Reinstating the Paris to Vienna night train could cut aviation emissions by 30,565 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent a year, according to new research by climate campaigners Back-on-Track Europe and Stay Grounded. The saving is equivalent to the annual consumption-based carbon footprint of almost 3,900 Europeans.
The research, published on 13 September 2026, argues that a modernised daily night-train service between Paris and Vienna could replace a significant number of short-haul flights between Paris, Vienna, and Munich.
The previous Paris–Vienna night train began operating in 2021 but was permanently discontinued in December 2024 after the French government withdrew key subsidies. Its cancellation prompted considerable public opposition, with almost 100,000 people signing a petition calling for the service to be retained.
A daily modern night train
Back-on-Track and Stay Grounded propose bringing back the service using larger, next-generation sleeping carriages. With a 75% occupancy rate, the train could carry around 280,000 passengers a year.
The analysis focuses on the 180,000 places that provide a lying position, including beds, couchettes and mini-cabins. Seats that do not fully recline were excluded, as the campaigners argue that these would compete with long-distance buses rather than provide a genuine alternative to overnight flights.
The researchers estimate that half of the passengers would switch from flights between Paris and Vienna, while the other half would come from flights between Paris and Munich. Based on 2023 passenger numbers, those routes carried more than 2.3 million passengers combined.
Using flight-emissions estimates from Atmosfair, the researchers calculate that shifting those passengers to rail would avoid around 32,780 tonnes of aviation CO₂ emissions annually. Operating the night train itself would generate an estimated 2,215 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, resulting in a net saving of 30,565 tonnes per year.
That reduction is equivalent to the annual consumption-based greenhouse-gas emissions of 3,869 Europeans, based on average per-capita emissions in Austria, France, and Germany.
Calls for public support
Back-on-Track says government support will probably be necessary to restore the route. Its spokesperson Juri Maier argues that national and local governments should jointly support the service through a competitive, cross-border public-service obligation, ideally on a long-term basis.
Such an approach could also help finance new rolling stock, which would reduce the level of public support required over time, according to the campaign group.
The research was released as part of an international day of action calling for greater restrictions on night flights and more investment in night trains. More than 18 actions are taking place in 14 countries under the banner ‘Night Trains, Not Night Planes’.
The campaigners argue that night flights are particularly damaging because they combine aviation emissions with noise pollution affecting people living near airports.
Strong demand for night trains
The campaign comes amid continued interest in overnight rail as an alternative to short-haul flying. According to opinion polling cited by the organisations, seven in ten Europeans would be willing to take a night train instead of a plane if the conditions were reasonable.
Stay Grounded spokesperson Back-on-Track said the recent heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and floods demonstrated the need to shift towards more sustainable forms of transport. The organisation is calling for a ban on the most damaging night flights alongside investment in alternatives such as night trains.
For Back-on-Track and Stay Grounded, the Paris–Vienna route illustrates how government support for cross-border night trains could deliver a substantial reduction in aviation emissions while providing travellers with an alternative to flying.
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