ÖBB Nightjet
An ÖBB brand for overnight passenger trains linking major cities across Central and Western Europe.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
ÖBB Nightjet is the overnight passenger-train brand of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). It provides international and domestic night services using sleeper cars, couchettes and conventional seats, allowing passengers to travel between European cities while sleeping rather than using daytime rail, air or road transport. The brand operates principally in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland. Partner railways also provide Nightjet Partner services to destinations in Croatia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. The brand emerged from the restructuring of the European night-train market. Deutsche Bahn announced in December 2015 that it would withdraw from its City Night Line overnight operation, arguing that the services had low usage and were unprofitable. ÖBB had already been discussing whether traditional international night trains could be preserved and subsequently negotiated to take over several routes and associated operating responsibilities. ÖBB selected the Nightjet name in 2016, and the first branded services began on 11 December 2016, shortly before Deutsche Bahn ended its own competing night trains. Nightjet's service proposition is based on convenience, city-centre-to-city-centre travel and lower dependence on air travel for medium-distance European journeys. Depending on the route and train formation, customers can book reclining seats, couchette berths in shared compartments or beds in sleeping compartments. Some services provide private sleeping accommodation, accessible facilities, bicycle carriage and, on selected domestic or seasonal routes, the transport of passenger vehicles. Bicycles may be carried in dedicated racks on suitable trains or in transport bags where the rolling stock and route permit it. The network expanded during the late 2010s. ÖBB and Swiss Federal Railways examined new links from Switzerland to Berlin and Hamburg, while discussions with Dutch railway stakeholders led to a subsidised daily connection involving Amsterdam, Munich, Nürnberg, Innsbruck and Vienna. Passenger demand was reported to be increasing before the pandemic, but cross-border Nightjet operations were temporarily disrupted during the first half of 2020. Regular services began returning in June 2020. ÖBB has also invested heavily in new rolling stock. The Siemens-built Nightjet 2.0 fleet, based on the Viaggio Next Level platform, introduces more modern sleeper, couchette and seated vehicles, improved accessibility and updated onboard systems. The seven-car formations are designed to provide approximately 100 seats and 160 berths, with energy-saving features such as LED lighting, heat-pump climate control and ventilation responsive to interior carbon-dioxide levels. Initial service entry began with the 2023 timetable and expanded from December 2023 on routes including Hamburg–Innsbruck and Hamburg–Vienna. Nightjet remains an active international rail brand, although its operation depends on cooperation among national railway companies, border-crossing arrangements, rolling-stock availability and public policy support. Service reliability and fleet shortages were publicly associated with cancellations, delays and occasional downgrades in 2023, when some passengers with sleeping-berth reservations were moved to seated accommodation. The brand nevertheless occupies a distinctive position in Europe's revival of overnight rail travel.
History
Nightjet was created during a period of major change in Europe's overnight passenger-rail sector. Deutsche Bahn announced in December 2015 that it would discontinue its City Night Line services and concentrate on additional overnight high-speed ICE operations. The company characterised the traditional night-train business as weakly used and unprofitable. ÖBB had already been discussing the future of international night trains with Deutsche Bahn and began evaluating whether it could assume selected routes, together with the rolling stock and operating arrangements needed to maintain them. In February 2016, ÖBB was reported to be negotiating with Deutsche Bahn over the takeover of several night-train services. The Austrian railway considered both newly built vehicles and the modernisation of existing cars. Later in 2016 it adopted Nightjet as the common brand for its overnight passenger services. The first Nightjet trains ran on 11 December 2016, at approximately the same time that Deutsche Bahn withdrew its own competing night trains. ÖBB subsequently reported rising passenger numbers, and the service became a central part of the European night-train revival. The network developed through cooperation with other national railways. ÖBB and SBB announced in 2019 that they were examining new links between Switzerland and German cities, including Berlin and Hamburg. In the Netherlands, NS and ÖBB worked with government support on a daily Amsterdam connection serving destinations in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. The service expanded beyond ÖBB's core national market through operating partnerships and Nightjet Partner arrangements. Partner-labelled trains serve or have served destinations in Croatia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia, while the main Nightjet network covers Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. Nightjet operations were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many international European trains, services were temporarily suspended or reduced during the first half of 2020. ÖBB announced the resumption of regular scheduled operations in June of that year. In December 2020, ÖBB joined Deutsche Bahn, SBB and SNCF in a cooperation agreement intended to strengthen European night trains. The partners prioritised new connections, including links involving Vienna, Munich, Paris, Zurich, Cologne, Amsterdam, Berlin and Brussels. Some proposed routes were delayed or subject to uncertainty, reflecting the complexity of cross-border rail planning. Fleet renewal has been a major part of the brand's development. In 2018, ÖBB placed an initial order with Siemens Mobility covering Nightjet 2.0 vehicles within a broader long-distance-train framework. The new Viaggio Next Level coaches were designed for use with ÖBB locomotives and for operation across Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, with provisions for later approval in additional Central European countries. A typical seven-car formation was designed with about 100 seats and 160 berths. The vehicles include accessibility features, LED lighting, heat-pump-based climate control and ventilation that adjusts fresh-air supply according to interior carbon-dioxide levels. To expand capacity before the new fleet was fully available, ÖBB considered leasing additional sleeping and couchette cars in 2019. In August 2020, the Austrian government authorised the purchase of 20 additional seven-car Nightjet 2.0 trains and related locomotives. ÖBB also invested in the Vienna Simmering depot, adding maintenance capacity through a new hall and elevated tracks. A further 20 seven-car Siemens trains were ordered in 2021. The new-generation Nightjet trains entered service in 2023, with broader deployment from the December 2023 timetable. The updated trains offer more contemporary interiors and improved passenger facilities, reinforcing the brand's position as a modern alternative to short-haul flights and long-distance surface travel. At the same time, the transition exposed operational constraints. In 2023, passengers reported cancellations, delays and instances in which reserved sleeping accommodation was replaced with seats because the required sleeping cars were not available. Nightjet remains active, but its performance continues to depend on fleet availability, infrastructure, partner railway coordination and the regulatory conditions governing international rail services.
- 2023
Nightjet 2.0 enters passenger service
[1]The new-generation trains began entering regular service, with expanded operation from the December 2023 timetable.
- 2021
Further Siemens trains ordered
[1]ÖBB ordered another 20 seven-car trains based on the Siemens Viaggio Next Level platform.
- 2020
Pandemic suspension and service restart
[1]Nightjet operations were disrupted by COVID-19 restrictions and regular scheduled services were announced to resume in June.
- 2020
Additional Nightjet 2.0 trains approved
[1]ÖBB received approval to acquire 20 more seven-car Nightjet 2.0 trains and additional locomotives, while expanding its Vienna Simmering maintenance facility.
- 2019
Swiss and Dutch network expansion plans
[1]ÖBB advanced plans with SBB for new Swiss-German links and worked with NS on a subsidised Amsterdam night-train connection.
- 2018
Initial Siemens Mobility fleet order
[1]ÖBB announced an initial order covering 13 Nightjet 2.0 trains within a larger long-distance rolling-stock framework with Siemens Mobility.
- 2016
ÖBB adopts the Nightjet name
[1]ÖBB selected Nightjet as the brand for its overnight passenger services.
- 2016
First Nightjet services launch
[1]Nightjet services commenced on 11 December 2016.
- 2015
Deutsche Bahn announces the withdrawal of City Night Line
[1]Deutsche Bahn announced that it would end its City Night Line overnight services, creating an opportunity for ÖBB to take a larger role in European night trains.
Products and positioning
Comfortable, practical and lower-carbon overnight rail travel connecting major European cities.
Overnight accommodation · 2016
Sleeper cars
Nightjet sleeper cars provide bed-based accommodation for overnight journeys. Depending on the train and fare, passengers may travel in shared or more private sleeping compartments. Sleeper accommodation is the brand's most distinctive premium product, aimed at travellers who want to arrive in the morning without spending the night in a conventional seat.
Overnight accommodation · 2016
Couchette cars
Couchette cars offer berth accommodation in shared compartments. They provide a lower-cost alternative to sleeping cars while allowing passengers to lie down during the journey. Couchettes are used across a number of international Nightjet formations and are an important part of the service's broad price and comfort range.
Passenger rail service · 2016
Seated cars
Seated cars provide reserved conventional seats for passengers who prefer the lowest-cost accommodation or are travelling on shorter overnight sections. They complement sleeper and couchette vehicles and allow Nightjet trains to serve customers with different budgets and travel needs.
New-generation rolling stock · 2023
Nightjet 2.0
Nightjet 2.0 is a Siemens Mobility Viaggio Next Level train family developed for ÖBB's new-generation overnight services. Seven-car formations combine seated, couchette and sleeping accommodation and are designed to improve accessibility, comfort and energy efficiency. Features include LED lighting, heat-pump climate control, regulated fresh-air supply and updated passenger interiors.
Partner-operated rail service
Nightjet Partner
Nightjet Partner is the label used for overnight services operated by other railway companies that connect with or complement the ÖBB Nightjet network. Partner destinations have included Croatia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Brand decisions
2023
Introduce the new-generation Nightjet trainsGeneration changeBackground
ÖBB was renewing its overnight fleet with Siemens-built vehicles intended to improve comfort, accessibility and energy performance.
Action taken
The first Nightjet 2.0 services entered operation in 2023, followed by expanded timetable deployment from 10 December 2023.
Aftermath
New-generation trains initially served routes including Hamburg–Innsbruck and Hamburg–Vienna, while the wider fleet rollout continued.
2020
Coordinate European night-train expansionStrategyBackground
European railway companies sought to rebuild cross-border overnight services and coordinate routes that required multiple national operators.
Action taken
ÖBB joined Deutsche Bahn, SBB and SNCF in an agreement to prioritise several new international night-train connections.
Aftermath
The agreement provided a framework for route development, although proposed launch dates and specific connections remained subject to operational and regulatory constraints.
2020
Expand the Nightjet 2.0 fleetStrategyBackground
ÖBB needed additional capacity to support network growth and replace older vehicles.
Action taken
ÖBB received approval for 20 additional seven-car Nightjet 2.0 trains and related locomotives, and expanded its Vienna Simmering maintenance facilities.
Aftermath
The fleet expansion supported the later introduction of more new-generation services.
2018
Order Nightjet 2.0 rolling stockProduct launchBackground
ÖBB sought to replace or supplement older overnight vehicles and expand the capacity and quality of its international network.
Action taken
ÖBB placed an initial order with Siemens Mobility for 13 new Nightjet trains within a broader long-distance fleet framework.
Aftermath
The order established the basis for the Viaggio Next Level Nightjet 2.0 fleet, which later entered passenger service.
2016
Create a unified Nightjet overnight brandStrategyBackground
Deutsche Bahn's withdrawal from City Night Line created a gap in the international night-train market, while ÖBB was negotiating to continue selected services.
Action taken
ÖBB adopted Nightjet as the brand for its overnight passenger services and began operating the first branded trains in December 2016.
Aftermath
The brand became one of the principal operators in Europe's renewed international night-train market.
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