There has been plenty of interest in the Continent’s sleeper train renaissance but progress is hampered by regulation and high costs
June 7, 2024 6:00 am(Updated 6:03 am)
(Photo: midnight-trains.com)
I have a Saturday morning ritual. There, in my inbox, is a newsletter from Midnight Trains, a start-up run by three Parisian entrepreneurs who promised a new era of overnight travel across Europe. The e-brief arrives at midnight, waiting to be read with a morning cuppa. It offers rich insights into challenges faced by new players in Europe’s rail industry.
Last weekend’s midnight missive was a surprise. “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of a dream.” With that final newsletter, Midnight Trains announced its own demise.
When the company launched in 2020, there were bold plans to run smart “hotel trains” across Europe. The company expected to debut in 2025, offering overnight trains with every creature comfort from Paris to Venice.
That it didn’t work says more about entrenched interests within Europe’s rail industry than any lack of ambition or business acumen.
On the face of it, the European rail market has opened up to competition. In reality it is legacy players who are taking advantage of the new rules with little scope for new entrants. Established national operators such as Trenitalia and Renfe have been able to nibble at the French domestic market. But new players like Midnight Trains face insurmountable hurdles in getting access to venture capital and bank guarantees. I hope others are willing to try.
On Thursday, another would-be new entrant to the French high-speed market was announced. It will be interesting to see how Proxima fares when it launches in the west of France.
No one understands these challenges better than Elmer van Buuren, an engaging Dutchman who is passionate about night trains. Speaking at the World Passenger Festival in Vienna last autumn, Van Buuren declared: “The barriers to market entry are formidable. There are regulatory constraints, difficulties in securing timetable paths and a shortage of rolling stock.”
Notwithstanding those hurdles, Van Buuren’s European Sleeper launched a thrice-weekly link from Brussels and Amsterdam to Berlin last year. In March, its services extended to Prague.
Among legacy state operators, Austria’s ÖBB has done much to develop night trains. New carriages are on order, but the current network is fragmented and unreliable. Night trains are difficult to book, a problem that another French start-up called Nightgoes proposed to remedy with a unified booking platform for all European night trains. That company also folded this week.
Meanwhile, passengers intent on travelling by night across Europe find their plans thwarted. ÖBB has cancelled its regular Nightjet trains from Munich and Vienna to Rome for three months because of track work in Italy.
Long overnight routes crossing many borders come with risks. Trains are often diverted or cancelled. And, even when night trains do run, passengers are often disappointed by the sleeping cars. Bunk beds are not for everyone.
Europe’s overnight travellers deserve much more than what is currently on offer. And that means lower hurdles for new market entrants and a more competitive operating environment. The European Commission has its part to play here. With European elections this weekend, voters will be looking for parties which favour climate-friendly policies and recognise the key role of rail in delivering the EU’s green agenda.
Nicky Gardner is a Berlin-based writer. She is co-author of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide. The 17th edition (£18.99)