Roundup (1 October 2025): The Latest Railway and Train Travel News
This roundup brings you the latest railway and train travel news from Europe and beyond.
From major timetable changes and infrastructure projects to new train services and industry developments, this roundup highlights the stories shaping rail travel today.
** ÖBB discontinues Nightjet services to France **
ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways, has decided to discontinue all Nightjet sleeper services to France, thereby bringing an end to the night trains between Paris and Vienna as well as Paris and Berlin.
The Austrians cite the lack of support from their French partner SNCF as the main reason for discontinuing these night trains. Since SNCF, the French Railways, no longer receives government backing to operate them jointly with ÖBB, it has decided to withdraw their support.
AndyB says: “Night trains are valuable, but they still remain a niche product for many rail operators, with the exception of certain markets such as Romania and Finland.”
** New Basel to Malmö night train likely to start in April **
A new night train between Basel in Switzerland and Malmö in Sweden is expected to begin operating in April 2026. According to the Swiss Federal Office of Transport, which is supporting this new international link, the service would run three times a week in each direction. Further details about the planned sleeper train can be found here.
AndyB says: “New connectivity by direct sleeper train like this can only be good for the passenger experience!
“Allowing uninterrupted journeys gives a feeling of comfort, not having to stress about connections, which is especially true for people travelling with lots of luggage, children in tow, mobility challenges, or the elderly.”
** Trenitalia boosts services in France and lowers fares **
Italian national train company Trenitalia is also operating domestic high-speed services across the border in France, competing with SNCF, the French national railways.
Trenitalia is now set to increase the frequency on the Paris–Lyon route to 14 trains a day in each direction and is reducing their lowest fares to just €23.
In addition to the Paris-Lyon services, Trenitalia also runs trains from Paris to Marseille and an international high-speed train service linking Paris and Lyon with Turin and Milan.
AndyB says: “We’ve previously seen in Italy and Spain that high-speed train ticket prices fell and passenger numbers increased whenever serious competition entered the domestic railway market.
“As I’ve recently discussed in my Substack about private train operators, this can bring real positive change for travellers.
“Let’s hope we will see the same situation in France!”
** SNCF launches new Optimum product **
SNCF will phase out Business Première tickets at the end of November and introduce a new Optimum product on all its inOui TGV services across France. This change to their premium offering aims to provide a consistent service across the entire network, regardless of the route.
The new product will target both business and leisure travellers seeking flexible tickets and includes access to Grand Voyageur lounges.
On the Paris-Lyon route, SNCF will also introduce Optimum Plus tickets, which will include “exclusive catering service at the seat”. According to a SNCF director, this is because the “clientele between Paris and Lyon is very specific and business-oriented”.
AndyB says: “Quelle surprise! Of course, this has nothing to do with the fact that they face competition from Trenitalia on that route, which offers a superior product.
“What we see is another complacent monopolist being forced to innovate thanks to competition on the railways.
“Now we need competition for the most complacent of all rail companies: Eurostar!”
** Spring train travel bookings slowly open **
Making future bookings across the annual December timetable change has always been challenging for rail travellers who like to plan ahead.
Fortunately, some train operators have already opened their booking systems for travel dates up to spring 2026.
Eurostar, European Sleeper, and SNCF (for their France-Spain TGV services) can now be booked for travel in winter and spring 2026.
Today (1 October), SNCF has also opened sales for other train services from 14 December to early January, while Deutsche Bahn is expected to open bookings on 15 October for German trains running from 14 December into 2026.
AndyB says: “This is a welcome move, as the inability to book trains further in advance benefits the airlines, which is a particular issue around the December timetable change.
“One caveat is that train times can still change between booking and travel, so you need to remain flexible or allow a sufficiently large buffer, especially when you plan a connection onto another train.”
** Austria’s Koralm Railway set to open in December **
The new Koralm Railway, linking Graz in Styria with Klagenfurt in Carinthia in southern Austria, is expected to open in December. It will dramatically reduce journey times on several key routes and create many new direct train connections. Further details can be found here.
AndyB says: “The massive investment in rail in Austria is really starting to pay off!
“It’s always a pleasure to ride the rails in Austria.”
In other rail news:
Azerbaijan: ADY Azerbaijan Railways has reintroduced a weekly passenger service from Baku