France Ends Subsidies; Paris Night Trains to Stop

France’s transport ministry has told SNCF it will end state subsidies (about €5–10 million a year) for the Paris–Vienna and Paris–Berlin night trains, with formal funding stopping in January 2026 and operators saying both services will cease on December 14, 2025. The services were run in cooperation with Austria’s ÖBB, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, Belgium’s SNCB and France’s SNCF. Operators said the routes remained unprofitable despite steady demand (around 70% occupancy in 2024) because night trains generate revenue only once per sleeper berth per journey while incurring higher staffing, border‑crossing and infrastructure costs. ÖBB expressed regret but said it will continue the Vienna–Brussels Nightjet and expand its Nightjet fleet. Advocates and some politicians warned the move is a blow to Europe’s night‑train revival and underscores the fragility of cross‑border sleeper services that rely on sustained public subsidies and international coordination.