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.
Yet one year later, such grand visions have yet to pan out in reality. 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.
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 (OBB), which operates the connection between Berlin and Paris, reported that the night trains have yet to make a profit.
"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."
Collection
[
|
...
]