A new major artery for European night travel is set to be established in 2026, creating a new “capital-to-capital” corridor. The Dutch cooperative European Sleeper has announced its new Paris to Berlin service will be routed via Brussels, a significant strategic move that will link the political hearts of France, Belgium, and Germany. This new service, launching on March 26, 2026, is a major development for the continent’s rail network.
This route is being established as a replacement for the outgoing Nightjet service, which is being cancelled in December. The Nightjet’s withdrawal, blamed on the end of French subsidies, had been a major setback for the night train renaissance. The old service traveled a different path via Strasbourg and Frankfurt, meaning the new Brussels-centric route is a completely new offering for overnight travelers.
The new service will operate three times per week. The proposed schedule includes evening departures from Paris Gare du Nord on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and return journeys from Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof stations on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The precise timings and stops are currently being finalized with the infrastructure managers of all three countries.
This new link is part of a high-capacity service. European Sleeper’s co-founder, Chris Engelsman, detailed plans to run 12 to 14 coaches, accommodating 600-700 passengers, all dedicated to the Berlin route. This is a substantial increase from the Nightjet, which had to split its 12-coach train between Berlin and Vienna.
While the new route is ambitious, the company is being pragmatic about the onboard experience. The train will use 1990s-era German coaches, and, in a significant omission, will not feature a dining car at launch. Engelsman stated that the high costs associated with food service make it “difficult to break even,” a common challenge for operators in the sector.