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Night train developments, some clouds and a lot of silver lining
filed on: 06.08.2020 (6th Aug 2020)
The last few months have seen numerous developments on the night train scene. Although many services were temporarily suspended due to the corona virus, these have mostly resumed and, with growing concerns over the environemtal imapct of flights, there are promising developments - with possibly some semblance of political backing - that new services may be added.
In Spain night train services were suspended in connection with the lockdown. In an article on 26th May, Renfe informed that after the ending of the lockdown, national night train services would not be resumed. This would affect Madrid to A Coruña, Pontevedra and Ferrol, and Barcelona to A Coruña and Vigo. The internation Madrid to Lisboa and Lisbon to Hendaye services were not mentioned specifically and it is assumed these were to be resumed. Following protests, Renfe apparently back-pedalled on this decison and said the services would resume.
In Germany, a private operator is providing a night train from Salzburg to Sylt. The train runs twice a week and only from July to September.
Sweden is introducing a seasonal (wintersport) weekly night train from Stockholm to the Austrian Alps (Zell am See) from 2021. The summer only Berlin to Malmö night train via Sassnitz and train ferry is being discontinued over tightended safety requirements on the ferry. This is to my knowledge the world's last remaining train ferry to carry a sleeper train. Snälltåget is looking into an all-year Stockholm to Berlin via Denmark night train starting from 2021.
Hungary is in the process of refurbishing the CAF sleeping and couchette cars used on the Zürich route, and is also seeking to acquire 22 second hand cars for unspecified night train service.
Following the winding down of the Corona shutdown measures, night trains from Switzerland to Prague, Budapest etc have been progressively resumed in late June or early July. SBB (with some pressure from the government) is also saying they are looking at re-establishing lost night train connections including to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Rome.
Moving a little further into the realms of fantasy, there have also been calls for airlines to operate night trains,
source: bahnforum.ch
This news item is from the 2020 newslog.
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