🇩🇪 ZEIT Online, 3.6.25 – Night trains are taxed unfairly
‘The competitiveness of night trains is highly dependent on the development of airfares,’ says night train activist Maier [chairman of Back-on-Track.]. The catch is: ‘Since the sample survey for the Federal Ministry of Transport, airfares have fallen again.’ The framework conditions for night trains, on the other hand, have hardly improved.
âžž Shortened version online, full version with subscription
🇨ðŸ‡Repubik, 12.5.25 – The night train dilemma
‘Night trains have enormous potential,’ says Sibylle Trenck-Germann, chairwoman of the Swiss branch. An average of 118 direct flights operate between Zurich and Barcelona every week. That would be a perfect night train connection.
In addition to the expansion of new routes, night trains would have to become competitive in terms of price. ‘Trains should be cheaper than flights,’ is one of the association’s key demands.
This requires political action. In a position papier, the association calls for the abolition of VAT on international rail travel and a reduction in the cost of using the tracks for night trains across Europe. According to the association’s calculations, this alone would make tickets 15 per cent cheaper. âžž Online, also as an audio version
🇫🇮 Helsingin Sanomat, 29.5.25 – ‘This saves me time and money.’
16-year-old Peeti Saarinen has carefully noted in Excel exactly how many hours he will spend where. He plans to spend the nights on the train. (…). The backbone of his plan is the European night train network, which he researched on the website Back-on-Track.eu. ➞ Online (Paywall)
🇫🇷 ouest-france, 27.5.25 – ‘The night train is a connection between me and my family.’
Marie Garnier lives in Paris, but her roots are in Ariège, south of Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), in the Pyrenees. ‘I’ve been taking the night train for over fifty years. And my mother, who is over 80, still takes it.’ For such distances, ‘there’s nothing better,’ she assures us. ‘I have dinner in Paris, sleep on the train and get off in Latour-de-Carol in the morning. Then I can have breakfast on my terrace in my village.’
The enthusiastic supporter has decided to join the association ‘Oui au train de nuit’ (Yes to the night train), which campaigns for the opening of new routes. ‘For example, cross-connections should be developed without going via Paris,’ she says. ‘This is not a thing of the past; on the contrary, it is a means of transport for the future.’ ➞ Online (Paywall)
🇫🇷 ici/francebleu, 29.5.25 – ‘We are very pleased with the success of the Paris-Tarbes trains.’
The collective ‘Oui au train de nuit’ (Yes to the night train) is delighted with the success of night trains, particularly the SNCF route between Paris and Tarbes. It points out that investment should be made in additional sleeping cars and that at least daily connections should also be offered at weekends. ➞ Radio report (6 Min.)
🇫🇷 bref ECO, 16.5.25 – Night trains: Lyon removed from the map?
Preliminary information on the tender process for Lot C of the Trains d’Équilibre du Territoire (TET), consisting of five night train lines, has just been published by the government. The ‘Oui au Train de nuit’ (Yes to the Night Train) initiative is concerned. âžž Online (Paywall)
🇫🇷 Lourdes Actu, 29.5.25 – Successful utilisation of night train capacity: call for the construction of 340 sleeping cars
Statement from the collective ‘Oui, au train de nuit’ (Yes to night trains): “A new study by Réseau Action Climat takes stock of the success of night trains, with one million passengers expected in 2024.. âžž Online
🇫🇷 L’Indépendant, 30.5.25 – Great success for the Paris-Latour-de-Carol night train
The route between the capital and the Catalan Pyrenees carried 59,000 passengers in 2024, representing a significant increase of 11% compared to 2023. Occupancy rates have also risen, reaching 68%, which is 8 percentage points higher than in 2023.
‘Travellers continue to appreciate this train for its practicality, as they don’t lose any time during the journey while they sleep, despite the current irregularities due to construction work on the route,’ explains the collective ‘Oui au train de nuit’ (Yes to the night train). “Latour de Carol remains the main destination for this train, with some passengers continuing on to Spain. âžž Online (Paywall)