In Europe they found the solution to the aviation chaos: night trains

Until the 1990s, night trains in Europe were the most convenient, fast and economical way to move between destinations on the continent.

Now, amid the chaos in the aviation industry, night trains are preparing for a big comeback.

And what really is their big advantage?

Voila system!

tourism

31/07/2022

Sunday, July 31, 2022, 09:56 Updated: 10:47

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Shinkansen train at Osaka Station, Japan (Photo: YouTube)

Mountains of words have already been written about the aviation chaos plaguing Europe these days, a chaos that exceeds in severity that which is happening in other parts of the world, including the United States.

For example, the German airline Lufthansa canceled many of its flights last week, and several major airports on the continent imposed new restrictions on the number of flights they are able to handle.

However, the Europeans boast a highly developed railway network, and against the background of the limitations in the world of aviation and the awareness of the environmental damage that the aviation industry brings with it - it seems that this is a real solution, along with a relatively low cost.

In this way, the return of Europe's night trains can be announced.

"Indeed, there has been a real revival of night trains in Europe," says Alain Krakovich, director of SNCF, France's state-owned railway company.

"There is a considerable demand from customers, but it also comes from elected officials, mayors and the government."

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"There is a real awakening of the night trains in Europe."

Nightjet sleeper train (photo: official website, nightjet)

Meet: the new night lines

The Frommer's website notes that after the 1990s, the night trains in Europe declined due to the entry of short-haul airlines, and between the years 2001-2019, 65 percent of the night lines stopped operating.

But since Luocost companies such as EasyJet and Ryanair are repeatedly hit, the railways in Europe benefit from the matter.

The European Investment Bank is spending billions on upgrading railways.

France alone recently invested around €100 million in upgrading railcars and tracks, bringing back the Paris-Nice night train after a four-year hiatus.

Here are some of the recently introduced (or revived) night lines.

On September 1, SJ's EuroNight service, based in Sweden, will be inaugurated, offering a train from Stockholm to Hamburg, Germany.

From Hamburg, passengers will be able to connect to a variety of cities across Europe via high-speed rail.

The new train company European Sleeper operates a service from Brussels to Prague via Antwerp, Amsterdam, Berlin and Dresden.

The company will also offer a line from Amsterdam to the south of France, which will be inaugurated in 2023.

The Austrian railway company inaugurated Nightjet, a network of night lines.

Among the lines that are expected to operate: the Zurich-Rome line with a stop in Milan that can be connected with another new Zurich-Amsterdam service.

Another line will travel between Paris and destinations in Romania, including stops in Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna and Budapest.

By 2024, the French start-up Midnight Trains aims to introduce innovative sleeping cars, guaranteeing modern luxury standards.

These will hit 12 cities outside of Paris, including Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Porto and Rome.

Traveling by train from Paris to Rome is also more ecological (photo: official website, midnight trains)

Save a night in a hotel

In addition to the great advantages of night trains - avoiding the crowded airports and the environmental values ​​- reserving a place on a night line in a carriage with beds also brings with it financial savings for passengers.

"On sleeper trains, you use the night hours for travel and save money by not spending it on a hotel," says Maika Quentin, communications and marketing manager of the Alpen-Sylt Night Express night train, which began operating in 2020. Sleeper

trains used to be the basis for many trips in Europe .

But despite the revival, the industry sometimes suffers from disruptions resulting from high infrastructure costs.

However, given supportive government measures and improved organizational capacity, the revival of the night train is a trend that will continue.

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