The Swiss environmental organization “Umverkehr” came on national radio today 22.4. It was here announced, that “Umverkehr” will team up with partners abroad in the fight for night trains. In June Umverkehr will join the demonstrations in Europe.
Airplanes as the replacement to overnight trains
Umverkehr has made a survey: Where the night train is missing, most survey participants (64 percent) consider the aircraft as a replacement.
Politically, the climate is questionable, says “Umverkehr” -chairperson Philippe Koch to the consumer magazine “Espresso” on Radio SRF 1: “It is obvious. The removal of the night train lines leads one to one for the promotion of aviation”
Sleeper wake-up call to the SBB
The mentioned survey is related to a petition for obtaining the night trains – and also the SBB to animate “itself out exactly what they could do in terms of night trains.” At the moment it does little: 2009, SBB sold their sleeper and couchette cars for economic reasons.
The remaining night trains are operated by foreign railways. These operators decide about which connections they offer, says SBB spokesman Christian Ginsig. “SBB has only limited influence here, unfortunately.”
>> Listen to the Swiss radio program with “Umverkehr” from 22.4. 2015