Rail travelers can now cover two new routes in the sleeping car. The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) connect Innsbruck and Vienna with Brussels, On the way to Belgium, the trains stop in Munich, Nuremberg, Frankfurt and Cologne, among others.
In future, both trains will always go to Brussels on Sundays and Wednesdays. They start at 8:38 p.m. (Vienna) or 8:44 p.m. (Innsbruck) and arrive in the Belgian capital at 10:55 a.m. The return journeys take place a day later. The exact timetable including stops in Germany can be found on the ÖBB website,
In addition to the normal seats the night trains offer couchettes and sleeping cars, Deutsche Bahn had three years ago their night train offer stopped and leave operations to the ÖBB. At that time, many passengers reacted with incomprehension and anger the decision that was supposed to be economically motivated.
ÖBB makes a profit with the night trains
The Austrian rail sister now offers around a dozen connections, for example to Berlin, Hamburg, Zurich or Rome. ÖBB makes a slight profit with night train services. With a good one and a half million customers in Germany every year, Austria, Switzerland and Italy is still a niche business. However, the number of passengers rose recently. The operation is to be gradually expanded by 2026.
ÖBB recognizes the German Bahncards 25 and 50. However, booking is cumbersome and reimbursement for train delays or cancellations is complicated. Even three years after the change of operator, the offer of ÖBB was not properly integrated into the website and apps of Deutsche Bahn.
The federal government does not want to finance night trains
It is in Germany Federal government open to an expansion of the night train offer. However, it does not want to participate in the financing. Night trains are not part of public transport. Therefore, the companies themselves would have to decide on the offer, “which they are personally responsible for,” says the response to a request from the Bundestag faction of the left.
“The Federal Government has recently been talking a lot about climate protection, but it looks poor with the deeds,” said the Left MP Sabine Leidig. “I expect the coalition to finally put concrete measures on the table that promote night trains as an alternative to air travel.”
Among others, ÖBB boss Andreas Matthä, German MEP Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg (Greens) and numerous EU parliamentarians from Austria want to take part in the premiere trip on Sunday between Vienna and Brussels. The Vice President of the European Parliament, Othmar Karas (ÖVP), praised the new train connection. It will make it easier for young people to reach the EU institutions in Brussels, and at the same time do the work a contribution to climate protection,
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