For a night train network in Europe!
Volt regrets the discontinuation of the Paris-Vienna and Paris-Berlin connections and calls on European governments to give a real boost to the development of European night train connections.
The night train connections from Paris to Vienna and Berlin, operated by the Austrian company ÖBB, will be discontinued from December 14. This announcement comes shortly after the reintroduction of these routes (in 2021 and 2023, respectively). Volt is concerned that a promising project to promote the ecological transport transition is being quietly shelved by governments.
The cancellation is particularly problematic in the Austrian context, as many travelers report difficulties in booking tickets online via the ÖBB app. Availability is often exhausted months in advance, severely limiting access to environmentally friendly travel options. Despite construction work on major rail lines, demand for the connections remains high.
The decision is all the more surprising given that both night train lines had quite high occupancy rates at the start: in 2024, 36,000 passengers used the connection to Vienna and 30,000 to Berlin. However, the train only ran three times a week instead of daily as originally planned, was not listed on important platforms such as SNCF Connect, and poor coordination between national rail networks led to significant delays.
The argument of budget consolidation overlooks the fact that there are still significant tax breaks for fossil fuels, which place a heavy burden on Austria and its neighboring countries. These subsidies are in clear contradiction to Europe's climate targets. In comparison, investments of 5 to 10 million euros per year for the expansion and maintenance of an environmentally friendly rail network that strengthens international connections make perfect sense and are necessary.
In view of the increasingly urgent climate crisis and the growing demand for night trains, Volt Austria calls for the consistent implementation of the conditions for their success instead of ducking behind the short-term failure of poorly coordinated initiatives. These include:
- A clear and committed political initiative to develop a reliable night train network throughout Europe, with a particular focus on Austria as a transit and hub.
- The abolition of existing tax breaks for fossil fuels in order to make sustainable rail transport affordable and more competitive with air travel.
- Improving booking options, in particular through reliable availability and advertising on all relevant platforms.
- Greater coordination between national rail networks to reduce delays and simplify international train travel.
(Joint statement by Volt Austria and Volt France)