Night trains in Europe are about to renaissance – but Deutsche Bahn is left out

For a long time, night trains have shaped the image of traveling in Europe and have inspired countless books and films. But the journey in the sleeping car has long been just a nostalgic memory for many – because often the expensive routes did not pay off for the operators, the competition from low-cost airlines intensified the decline. Now, however, a new era of night trains could be imminent, also because of the climate crisis.

France, Sweden and Austria rely on night trains

France, Sweden and, first and foremost, Austria are among the European countries in which a renaissance of sleeping cars is most evident. In France, where the service had been discontinued in recent years with the exception of a few routes, President Emmanuel Macron announced in July that night train connections would be redeveloped as part of climate protection efforts.

According to the Secretary of State for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, there should be night connections between Paris and the Mediterranean city of Nice by 2022, as well as to Tarbes at the foot of the Pyrenees.

Young people place increasing value on a good CO2 balance when traveling

He is convinced that there is "real demand", says Christophe Fanichet, who is responsible for the passenger division of the national railway company SNCF. Above all, the young population is paying attention to CO2 emissions and is prepared to accept a little more travel time for this.

Even if the CO2 emissions per traveler can only be calculated consistently with difficulty, because it depends on the capacity utilization of the trains or the production method of the electricity used, night trains are many times more climate-friendly than air travel.

The Swedish climate protection activist Greta Thunberg is a role model for many young people.

Sweden wants to invest in new night trains

The government also wants to invest in new night train connections in Thunberg's homeland, Sweden, where the phenomenon of "flight shame" became popular last year. Up to 400 million kroner (almost 39 million euros) should benefit sleeping car traffic between Stockholm and Hamburg and between Malmö and Brussels via Cologne by summer 2022.

Austria has a pioneering role

The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are already further: They are now Europe's largest provider of night trains and only started another connection in January that connects Vienna with Brussels. Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler sees her country as a pioneer in Europe – and as a role model. In Germany, too, some routes are operated by ÖBB under the Nightjet brand, which, according to its own statements, is in the black.

Deutsche Bahn has withdrawn from the night train business

Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn has been saying goodbye to the classic night train business since 2016. The Greens in particular are therefore calling on the federal government to campaign for more night train connections again. According to a response from the federal government to a request from the Greens that became known in February, the federal government is in principle "open" to an expansion, but also emphasizes that "an economically viable design of the offer" is a prerequisite.

The railway referred to the ICE and IC trains it offers at night, but which do not have sleeping or couchette cars. These have not proven to be economical.

Also read: From Salzburg to Sylt – New night train: From July 4th, the "Alpen-Sylt-Nachtexpress" will travel through Germany

Corona crisis is still in the way of the night train revolution

The Corona crisis is currently standing in the way of a real European night train revolution. Better solutions have to be found for sleeping cars than the six-bed compartments, which are still widely used, say industry circles. So far, sleeping options have often consisted of two three-story beds, which are only separated by a relatively narrow gap.

In times of the pandemic, however, many travelers are likely to have reservations about spending an entire night with potentially five completely strangers in such a small space.

SNCF manager Fanichet therefore thinks a "reinvention" of the night train is necessary. "We can't just have the night trains back from yesterday," he says.