The Nightjet train service, operated by Austria’s national railway company ÖBB, will discontinue its Brussels-Berlin route on March 28, 2025. Initially launched in December 2023 with six weekly departures, the service was scaled back to three trips per week in December 2024 before it was ultimately decided to cease operations.
The Nightjet connects Berlin’s Ostbahnhof and Hauptbahnhof to Brussels Midi, taking approximately 14 hours to reach its final destination. The service is part of a broader network of night trains linking major German cities to other European destinations such as Vienna, Rome, Venice, Amsterdam, and Paris.
Despite efforts to promote long-distance night travel, the service struggled due to competition. “ÖBB have cancelled the Brussels-Berlin Nightjet sleeper train indefinitely from late March onwards. A combination of difficult-to-bypass late-notice trackwork in Germany and (no doubt) the fact that it now runs on the same three days of the week as the European Sleeper mean they seem to have given up”, wrote Mark Smith, founder of the rail travel website The Man in Seat 61.
Passengers looking for overnight travel options between Brussels and Berlin can still choose the European Sleeper’s Good Night Train, which departs three times per week in each direction. The European Sleeper follows a route via the Netherlands before reaching Berlin. Additionally, the route has been extended beyond Berlin to the east, now connecting to Dresden and Prague. This means passengers travelling from Germany can also board at Bad Schandau or Dresden.
Brussels to Berlin by Night Train—It’s Happening! Sorry to hear our colleagues at ÖBB face challenges, European Sleeper still has spots available. Travel from €79.99 for a comfy couchette!
— European Sleeper (@EuropeanSlpr) March 12, 2025
View booking options here: https://t.co/kavSaFCgFB #NightTrain #BrusselsToBerlin pic.twitter.com/gFz9aaMKmA
Tickets for the overnight service start at €79 for a spot in a six-berth couchette, €99 for a five-berth couchette, and €109 for a bed in a three-bed sleeper compartment. “It’s worth paying the extra for a couchette in a 5-berth compartment as you get more space per person than in 6-berth and in a nicer car with air-conditioning, too,” Smith wrote in a review. The European Sleeper is known for its good customer service and modern amenities, making it quickly growing service.
When asked how European Sleeper trains compare to ÖBB’s Nightjets, Mark Smith previously shared that “the newer 5-berth couchettes are just as good as Nightjet’s, although the sleeping cars are older and lack showers, they are still very comfortable.” The cancellation of ÖBB’s Nightjet service leaves the European Sleeper’s Good Night Train as an alternative, that offers modern amenities and competitive pricing.
