Paris-Vienna & Berlin Night Train Service Faces Cuts Amidst French Budget Debate
Paris, France – A popular overnight train service connecting Paris with Vienna and berlin is facing potential cuts as France grapples with political unrest and austerity measures.Teh service, operated by SNCF, is under review as part of broader budget reductions aimed at tackling the country’s public debt.
The potential curtailment has sparked a backlash from activists and travellers, who point to the service’s consistent ridership – 66,000 passengers in 2024 despite running only three times a week – and argue it offers a vital, sustainable alternative to air travel. A petition launched by the French pressure group Oui au train de nuit (Yes to the night train),addressed to SNCF chief executive Jean-pierre Farandou and President Emmanuel Macron,has already garnered over 43,000 signatures.
Critics also highlight what they see as a disparity in public funding, noting disproportionate subsidies for air travel within the EU compared to rail, effectively increasing the cost of train travel. Demonstrators staged a “pyjama party” at Paris’s Gare de l’Est on Friday evening to protest the potential cuts and advocate for the preservation of the night train route.
The debate over the service’s future unfolds against a backdrop of wider political instability in France,marked by street demonstrations and mass strikes responding to the government’s proposed budget cuts.
