OBB 2026 NighJet route abandonments

[railfan99]

In 2026, OBB is cancelling (or at least, not operating for that year) NightJets to various locations such as Italy's La Spezia.

Is this being driven by lack of demand, prospective passenger resistance to perceived high fares, lack of funding, lack of train paths, frequent maintenance shutdowns of rail lines that make it hard to operate seven days a week every week, lack of rollingstock or locos, high losses being incurred on some routes or other factors?

 

[30907]

I suspect economics, reinforced by issues with the new stock, the age/upkeep of the old stock.

The Milan service (even when extended to La Spezia) loads to 3 coaches in each portion. That's not an indication of high demand (and when I've looked fares have been cheaper, confirming that).
Day trains Munich to Milan via Zurich have improved considerably in speed and frequency, and the Koralm and Semmering tunnels will have the same impact for Vienna in a few years.
There may be insider information from others though.

 

[rvdborgt]

ÖBB themselves say, on the homepage of nightjet.com:

Due to numerous construction sites, connections to/ from La Spezia cannot be offered in the 2026 timetable year. Connections to Rome and Venice are not affected and can already be booked.

 

[Austriantrain]

ÖBB themselves say, on the homepage of nightjet.com:

Not to defend NJ and ÖBB, but the constant works and closures on the Italian network are an issue. See e.g. The recurring closure of the classic Bologna - Firenze route, meaning Rome often cannot be reached.

I do suspect however that Milan will not be coming back unless Italy agrees to the continuing use of classic night stock.

 

[doc7austin]

See e.g. The recurring closure of the classic Bologna - Firenze route, meaning Rome often cannot be reached.

I have asked the newrest staff on the train to Rome: If the train from Munich/Vienna arrives in Firenze at least 2 hours late, all passenger will be evicted in Firenze.

 

[Austriantrain]

I have asked the newrest staff on the train to Rome: If the train from Munich/Vienna arrives in Firenze at least 2 hours late, all passenger will be evicted in Firenze.

Plausible, but not what I wrote about.

 

[FormerBritInMe]

I heard that one reason for the cancellation of the Paris to Berlin and Vienna NightJets is France refusing to subsidise the train. Apparently one factor is SNCF did not have the needed dual voltage locomotives and therefore had to lease them which made the operation more expensive.

 

[doc7austin]

The CEO of ÖBB said yesterday in a TV interview: 48% of the planed Nightjet trips to Paris had to be cancelled.

 

[Austriantrain]

I heard that one reason for the cancellation of the Paris to Berlin and Vienna NightJets is France refusing to subsidise the train. Apparently one factor is SNCF did not have the needed dual voltage locomotives and therefore had to lease them which made the operation more expensive.

The leasing part is true, the lack of subsidies too. ÖBB CEO also stated in an interview this week that the large amount of works in Germany and France meant that the train could not run on such a large number of dates that not enough could be earned.

The major reason probably still the cancellation of subsidies… but the rest, together with the impossibility to buy tickets from SNCF, certainly did not help…

 

[danshrimp]

The leasing part is true, the lack of subsidies too. ÖBB CEO also stated in an interview this week that the large amount of works in Germany and France meant that the train could not run on such a large number of dates that not enough could be earned.

The major reason probably still the cancellation of subsidies… but the rest, together with the impossibility to buy tickets from SNCF, certainly did not help…

And many of these are areas that European Sleeper think they can do better on, hence they think they can make it work without subsidies. Indeed they've said that one of the reasons for choosing to go north out of Paris is the significantly reduced trackworks in that direction and the better availability of alternative routes when there are works. Combine that with no coupling and no locomotive changes and, at least in theory, they've got a simpler and more reliable operation all round. (Relatively speaking - they're still using knackered old rolling stock but it's not like ÖBB weren't.)