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Europe's night train renaissance

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podcast from the BBC (27 minutes): Europe's night train renaissance: Still on track?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct8ywb

Night trains are making a comeback, once again connecting Europe’s cities with the promise of green, serene and iconic journeys.
Just a decade ago, it appeared to be the end of the line for the continent’s sleeper services. But revitalised routes, new operators and innovative cabin designs have sparked renewed excitement around overnight train travel.
Yet even as demand from passengers continues to boom, an array of obstacles puts the revival at risk. A number of major new routes have already hit the buffers, and entrepreneurial sleeper train operators face a host of challenges.
Is a European night train renaissance simply a nostalgic pipedream, or is it full steam ahead? Speaking to railway operators, innovators and industry insiders, Jack Butcher rides the rails to find out.

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15986 posts

"Night trains are making a comeback..." Utterly fantastic ! It is obvious someone is contributing to this upsurge night train ridership.

Based on my post-pandemic trips the last three years, I saw my night rides sold out , very full, sometimes getting the last reserved seat in 2nd class...so I was told.

One can see there is no lack of riders taking night lines, best to reserve a seat, don't count on getting a seat just by popping on in 2nd class. Chances are that you'll be bumped. True, the sleeper option is the first of the 3 options to be sold out and the most expensive, which I avoid.

Posted by
9257 posts

There are many more options than there were, they are also pretty popular. I think the Austrian OBB with it's Nightjet service is one of the major reasons for the surge in popularity. They have been able to leverage their geographic location to establish routes not only in Austria, but into the eight countries they border, and even beyond. Several other state railways have since announced that they too may revive old sleeper routes that fast trains pretty much killed.

Still, there have been issues, with all the different rail companies, unions, borders, etc...getting approval for some routes is almost impossible if the route is not already plied by that country, railways are fiercely protected. I recall several routes being announced that eventually came to naught, private companies have tried to get into the market, and have failed.

All that said, I am not sure though if you can ever get me on a night train. It all sounds romantic, sounds like a deal (vs a hotel room), even sounds kind to your itinerary by saving a "travel day", but you better be a sound sleeper. A number of people give grand reviews of their trip, but also, many, many people will also tell you that it was a night from hell.

Posted by
15986 posts

@ Mark....thanks for information by ADAC. I often see their maps in train station book shops.

One can do night train rides not by the most direct route , A to B, but a more elongated circuitous route such as that going from Berlin to Paris. , instead completing the ride say in 8.5 hours , you take 10 hrs, or so. Bottom line tailor you own route if you have the time.

That Vienna to Amsterdam connection by night was my 2nd night route in 1971 when I was 21. Now at 76 I am still using the night routes as travel options, such as Vienna to Hamburg.

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