The head of long-distance travel for Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), Kurt Bauer, has advised Deutsche Bahn (DB) against re-entering the overnight train market.
Speaking to the Tagesspiegel, Bauer stated that the new CEO of DB should prioritize more pressing issues than focusing on the “niche business” of night trains, particularly as German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder is set to unveil a new strategy for the state-owned company in the coming weeks. Bauer emphasized that DB already participates in the operation of Nightjet services on German routes in conjunction with ÖBB, clarifying that DB has not entirely exited the night train sector. He considered the transfer of product management for these trains to ÖBB a logical step.
Deutsche Bahn discontinued its own overnight train operations at the end of 2016, with ÖBB acquiring portions of the sleeping and couchette cars, as well as select routes. Since then, ÖBB’s Nightjet trains have operated in cooperation with DB, connecting German cities to destinations in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and the Netherlands. Despite calls from policymakers, DB has not resumed operating its own overnight services.
ÖBB, however, is moderating its expansion within the night train business. The company will now purchase 24 Nightjet trains from Siemens, reducing its initial order of 33. Bauer attributed this decision to operational challenges, stating, “Demand is there, but we are increasingly struggling to operate night trains”. He cited extensive construction projects in Germany and Italy as factors straining resources, adding that “at some point, our capacity is exhausted”. Consequently, there are no current plans to introduce new destinations. “We cannot grow at any price if the quality is not right” he said. Bauer confirmed that ÖBB intends to increase capacity on existing routes.