Europe-wide train links marred by steep costs, construction

Hopes were high as the Nightjet train took its inaugural journey from Berlin to Paris last December — the first to connect the two cities by night in almost a decade. "This is a highlight for Europe and for the environment," cheered Clement Beaune, the French transport minister at the time. He had traveled to the German capital to celebrate the opening of the new route, which takes around 14 hours and runs three times a week.

"Today is a good day for all travelers and commuters," exclaimed his German counterpart Volker Wissing.

"This is the future of mobility," predicted Austrian Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler. He went as far as proclaiming that "short and medium-haul routes in Europe belong to trains."

Yet one year later, such grand visions have yet to pan out. Although several new routes have been introduced, there are still plenty of hurdles when it comes to expanding Europe's night train network. The Nightjet, for example, hasn't been running since August 12 between the German and French capitals due to extensive construction work in both countries.

Train operators face a range of challenges, including high track access fees on cross-border journeys. Operational difficulties also come into play, such as lack of construction work coordination in Germany in France.

Then there's the profitability aspect — Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), which operates the connection between Berlin and Paris, reported that the night trains have yet to make a profit.

Others in the industry don't exactly see a sparkling future for night trains in Europe. "There is no real night train renaissance," says Juri Maier, chairman of Back on Track Germany, an NGO that campaigns for the expansion of the night train network. "Yes, there are a lot of speeches being made. But development is actually going in the opposite direction."

The former state railroad companies are still the major decision makers when it comes to policies concerning rail travel. "Everyone is cooking in their own soup," says Maier. "And you can't create a shared market this way."

Night trains over flights

Indeed, many had pinned their hopes on having more night trains in operation around Europe, including organizations campaigning for the environment.

Train routes of around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) could become real alternatives to climate-damaging flights in the future say some groups. A study by Back on Track calculated that if 32% of flight passengers shifted from air to night trains, 3% of Europe's total greenhouse gas emissions would be cut. But in order to do so, the study found, an additional 2,500 more night trains would be needed. 

Perhaps help is on the way? The EU Commission announced it aims to double high-speed rail traffic by 2030 and triple it by 2050 as part of a plan to boost long-distance and cross-border passenger rail services.

"We need to shift a substantial proportion of flight passengers to trains," says Jacob Rohm, expert on climate-neutral mobility at the environmental and development NGO Germanwatch.

Otherwise, the EU's current climate targets won't be reached. Night trains could certainly help, but Rohm points out that "relying on the market alone will not solve this problem. We need stronger European coordination and reliable funding — especially for expanding the rail network." While the night train trend has received plenty of media hype, it hasn't exactly translated into practice.

There is a lack of couchette and sleeping cars

Firstly, there's a lack of night trains. "New sleeper or couchette carriages can be expensive and companies don't want to make that kind of an investment," says Jon Worth, a railway commentator and author.

Some companies, however, have come up with creative solutions to the problem. Railroad company European Sleeper, founded in 2021, for example, uses decades-old couchette and sleeping cars on the route between Brussels and Berlin, although they aren't the most comfortable.

"It's quite difficult to travel by night train in Europe," says Worth. He points out that old train cars, frequent construction work, canceled connections and delays affect passengers on night trains even more than those traveling during the day, since they have fewer alternatives if their ride doesn't go as planned. "If you're unlucky, you have to sit around all night. But if things go well, it's a great way to travel," says the train expert.

Travel blogger Sebastian Wilken agrees. He travels exclusively by train as a way to be more environmentally friendly — and simply because he likes it.

He has completed close to 100 night train trips and knows the ins and outs of what's on offer around Europe. The differences between train companies in the EU can be significant, Wilken says.

On domestic trains in France, for example, there are no sleeping cars, only simple couchette cars. In the UK, on the other hand, you can travel on two extremely comfortable night trains, the Night Riviera Sleeper between London and Cornwall and the Caledonian Sleeper between London and Scotland.

Not as comfortable as a bed

"I've had consistently positive experiences so far," says Wilken. "It's almost always been comfortable." However, he doesn't expect to sleep as well as he would in his own bed and says others shouldn't either.

While traveling he meets people who opt for the train in order to be climate-conscious, as well as those who are afraid to fly, or simply don't want to deal with all the hassle at the airport. "Recently, I've been meeting more and more people who are trying night trains for the first time," he says.

Meanwhile, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is under no illusions. The demand for night train connections is undoubtedly there, says company spokesman Bernhard Rieder, "but it will remain a niche service."

Short and medium-haul flights in Europe — especially those on budget airlines — won't be entirely replaced by night trains any time soon.

But there's good news for Berliners and Parisians itching for the Nightjet experience. The train service is set to resume at the end of October.

This article was originally written in German.

Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier