The Dutch cooperative European Sleeper is making a bold entrance into the Franco-German rail market, and its strategy is built on one word: capacity. The new Paris-Berlin service, set to launch in March 2026, will feature 12 to 14 dedicated coaches capable of carrying 600 to 700 passengers. This high-capacity model is the company’s answer to the economic challenges that doomed its predecessor, the Nightjet.
This new service is stepping in to fill the void left by the Austrian operator ÖBB, which is cancelling its Nightjet services from Paris next month. The Nightjet’s critical flaw, in this new context, was its split service. As co-founder Chris Engelsman pointed out, ÖBB’s 12-coach train had to divide its capacity between Vienna and Berlin. European Sleeper’s train, by contrast, will be entirely dedicated to Berlin, allowing for a much more efficient and high-volume operation.
The service is scheduled to commence on March 26, 2026, and will operate three times per week. The proposed schedule sees trains leaving Paris Gare du Nord on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings, with the return services from Berlin (Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof) departing on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. This consistent schedule is designed to meet the high demand on this popular route.
The train will also take a new path, traveling via Brussels instead of the Nightjet’s route through Strasbourg and Frankfurt. This strategic rerouting, pending final approvals, could tap into the significant travel market in and around the Belgian capital, further bolstering the train’s passenger numbers.
This focus on capacity and efficiency, however, comes with a trade-off. The company, known for its “no-frills nostalgia,” will be using 1990s-era German coaches. And in a candid admission of the financial pressures, Engelsman confirmed the service will launch without a dining car, as the high operational costs make it “difficult to break even” on food and drink sales.