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
- Eurostar and St. Pancras Highspeed back major station expansion to double capacity amid growing international demand.
- Leo Express wants night train service from Slovakia to Ostend, Belgium.
- Deutsche Bahn’s Antwerp – Brussels Airport – Leuven – Cologne ICE aims to attract tourists and Port of Antwerp-related business.
- VIDEO | Berlin start-up Nox to launch night trains with entirely private rooms from 2027.
- EUROSTAR | London – Frankfurt, London – Geneva and Amsterdam – Antwerp – Brussels – Geneva from 2030?.
- Alstom wants its double-decker trains to ride through Channel Tunnel.
- EUROPEAN SLEEPER | Brussels to Barcelona night train to stop in Avignon, Montpellier, Narbonne, and Girona.
- CHANNEL TUNNEL | Uber Trains-branded Gemini Trains plan London-Brussels and London-Paris route via Stratford.
- Trenitalia, Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB launch Frecciarossa EuroCity trains linking Berlin, Munich, Milan, Rome and Naples.
- London to Switzerland direct train moves a little closer with new bilateral agreement.
- Eurostar calls for UK national strategy and investment to shape future of Channel Tunnel Rail and promises 50 new trains.
- Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) plan to launch a new high-speed link between London and Paris.
- London St. Pancras Highspeed pledges financial support for cross-Channel rail services.
- Competition for Eurostar? Temple Mills International Depot has space for competitor’s trains.
- The end of the Brussels – Berlin ÖBB Nightjet.
- REVIEW | European Sleeper night train.
- European Sleeper now “truly” riding to Venice.
- Dutch budget train GoVolta postponed after not getting funds.
- London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink aspire to to triple train services to France, Belgium and the Netherlands and add services to Germany and Switzerland.
- Eurostar scraps direct Amsterdam – Brussels – Marseille summer train service.
- European Commission commits to single-ticket train travel, Back-on-Track unconvinced it will happen.
- Switzerland, Czechia and Belgium top railway network density in Europe.
- SNCF Réseau confirms feasibility European Sleeper night train linking the Netherlands, Belgium, France to Barcelona in Spain.
- Arriva surveys customers for Groningen – Amsterdam – Utrecht – Antwerp – Brussels – Paris train.
- 31 MARCH 2025 | Reopening France – Italy Fréjus Rail Tunnel kickstarts Paris to Milan direct train connection.
- OUIGO ‘slow’ train between Brussels and Paris from 19 December 2024.
- Arriva Tri-Country Train between Maastricht, Liège and Aachen will start on Sunday 9 June 2024 without OV-chipkaart.
- European Sleeper night train service from the Netherlands and Belgium to Barcelona now delayed to 2027.
- EU train travel report sees increase in cross-border passenger trains and easier bookings.
- Brussels to Luxembourg by train under 2 hours by 2030?.
- Heuro wants to operate high speeds trains between Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Paris and London from 2028.
- Eurostar and five more train operators joined the European Agreement on Journey Continuation.
- ÖBB’s new Nightjet sleeper cars accommodate solo travellers with Mini Cabins.
- Trenitalia orders new Hitachi Frecciarossa trains suited for France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- ÖBB’s Nightjet to connect Berlin to Brussels from December 2023.
- EUROCITY EC-8 | Basel to Cologne in SBB’s Panoramic Car.
- Trenitalia / FS confirms interest in connecting Spain to Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin.
- Sampling NS’ new train and future Benelux rolling stock ICNG.
- REVIEW | Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000 Paris – Milan in Business Executive.
- RAIL TOUR OF EUROPE | How easy is touring Europe by train?.
- Eight train connections between the Netherlands and Belgium by 2030?.
- REVIEW | ÖBB Nightjet Amsterdam – Zurich night train.
- Nightjet Vienna/Innsbruck to Brussels, or how we got thrown off the train in Aachen.
- Why the expensive ÖBB Nightjet is really not that expensive.
- Reliving the era of the great railway journeys, travelling overnight on Nightjet.
- How we plan a big rail trip.
- Ticket Distribution: the failure of railways to sell themselves.
- To use night trains in Portugal and Spain or not?.
- Night trains in Europe.
- Low-cost, long-haul trains to conquer Europe?.
- Fly now before it’s taxed and consider using the train instead.
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