The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has introduced its latest fleet of sleeper trains, scheduled to start operating on December 10, connecting the German city of Hamburg with two Austrian urban centres of Vienna and Innsbruck.
Over the next eight years, these trains will be gradually introduced on various routes that include Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Their eco-friendly attributes drive the resurgence of night trains in Europe, as operators are now making significant investments to replace their ageing fleets of long-neglected trains.
ÖBB, the state-owned railway operator with a presence on 20 European railway lines, has taken a leading role in revitalising these services. At the same time, they boast the most comprehensive fleet of sleeper trains in Europe and have ambitious plans to increase the number of overnight passengers from 1.5 million to three million by 2030.
As Euronews explains, these new trains come equipped with a contemporary design, increased privacy options, and more shower facilities for passenger comfort.
The initial batch of 33 trains, ordered by German conglomerate Siemens in 2018, represents an investment of 720 million euros. The first voyage is scheduled for December 10, connecting the Austrian cities of Vienna and Innsbruck with the German port of Hamburg.
According to Austria’s Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler, the company’s commitment is maintaining a pioneering role in advancing night train transport in Europe.
Boarding in Vienna in the evening and waking up refreshed in another European metropolis the next morning. This will be even easier and more comfortable in the future. This makes it clear that the future of short and medium-haul travel belongs to the train.
Furthermore, ÖBB is set to reintroduce its Berlin-Paris night train service on December 11, almost a decade after it was discontinued. The inaugural passenger service is planned for December this year, connecting Vienna to Hamburg and Innsbruck to Hamburg. The presale of tickets for these lines will start on October 11.
Train travel between Germany and Austria experienced a significant increase of around 40 per cent in 2023 so far compared to five years ago. In response to this growing demand, the national railway companies of both countries have launched cooperative efforts to expand and improve travel options for passengers travelling between them.
As a result, starting in December, both rail companies will introduce Nightjet trains that will connect Berlin and Vienna with Paris and Brussels. Moreover, these connections will be available three times a week, and the service is expected to become daily starting next fall.
This expansion will effectively double the number of Nightjet connections accessible to travellers to Berlin. In this regard, both national rail companies have expressed their goal to double the number of Nightjet passengers by 2030.
