OEBB is restarting its Nightjet from Vienna following lockdown.

It’s a phased relaunch and I suggest readers check schedules and routes with nightjet.com.

Previously readers complained to me that some Nightjet journeys are too lengthy.

That may be true but Nightjet isn’t soley concerned with departure and arrival cities. Its trains also serve points en route hence the rationale behind night trains (as well as saving a night’s accommodation expenses).

The nearest point to the UK where readers both here and overseas can sample Nightjet would be Brussels (see our news piece from earlier this year).

According to Mark Smith of seatsixtyone.com the first train was scheduled to depart Brussels for Vienna on June 29.

OEBB is the only train firm in mainland Europe showing faith in night services. It has commissioned a new generation of rolling stock.

OEBB had intended to extend its Nightjet to Amsterdam in 2021. But owing to Covid-19 there must be doubt as to whether this date will be met.

The train operator is keen to operate a Vienna-Paris service but owing to high (rail) infrastructure costs in France it has so far been discouraged.

In a recent interview with Zeit im Bild, OEBB’s CEO Andreas Mattha,  when asked about serving the French capital, replied “Paris would be a dream.”

It’s a similar tale with Germany’s Flixtrain as we reported in April.

This open access firm operates trains within Germany which, because they use conventional rolling stock running over ‘classic’ track, means they can undercut Deutsche Bahn’s high-speed services.

Flixtrain would like to do similar in France (to compete with national operator SNCF) but, for the time being, has put its plans on ice.

nightjet.com