US EditionPopular European Night Trains Under Threat of Cancellation
French government plans to end subsidies for night trains despite 66,000 passengers in 2024, citing unprofitability and EU rules favoring air travel financing.
- Soon, OuiTdN warned that European night trains departing Paris may soon be cut, with Paris‑Berlin and Paris‑Vienna night trains having reached the end of the line.
- The French government is allegedly threatening to withdraw subsidies because SNCF’s night trains run only three return trips a week and lack profitability.
- Rolling-Stock limits allow one use every 24 hours versus more than four for a TGV high-speed train, while night trains have fewer seats and higher operating costs for rail operators.
- OuiTdN is petitioning Jean‑Pierre Farandou, president of SNCF, and Emmanuel Macron to save services after Nightjet carried over 66,000 passengers in 2024, asking for two daily trains.
- Campaigners say the European Union promotes `unfair competition with air travel`, complicating financing even as Paris‑Berlin and Paris‑Vienna routes were relaunched years ago to revive green travel.
14 Articles
14 Articles
In 2023, the night trains between Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienne had been presented as a virtuous alternative to the plane. They were supposed to offer more eco-friendly European routes. But these lines could disappear at the end of the year. On the one hand, the comfort of the cars did not really seduce the passengers. The latter also find the price of the beds high. On the other hand, the SNCF no longer sells its tickets. Moreover, the French S…
The Paris-Berlin and Paris-Vienne night trains, passing through Strasbourg, could be abolished in December 2025. Associations and elected representatives, including Jeanne Barseghian, Mayor of Strasbourg, denounce this project.
The night train between Paris and Berlin threatens the end: because of the lack of financial support from France, the signal for the connection could already jump to red in December.
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der Standard DEFrance withdraws financial aid for train connections
According to a media report, the French government is planning to cancel night trains, which are not profitable – and the country is wrestling around the budget.
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