The Dutch-Belgian private rail operator European Sleeper will launch a new overnight train service between Paris and Berlin from 26 March, filling the gap left by the Austrian rail company ÖBB.
ÖBB recently announced plans to discontinue its Paris-Berlin connection in mid-December, along with the Paris–Vienna route, citing the planned withdrawal of French government subsidies by 2026.
European Sleeper co-founder Chris Engelsman confirmed the decision on Wednesday, saying that ticket sales will open on 16 December. The service will operate three times per week.
The rail authorities are still finalising the exact route and stopping points, but the trains are expected to stop at Brussels, giving travellers from the Belgian capital six weekly options to board sleeper trains to Berlin.
European Sleeper already runs a Brussels-Berlin overnight service to Prague via Amsterdam. However, Engelsman said that the new Paris-Berlin service will not pass through Amsterdam.
The company also plans to expand further next year, with potential new sleeper routes to Barcelona or Milan.
