Austrian state railway ÖBB has amended its rolling stock contract with Siemens Mobility, RailTech reports. This decision puts a hold on further deliveries of its new-generation Nightjet sleeper trains. The move marks a shift in investment priorities, with ÖBB responding to rising passenger numbers by focusing instead on expanding its Railjet 2 daytime fleet.

Under the original agreement, ÖBB intended to purchase 33 Nightjet trainsets as part of a wider push to revitalise overnight rail travel across Europe. To date, 24 of those have been delivered, but the remaining nine are now deferred indefinitely. According to Eurailpress, the operator has redirected resources to boost daytime capacity, with an additional order of 13 Railjet 2 trainsets.

This new order brings the total Railjet 2 fleet to 40. These intercity trains form the core of ÖBB’s daytime long-distance service, operating at high speeds on key domestic and cross-border routes. 

The latest batch includes nine 7-car units and four 9-car units. The shorter trains are designed for double traction, allowing two units to be coupled and run together — a flexible solution for increasing capacity during peak periods without the need for longer platforms or significant infrastructure upgrades.

Daytime travel demand

ÖBB Chief Executive Andreas Matthä cited strong growth in daytime travel demand as the primary reason for the change. While Nightjets serve an important role in developing international sleeper services, they cater to a relatively niche segment. In contrast, the Railjet 2 network supports areas of much higher ridership. ÖBB recorded over 550 million passengers in 2024, a record figure attributed in part to growing daytime intercity traffic.

All new rolling stock orders fall within the framework of the existing ‘DaNi‘ contract with Siemens, which permits ÖBB to procure up to 700 passenger coaches. With the latest Railjet 2 additions, ÖBB has now exercised options for 472. Siemens has also confirmed that delivery of push-pull control cars — vital for efficient turnaround operations — is scheduled for later this year.

Vienna to Amsterdam

The announcement follows the high-profile launch of the next-generation Nightjet on the Vienna–Amsterdam route, where the upgraded trains were welcomed as a milestone in sustainable rail travel. With private sleeping compartments featuring en suite showers, pod-style single cabins, and space for bicycles and skis, the new Nightjets represent one of Europe’s most modern sleeper offerings.

A new dawn for night trains? 

ÖBB has played a central role in reviving the continent’s night train network, reintroducing or expanding services to destinations including Berlin, Paris, Rome, and Brussels. 

However, the sector continues to face challenges, particularly in terms of low passenger volumes, infrastructure bottlenecks, and the logistical complexities of cross-border operations. Recent engineering works in Germany and France have highlighted the vulnerability of night services to sudden schedule disruptions.

Whether the current pause in Nightjet deliveries signals a long-term rebalancing of ÖBB’s sleeper ambitions remains uncertain. The DaNi framework allows for future Nightjet orders, but for now, the focus is firmly back on daytime services and the expanding Railjet fleet.

A False Dawn?

When I sent Danny the RailTech blogpost, his response was: “Night trains are not the solution many people think they are. There is often a too romantic image about them.” 

Indeed, the pro-night train discourse has this romantic vibe of nostalgia to the olden days. The days where people took night trains or drove to the Mediterranean Sea rivieras in cars with no air conditioning, no satnav (GPS), no cruise control, but with the windows down – resulting in a deafening ride – and itchy blankets for the children in the back. 

Oh yes, ‘fun times’ indeed. 

The past few years we have sampled quite a few night trains in Europe. The Nightjet from Innsbruck to Brussels Aachen, the Nightjet from Amsterdam to Zurich, the European Sleeper from Antwerp to Dresden Berlin, the Trenitalia Intercity Notte from Rome to Syracuse on Sicily (review will be published soon), The InterCity Notte from Palermo to Rome, the EuroNight from Düsseldorf to Vienna, the EuroNight from Zagreb to Zurich, and the GWR Night Riviera from London to Penzance in the United Kingdom.

Don’t get us wrong. We love night trains. We keep booking them. But we’re train geeks. And the comfort level and convenience or lack thereof currently on offer only appeals to train geeks and adventurers. 

The current night trains cannot really appeal to a broader audience. 

Taking the night train is still a bit of a hassle and demands organising. It’s still ‘camping’. It doesn’t always offer a shower. Taking a night train is a conscious choice.

And thus, as RailTech points out, passenger numbers are low. Not helped by the very objective fact that, by design, a night train can’t accommodate that many people.

RailTech also ‘blames’ infrastructure engineering works in France and Germany. Well yes, these works happen at night to try to minimalise inconvenience for commuters by day. 

Not cheap

Night trains aren’t cheap. Jeroen, who also loves night trains, is very hesitant to ever book a Nightjet again. “I’d use NightJet much more often, but it’s become too expensive. In my opinion, in the long run, it’s only feasible if you stay within the country’s borders, like in France.”

Nox

Thibault Constant, famous from Simply Railway on YouTube and Instagram, co-founded Nox. Nox, Latin for night, wants to launch night trains as early as 2027. That’s next month in ‘rail years’. Nox aspires to offer bespoke, but standardised sleeper pod-like cabins fit for one or two passengers. No more 4 or 6-berth cabins.

It’s the right philosophy. People don’t want to share their sleeping quarters with strangers. 

But will it work? We hope so, but were skeptical.  

More on night trains and transcontinental train travel

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