60 years ago, they were the pride of Europe. From the end of the 50s to the very beginning of the 80s, trains TEE (Trans-Europ-Express) criss-crossed Europe, a true symbol of luxury and comfort. Some may still remember the Mistral on the Paris-Nice line or the Capitole on the Paris-Toulouse line. The high-speed networks had in fact sounded the death knell for these prestigious trains throughout Europe.
night trains will be able to link our continent's major capitals and economic centres
And now the return of the TEE. And according to Andreas ScheuerGermany's Federal Minister for Transport, " 2021 will see the expansion of TEE 2.0. With more services on offer, we are ushering in a new golden age of rail. Eventually, night trains will be able to link our continent's major capitals and economic centres" said the Minister.
The European Union is particularly supportive of this development, which supports environmental efforts of the continent. Last July, the EU's transport chief announced that he was dedicating 1.6 billion euros for the development of rail networks.
Austria spearheads night trains
The night train is well and truly on track across the whole of Europe. " It is abouta genuine high-quality transport alternative with a European dimension. France is therefore fully committed to this renovation and reactivation of its night rail network" explained Marc PapinuttiDirector General of Infrastructure, Transport and the Sea at the Ministry of Transport. And to confirm that France will reopen the night rail link between Paris and Nice in 2021 and between Paris and Tarbes in 2022..
For Jean-Pierre FarandouGroup Managing Director SNCFnight trains must be seen by EU leaders as "the best way to get the job done".a railway instrument for European unity. Night trains can cover distances of 1,000 to 1,500 km in excellent conditions of comfort", he said.
It's a fact, Austria is at the heart of the night rail network. It invests accordingly in the modernisation of its rail infrastructure and in new night trains. " We currently operate 19 night routes, and over the next three years we plan to operate 26 in cooperation with our European partners." enthuses Andreas MatthäDirector General of the ÖBB.
The ÖBB is also strengthening its offer outside Austria. This is particularly true of Switzerland. In cooperation with SBB, the "Nightjet by 2024, Austrians are expected to represent ten routes from Switzerlandfor a total of 25 destinations.
Austrian Federal Railways is aiming to almost double the number of passengers on its night services by 2023, from 1.6 to 3 million passengers.
The four heads of the railway companies acknowledge that the night train services are difficult to make profitable because they are real "hotels on wheels with more staff and greater security. They are therefore calling for public financial support. "For example, we would like to benefit from reduced tolls for the use of rail networks." added Andreas Matthä.
Night trains to Paris in 2021
In the agreement sealed on 8 DecemberUnder the new agreement, the partners are committed to working together to promote night trains in Europe with high safety and service standards. This will mean a uniform fleet for all operators (interoperable locomotives, sleeping cars). It will also mean greater supply. 2020 will see the inauguration at the beginning of the year of a route between Vienna and Amsterdam/Brussels and this winter of a Munich-Zurich route.
Next year will see the launch of two new night services in December. LE TEE 2.0 is on its way back to Paris. A night-time service will link French capital to Vienna via Strasbourg and Munich. In addition, a second route will link Zurich to Amsterdam via Cologne.
Visit December 2023other lines will be launched: Paris/Brussels-Berlin and Berlin-Vienna. This will be followed in 2024 by a night service between Zurich and Barcelona. This should connect the south of France to the night-time network, in particular Montpellier.
