It’s goodnight Vienna as Paris sleeper train to Austria and Berlin hit by cuts | Rail transport

Night time prepare companies linking Paris, Berlin and Vienna are to finish from mid-December due to the French authorities’s withdrawal of funding, the Austrian nationwide rail operator has stated, in a blow to sleeper journey on vital European routes.ÖBB, the most important supplier of such trains in Europe, has led a drive to revive a as soon as common type of low-emission transport as an alternative choice to flying.However the French public money crunch has now disadvantaged the service of an important lifeline, that means will probably be suspended earlier than the 12 months is out.“As a result of discontinuation of presidency subsidies in France from 2026 onwards, we’re sadly pressured to discontinue the Vienna/Berlin-Paris (evening prepare) connections from 14 December 2025,” ÖBB stated in an announcement on-line.It stated its French associate SNCF “was knowledgeable by the transport ministry in Paris that the general public service orders for the operation of evening trains between Vienna and Paris in addition to Berlin-Paris shall be suspended in 2026”.“Night time trains can solely be operated with the participation of worldwide companions,” ÖBB added, saying it regretted the French withdrawal.The state-owned rail operator stated it could preserve its thrice-weekly Nightjet service between Vienna and Brussels subsequent 12 months, in addition to on common routes comparable to Vienna-Amsterdam and Munich-Rome.“We are going to proceed to spend money on evening prepare service with what shall be 24 fashionable next-generation Nightjets, providing larger capability and luxury on the present routes,” it stated.‘Night time trains can solely be operated with the participation of worldwide companions,’ stated ÖBB. {Photograph}: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty ImagesThe French each day Le Monde had final week reported the looming demise of the evening service between Paris and Vienna and Paris and Berlin, which had resumed in recent times after a protracted hiatus.The newspaper cited a call taken over the summer time by the French transport ministry to chop thousands and thousands in subsidies after it obtained its 2026 funds tips from the federal government.“The state as a shareholder requires us to be worthwhile, and we are able to solely obtain this by means of appreciable effort,” it quoted an unnamed SNCF supervisor as saying. “It can’t require us to function connections at a loss merely for the sake of a good looking image, even when it could be a good looking image.”skip previous e-newsletter promotionSign as much as That is EuropeThe most urgent tales and debates for Europeans – from id to economics to the environmentPrivacy Discover: Newsletters could include details about charities, on-line advertisements, and content material funded by outdoors events. In the event you don’t have an account, we are going to create a visitor account for you on theguardian.com to ship you this text. You’ll be able to full full registration at any time. For extra details about how we use your information see our Privateness Coverage. We use Google reCaptcha to guard our web site and the Google Privateness Coverage and Phrases of Service apply.after e-newsletter promotionFrance has been rocked by political instability, avenue demonstrations and mass strikes over unpopular plans for funds cuts to scale back its massive public debt.A petition to avoid wasting the service by the French stress group Oui au prepare de nuit (Sure to the evening prepare), addressed to the SNCF chief government, Jean-Pierre Farandou, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has gathered greater than 43,000 signatures.The activists stated 66,000 travellers had used the service in 2024, regardless of it solely operating 3 times per week, and accused SNCF of failing to advertise the Nightjets in its advertising and marketing and customer support.Critics additionally notice disproportionate public subsidies for closely polluting air journey within the EU in contrast with these for trains, driving up the relative price of rail journey.On Friday night, demonstrators gathered at Paris’s Gare de l’Est, the start line for trains to Berlin and Vienna, for a “pyjama celebration” in favour of sustaining the evening trains on the route.