Austria's ÖBB expands night train network across Europe as major carriers abandoned sleeper service

Austria's federal rail operator ÖBB has built Europe's largest night train network while competitors including Germany, France, and Italy shut down sleeper car services over the past two decades. The ÖBB network now carries millions of passengers annually across multiple countries, offering an alternative to budget airlines and daytime rail. This represents a sustained investment in cross-border rail infrastructure at a time when most European carriers treated night trains as economically obsolete. The expansion reflects a shift in European transport policy toward rail-based sustainability.