The announced return of this mode of transport in France and Europe is well and truly on track. Several lines have resumed service since 2020, and others should soon see the light of day.
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Choo Choo ! The night train is back. After falling into disuse, this mode of transport is experiencing a resurgence in popularity in the face of the need to reduce our CO2 emissions. Two new lines resume service on Sunday December 10 and Monday December 11. On Sunday, the Paris-Aurillac train will leave Austerlitz station in the evening to arrive in Cantal in the early morning.
This new line will initially run on weekends and during school holidays. Monday evening, the Paris-Berlin line, canceled in 2014, will make its first night journey from the German capital for an arrival scheduled for Tuesday morning in France.
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The start of a renaissance? Until 1981, no less than 550 stations were served by a night train in France, according to the count carried out by the Trains Directs website. But with the arrival of the TGV and low-cost flights, this nighttime network has gradually disappeared. In 2020, there were only two night lines left in France operated by SNCF. One between Paris and Briançon (Hautes-Alpes) and the other linking Paris to Albi (Tarn), Portbou (Spain) or Latour-de-Carol (Pyrénées-Orientales), via Toulouse.
Several lines reopened since 2020
However, this mode of transport has many advantages, notably its low carbon footprint compared to planes or cars. Faced with climate issues, Emmanuel Macron announced in July 2020 his desire to relaunch this mode of transport. In May 2021, the night train linking Paris to Nice resumed service, after three and a half years of absence. A first line put back into service, but certainly not the last, said the Minister of Transport at the time, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari. “My goal: around ten night trains in 2030.”he announced on Twitter.
Another line, Paris-Lourdes, was reopened in December 2021. Another line to the Marian city, but passing through Bordeaux, Bayonne and Pau, must be put into service in 2024. But there is, at To date, no further commissioning is planned in the coming years. “We are delighted to see the night train reborn, but we call on the State to launch without delay a network of around twenty lines, including transverse lines,” that is to say not having Paris for origin or destination, demands Nicolas Forien, member of the Yes to the Night Train collective. Gold, “It is the transverse journeys which are the longest and which most need the return of the night train.”
This occasional user joined the collective in 2015, noting the death of this mode of transport, which nevertheless constitutes a choice alternative. “We want night trains accessible to all. To have restrictive measures on planes accepted, it is necessary”estimated Nicolas Forien, who praises all its advantages. “On a nine-hour journey, traveling at night saves a lot of time. OWe fall asleep and we teleport somewhere else!“
New lines planned throughout Europe
Outside the French borders, a first line linking Paris to Vienna (Austria) has resumed service since December 2021. After Paris-Berlin, others are planned to open before 2030. Projects which are mainly carried out by private actors , including the company Midnight Trains, which notably plans to reactivate the Paris-Venice night train, closed in July 2021.
The co-founder of Midnight Trains, Adrien Aumont, plans to open several night train lines in Europe in the coming years, such as Paris-Barcelona, Paris-Rome or Paris-Porto. “We can make night trains profitable if we target the right markets”he judges, estimating 4 million potential travelers on the Paris-Venice night line. “It has nothing to do with a Paris-Aurillac, which needs to be subsidized by public money”, explains the business manager. If he does not come forward on the subject of ticket prices, Adrien Aumont assures “don’t just target rich people”while wanting “recreate a desirable, comfortable product”.
Other night train lines in Europe are also planned. A Paris-Warsaw line (operated by the historic Polish railway company PKP), a Zurich-Barcelona line passing through Lyon and Montpellier (by the Austrian company ÖBB) or even an Amsterdam-Barcelona line passing notably through Lille (by the private company European Sleepers). For the moment, the dates of commissioning of these lines are not known.