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"It is with great sadness that we must announce the death of a dream. 💶 Midnight Trains died today, surrounded by family and friends."
This was the message from Midnight Trains founder Adrien Aumont on May 💶 31, marking the end of the company's vision to create a new network of luxury night trains connecting major European 💶 cities.
Europe had been on the brink of a potential night train revolution, as travelers sought out more sustainable links between 💶 cities. The appeal of falling asleep in one city center and waking up in another, hundreds of miles away, has 💶 become increasingly attractive in an era of heightened environmental concerns and problematic air travel experiences.
However, despite the demand, startups like 💶 Midnight Trains face nearly insurmountable challenges in entering the market.
New "open access" rules that allow new operators to share Europe's 💶 rail network with existing state-owned railway companies were expected to open the doors for innovative ideas and routes. Consequently, several 💶 new operators emerged, proposing a web of new routes, cheaper fares, or more luxurious accommodations.
Nonetheless, only a few have managed 💶 to launch their services.
Sweden's Snälltåget, connecting Stockholm with Denmark and Germany, and Czech travel provider Regiojet, operating a handful of 💶 overnight routes in Central and Eastern Europe, are among the successful examples. European Sleeper, focusing solely on overnight travel, began 💶 its Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin trains in 2024 and now serves Prague three times a week.
European Sleeper's experiences, including struggles to secure appropriate 💶 trains and schedules, offer cautionary lessons for other open-access operators. The company's ambition to launch a new route each year 💶 is hindered by a shortage of suitable coaches and the complexities of navigating national railway administrations, particularly in France.
Despite a 💶 compelling argument for "clean" air travel and the potential for night trains to encourage people to shift to rail travel 💶 on medium-distance routes, Midnight Trains was unable to secure the necessary financial backing. The European Union's rail market, while theoretically 💶 open to competition, has primarily opened up to itself, leaving new entrants at a disadvantage.
Crescente demanda
Midnight Trains aimed to offer a deluxe "hotel on wheels" experience between Paris and Barcelona starting in 2025.
Long-term plans 💶 included serving 10 destinations radiating from Paris, including Milan/Venice, Florence/Rome, Hamburg, Berlin, and Copenhagen, as well as connections to Madrid, 💶 Porto, and Edinburgh via the Channel Tunnel.
Although Midnight Trains discussed options with various suppliers, it did not secure any suitable 💶 overnight vehicles, nor did it initiate the process of building or refurbishing them according to its proposed specifications. All prospective 💶 open-access train operators face a significant challenge in sourcing appropriate "pre-loved" rolling stock.
Advocates of open-access night trains are urging the 💶 European Union to facilitate the creation of new services by helping fund the procurement of specialized night train coaches, which 💶 could then be leased to train companies.
"European Sleeper demonstrates that demand for long-distance cross-border passenger rail, including night trains, is 💶 growing fast, and that such services can be operated in a commercially viable open-access manner," explains Brooks.
However, challenges persist beyond 💶 acquiring the trains. Traditional venture capitalists and infrastructure funds are not equipped to invest in risky, complex, long-term projects, and 💶 rail vehicle leasing companies are reluctant to invest in rolling stock without a guaranteed long-term operating contract.
Night trains are inherently 💶 complicated, labor-intensive, and expensive to operate, which has contributed to their decline since the 1970s.
"The effort required to get new 💶 sleeper trains up and running should not be underestimated," adds rail expert Mark Smith, better known as online rail travel 💶 guru The Man in Seat 61. "But ÖBB and start-ups such as European Sleeper are proving that it can be 💶 done."
Legacy railways have found it easier to deliver better overnight trains. ÖBB, working with Swiss Federal Railways and Germany's Deutsche 💶 Bahn, has reinvigorated overnight routes linking hubs in Vienna and Zürich with cities in Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Czechia, 💶 France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
This success has encouraged other countries, including Italy, France, and Sweden, to re-examine overnight operations and 💶 propose new carriages to improve their offering.
Italian State Railways has ordered 70 new carriages for night trains, featuring high-quality cabins 💶 with en suite toilets and showers, some with double beds.
With the notable exception of Nightjet, European night train services have 💶 yet to meet expectations. Demand is growing, but the immense challenges of financing and setting up new operations are suppressing 💶 growth.
Formidable operational, political, and financial obstacles will not disappear overnight. A concerted effort by the EU and member states is 💶 required to deliver railways truly open to competition, ensuring the long-awaited revolution in European night trains can thrive.
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