The Revival of Night Trains in Europe: Activists Demand Expansion Amid Economic Challenges

A Continent-Wide Push for Sleeper Trains

Across 12 European capitals, activists in plush pajamas and sleep masks have taken to train station platforms with a unified demand: bring back the night train. From Lisbon to Helsinki, including major hubs like Amsterdam Centraal and Berlin Hauptbahnhof, rail enthusiasts are advocating for sustainable, long-distance travel, even as state operators struggle with the economic realities of sleeper services.

"I don't want to fly anymore because I know the environmental damage it causes, but I still want to travel," shared one demonstrator wearing a blue-and-white striped bathrobe. For activists like Juri, the appeal lies in convenience, bypassing airport check-ins and cramped airplane seats. "With the night train, I board in one city, sleep, and step out in another," he explained.

The Retreat of State Railways

While sleeper trains enjoyed massive popularity until the mid-20th century, their decline began in the 1980s with the rise of budget airlines and expanded highway networks. Today, state-run railways are increasingly retreating from these routes due to high costs.

Austria's state railway (ÖBB) briefly revived connections between Paris, Berlin, and Vienna in 2023, only to cancel them two years later after France reduced state subsidies. Similarly, the Swedish state railway recently abandoned the Berlin-Stockholm route it launched in 2022. The void is now being partially filled by private entities like the Belgian-Dutch company European Sleeper—which relies heavily on crowdfunding—and the American corporation RDC, operating routes on select days.

The Economic Reality of Night Travel

"The fact that night trains still exist in Europe today is down to idealists like European Sleeper," noted Dr. Felix Berschin, who researched European night train traffic for the German Federal Ministry of Transport. He pointed out that sleeper cars are rarely profitable. Nighttime surcharges drive up staffing costs, and standard sleeper wagons hold far fewer passengers than regular trains. While a standard high-speed ICE 4 train can seat up to 918 passengers, an ÖBB Nightjet holds only 254, and Finland's state night trains carry a maximum of 500.

Innovation on the Tracks

To solve this capacity crisis, Anton Dubrau, founder of the Berlin-based startup Luna Rail, has developed a novel solution. Currently showcased as a prototype at the Technical University of Berlin, his design features single cabins that convert from a daytime workspace with Wi-Fi into a private bed.

"We are trying to fit as many people as possible into a small space," Dubrau explained. By retrofitting decommissioned Intercity (IC) railcars, Luna Rail plans to stack 60 individual cabins across two levels per wagon. A maximum-length train of 14 wagons could transport up to 700 passengers, significantly lowering ticket prices—which, according to a 2023 Swedish study, remains the ultimate deciding factor for travelers.