Success for night train alliance: first Nightjet connects Berlin, Brussels and Paris

Now passengers can enjoy relaxed overnight travel to major European cities while saving on hotel accommodation. Starting today, the night train alliance of DB, ÖBB, NMBS/SNCB and SNCF is offering night train service from Berlin to Brussels and Paris.

The Nightjet (NJ) runs three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The trains return from Paris and Brussels to Berlin on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The first NJ was seen off on its trip from Berlin this evening by the German, Belgian, French and Austrian transport ministers and the CEOs of the four participating rail companies.

The new service is the latest milestone in a successful partnership between the European railways, which in 2020 had set themselves the goal of establishing environmentally friendly night train connections.

Dr Volker Wissing, German Federal Minister for Digital and Transport: "Today is a good day for all passengers and commuters who will benefit from the new rail services between the European capitals. This new product has been made possible thanks to the close cooperation of all the parties involved, who have created a true night train alliance and, in doing so, are supporting us in implementing our TEE 2.0 concept by providing specific offers for passengers. I fully believe that we need more team playing like this within Europe‘s railways in order to make rail even more appealing than competing modes of transport. The Austrian, French, Belgian and German railway companies, with their night train alliance, have shown us how this can be done.”

Manja Schreiner, Berlin senator for Urban Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and Environment: “Three great European capitals – Berlin, Brussels and Paris –from now on have a convenient and climate-friendly connection. This will be an important step towards carbon neutrality for our city, because rail travel's per-passenger greenhouse gas emissions are only one-sixth of those caused by air travel.
Travelling by night train isn't just good for the environment, it's also much more relaxing. I wish many passengers for this route to Brussels and Paris. I also hope that the passenger numbers will soon lead to night trains from Berlin to other major European cities, and that Berlin will receive many very well-rested visitors.”

Leonore Gewessler, Austrian Federal Minister for Mobility: "Rail travel is climate protection, especially with the night train, which also makes travelling practical and convenient. Passengers can board a train in the evening and wake up refreshed the next morning in another European capital. With the new Nightjet connections, we’re bringing major European cities closer together and making climate-friendly travel in Europe even easier. I'm convinced that this is the future of mobility for us. Short- and medium-haul routes in Europe belong to rail."

Georges Gilkinet, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mobility: "Trains make us dream, and the launch of the new Brussels–Berlin Nightjet takes us from dream to reality. The service is developing step by step. In fact, the Belgian government is directly influencing the service's development from Belgium thanks to financial aid granted to any night train operator calling at our flat country. No means of transport is more climate-friendly than trains, so as Minister for Mobility, I'm delighted to see this train in our stations."

Clément Beaune, French Minister for Transport: "It's possible to fall asleep in Paris and wake up in Berlin! It is the culmination of a commitment that I have carried for 3 years. A high point for Europe and ecology. This train is the image of European cooperation that responds to the climate emergency and the need to connect peoples. This line completes a range of French night trains in France, with 10 lines gradually reopened. Our ambition is great: in France and in Europe, we will open other lines throughout this decade, we will buy and renovate night trains. The night train is no longer a symbol of the past, it is the image of the future.”

Dr Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn AG: "With our partners, we have set ourselves the goal of making rail travel even more attractive for our customers in Europe. The night train stands for climate-friendly travel and an integrated Europe without borders, which we also stand for with our Strong Rail strategy. At DB, we're proud to be part of the European night train alliance."

Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB: "With the new international Nightjet routes, we're continuing the systematic expansion of our night train business and underscoring our position as a leading provider of night train travel. The ÖBB Nightjet is already a symbol of a united Europe. Now this partnership between four European railway companies is providing a new service from Berlin to Paris and from Berlin to Brussels with appealing and climate-friendly overnight connections."

Sophie Dutordoir, CEO of NMBS/SNCB: "Ever since Georges Nagelmackers founded the legendary Compagnie des Wagons-Lits, night trains have played a crucial role in Belgian rail history. And Belgium has always been at the heart of the European rail network because of its geographical position. So when ÖBB relaunched night trains in early 2020, SNCB was eager to join the initiative to add more European cities to Brussels’ long-haul network with both day and night routes. SNCB provides maintenance services and train staff on the Belgian legs of the journeys, and it sells tickets via its own sales channels."

Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs: "We're proud of this new night train service, which strengthens our European rail network. After the successful launch of the Paris–Vienna route, which has enough customers, the Paris–Berlin route is another strong symbol of the revival of night trains, made possible with funding from the French Government.
Europe has played an important role in the history and activities of SNCF Voyageurs. I would like to thank our partners for their cooperation over the past two years in launching this route to Berlin. ÖBB, DB, SNCB and SNCF Voyageurs have joined forces for a shared goal: the expansion of rail links in Europe."

Also new since the 10 December 2023 timetable change is daily service with sleeping cars and seated coaches on the Munich–Vienna–Warsaw line. In December 2022, the partners added the Zurich–Prague night train line and extended the Munich–Venice/Rijeka/Zagreb/Vienna–Budapest night train by adding Stuttgart as a departure and destination station.

By steadily growing its selection of night trains, the alliance is making an important contribution to achieving the EU climate targets agreed in the Green Deal.

Tickets for the night train connections from Berlin to Brussels and Paris are available from EUR 34.90 per person and route for seated coach, from EUR 49.90 for couchette coach, and from EUR 79.90 for sleeping car. Nightjet and EuroNight tickets are available at all DB Travel Centres and agencies, and from bahn.de and the DB Navigator app. For more information on night train offers, visit bahn.de/nighttrain or nightjet.com.

Note for the media:

Photos of the event will be available starting at 9:30 pm in the DB Media Centre at https://mediathek.deutschebahn.com/marsDB/ko/de/7455460