems: What’s holding Europe’s night trains back?

Austria’s national railway company, ÖBB, is the largest international night train operator in Europe.

In 2026, the company will continue investing in its new-generationsleeper trains, which it unveiled to much fanfare in 2023.

“ÖBB is investing over €500 million in new Nightjet trains – more than any other railway company in Europe,” spokesperson Bernhard Rieder tells Euronews Travel.

“A total of 24 completely new night trains will be in service by mid-2026,” he adds.

Though impressive, this is scaled back from its initial plans for a 33-train fleet, with funds redirected into daytime services – potentially limiting the pace at which new night routes can be launched.

This cutback reflects the challenges faced by ÖBB in recent months. In December, it was forced to slash its Nightjet sleeper train service from Paris to Vienna and Berlin due to subsidy cuts by the French government. The two routes had only been in operation since 2021 and 2023, respectively.

It followed the suspension of the operator’s Brussels-Berlin line back in March, mainly due to engineering work in Germany.

The company has also been forced to suspend night trains from Vienna to Milan and to and from the port city of La Spezia in 2026 due to construction work. The latter route launched in December 2022, providing a direct overnight connection from Austria and Germany to the Italian Riviera.

These obstacles aren’t unique to ÖBB. Funding problems have plagued other European routes and operators, including the planned SBB night train from Basel to Copenhagen and Malmö. Initially scheduled to launch in April 2026, it was cancelled after the Swiss Parliament withdrew its funding – despite tickets already having gone on sale.

The decision came despite Switzerland’s otherwise strong track record of investing heavily in rail infrastructure and long-distance passenger services.

Track availability, differences in signalling systems and track sizes between countries, and variable demand for newly established services are among the other issues stalling cross-border night trains.

A new EU-wide rail capacity regulation, currently being rolled out, is intended to improve cross-border planning – though campaigners say its impact on night trains remains to be seen.

Modernising Europe’s night trains

New trains like Austria’s Nightjets are what’s needed to drive demand for Europe’s sleeper services, says Poul Kattler, founding member and activist at Back-on-Track, a volunteer network campaigning for better cross-border passenger trains in Europe.

“The Austrians’ cars are running so smoothly – it’s a dream,” he tells Euronews Travel. But they are the exception: most of Europe’s other night trains rely on old rolling stock – carriages that often date back to the 1950s-70s.

Beyond comfort, campaigners say reliability, border checks and staffing levels also play a role in whether passengers choose overnight trains over flying.

“We are really longing to see solutions that are more modern and may attract a larger audience to travel by train.”

In some countries, this is slowly becoming a reality. A €732 million deal struck between Italy’s Trenitalia and Czech manufacturer Škoda in 2023 is set to bring 370 new night train coaches in the years ahead.

“They are introducing more ‘hotel-style’ sleeping compartments, with double beds instead of bunk beds,” says Poul.

France, too, is investing heavily in its national night train network.

“We are very excited that the French government is planning to place an order for 180 new carriages for internal services,” says Quentin Marsal of Oui au train de nuit (Yes to the Night Train), a volunteer collective campaigning for the revival and improvement of France’s Intercités de Nuit (ICN) overnight trains.

“This order will guarantee that night train services in France will keep running for the coming 20 years.”

It includes an option to purchase an additional 160 carriages, which would allow for new services in regions that are currently poorly connected by the high-speed network, he adds.

Replicating this momentum across borders is difficult, however. Governments aren’t always on the same page when it comes to policy and funding, leading to cuts like those in Switzerland and France.

It’s not easy for private operators to pick up the slack – expensive equipment and the need to reapply for track capacity each year make for a shaky investment proposal, forcing them to use old rolling stock.

A ‘cheap’ way to green Europe’s transport

This means the future of Europe’s night trains rests heavily on unreliable financial input from governments. While public enthusiasm for night trains is growing, operators say demand can still be uneven outside of peak seasons, making long-term planning difficult.

Yet it’s taxpayer money well spent – not only for mobility but for the green transition – Back-on-Track argues.

A fully developed night train network could prevent up to 3 per cent of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions by replacing flights, the organisation estimates – assuming widespread uptake on major short-haul routes.

And night trains don’t have to be propped up by government funding forever. Once demand for a new route has been established, it can act as a launchpad – allowing private operators to eventually take the reins.

In Sweden, for example, funding for the Stockholm-Berlin route has been withdrawn, forcing state-owned SJ to end its nightly service from September 2026.

While the withdrawal has been criticised, it has also revealed how state support can help reduce the risk of launching new routes in their early years.

“Instead of always crying about the situation, I think we should look on the bright side,” says Poul, explaining that private operators RDC Deutschland and Snälltåget have swooped in to save the route, albeit with an every-other-night service.

This proves the value of introducing a line to the market using taxpayer money, says Poul, as it is “quite a cheap way” of reducing emissions from aviation, and can be passed on to private operators once it has become established.

Similarly, ÖBB’s Paris-Berlin line is set to be taken up by Belgian-Dutch start-up European Sleeper in March.

More support is needed though – especially at the EU level.

“The European Investment Bank could simply invest in rolling stock, including sleeping cars,” as part of its climate financing strategy, suggests Poul, who believes this could become a reality in 2026.

Newer trains might also be able to overcome another major setback for Europe’s sleeper network: access to high-speed lines, which are often the most direct routes between major cities.

Currently, the older night trains in operation have a locomotive-hauled design that concentrates weight on too few axles to run on infrastructure built for lighter, articulated trains like SNCF’s TGV.

Access to high-speed lines would also make night trains more competitive with short-haul flights, particularly on routes under 1,000 kilometres.

New European night trains launching in 2026

Despite the challenges, private night train operators are forging ahead with new routes.

This June, European Sleeper will connect Amsterdam and Brussels to Milan. The service is set to run three times per week via Cologne, Bern, Brig, and Stresa on Italy’s Lake Maggiore, with seats starting from around €29 and basic sleeper tickets from roughly €80.

Feeding train lovers’ appetite for luxury, Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express will bring a higher-end Italian itinerary to the market in May, linking Paris with the Amalfi Coast overnight. An additional two-night hotel stay will be included as part of the ‘Villeggiatura by Train’ package, which costs a far less accessible €10,000.

By 2027, new players could enter the market – like Berlin-based startup Nox Mobility, which has announced plans to launch sleeper trains with private rooms. Whether it will materialise, only time will tell. French premium night train start-up, Midnight Trains, was forced to abandon its dream in 2024 due to difficulties securing funding.

Large gaps remain, however, particularly in southern and eastern Europe, where international night train services are still sparse or non-existent.

For now, Europe’s night train revival remains shaky – balancing on public funding, private ambition and political will. Whether 2026 marks a turning point or another missed opportunity will depend on how firmly governments commit to keeping sleeper trains on track.