Helping ÖBB to give Nightjet passengers a comfortable night’s sleep

ÖBB, the national railway operator of Austria, has launched the new generation of Nightjet sleeper trains upholstered with Replin by Hainsworth fabric.

The Nightjet is Europe’s largest overnight train fleet, linking Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. The Nightjet allows passengers to travel great distances across Western Europe, while staying fast asleep in the train’s comfortable sleeper cars and couchettes.

In December 2023 ÖBB introduced their updated Nightjet carriages, starting on the Hamburg to Vienna and Innsbruck route. This new generation of night train is designed to offer even more comfort to passengers, with all sleeping cars fitted with ensuite facilities and a personal seating area, and introducing new cabins for solo travellers as well as 4-berth couchettes.

ÖBB approached Replin by Hainsworth to develop a new seating fabric that could also work as a cosy cover for mattresses. The rail operator wanted a melange-look fabric inspired by outerwear. In designing the textile we took influence from loden cloth, a type of thick woollen textile traditionally produced in Austria. Loden fabric is typically used in overcoats as it is warm and very durable.

The resulting seating fabric is thick and robust yet soft to the touch, in a classic grey shade. It can be seen on the mattresses in all sleeper cabins and couchettes on the new Nightjet carriages, as well as the cushioned panels positioned at the head and side of each bed. The fabric is also used in the seating areas found in each sleeping car, giving passengers a comfortable surface on which to work, read or relax.

All Replin fabrics are designed to be highly durable while maintaining a warm, soft finish, and the ÖBB textile is no exception. Developed with comfort as well as performance in mind, the textile is woven from 90% wool and 10% nylon, bringing a cosy atmosphere to the cabin while providing high abrasion resistance. Wool also has naturally thermoregulating properties, keeping you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot – making it the perfect material to help Nightjet passengers get a good night’s sleep.