On Sunday evening, despite the damp, cold weather, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister Delegate for Transport, and Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO of SNCF, travelled to Gare d'Austerlitz to celebrate the arrival of the new train. the relaunch of night trains with the first departure of Paris-Briançon at 20.52 and Paris-Tarbes-Lourdes an hour later. The return of this night-time rail service by SNCF has been made possible by the €100 million allocated by the government in 2020 as part of the Plan France Relance.
La Paris-Nice route relaunched last May was the first to lead the way, and already boasts an occupancy rate of around 80%. Other lines were to follow, " around ten by 2030" confirmed the Minister. He went on to mention Bordeaux, Rodez and Albi, Bayonne and San Sebastian (in Spain), Perpignan, Cerbère and Barcelona, as well as Limoge and Toulouse, Montpellier and Marseille. For his part, Prime Minister Jean Castex recently stated that he was keen to see the opening of a Paris-Aurillac night train, which was not provided for in the planned scheme, in which Brittany is conspicuously absent.
Showers on arrival at Paris-Austerlitz for 1st class passengers
" It's a new beginning, not a step backwards. Conditions are now more favourable for night trains because of the climate emergency, which requires us to reduce the carbon footprint of travelWe've got everything we need to succeed. We have everything we need to succeed" said Jean-Pierre Farandou. These Intercités night trains operate a daily return service, with fares starting from €19 for a 2nd reclining seat, €29 for a 2nd couchette (six seats per compartment, but only four at present due to the Covid) and €39 for a 1st couchette (four seats).
To win over customers, the trains have been renovated and fitted with new beddingA new bed, a soft duvet and a redesigned toilet. Not forgetting, above all, the addition of Wi-Fi and an electrical socket for each berth. Finally, inspired by the air, a lounge reserved for 1st class passengers on arrival has been created in Paris-Austerlitz, close to the platforms. This will appeal to business travellers looking for a fresh new look when they arrive in the capital. This reception area could eventually be made available to 2nd class customers at an additional cost.
Linking Paris to major European capitals
The return to favour of night trains also applies to international services, where several European lines have been brought back into service in recent years. Paris-Vienna will be the next from tomorrow, Tuesday 12 December, on the initiative of ÖBB, the Austrian railways, in partnership with the German DB (with a stop in Munich), the Swiss CFF and the SNCF. Jean-Baptiste Djebbari and Jean-Pierre Farandou will be together again for the occasion, this time at Paris-Est station.
" I want more night trains linking Paris to European capitals" added Jean-Baptiste Djebbari last night. After the Paris-Berlin service at the end of 2023 (via Brussels), the Minister is studying the feasibility of other services. to Madrid, Rome, Copenhagen or Stockholm. " At the beginning of 2022, I will be launching a call for expressions of interest to kick-start these projects, which need to be supported while they find their audience." he added. He also mentioned the possibility of European crossings, including a Zurich-Lyon-Barcelona route in 2024 and a Luxembourg-Strasbourg-Barcelona route via Metz, Nancy, Montpellier and Perpignan.
The challenge of finding 300 cars to renovate
With regard to this European rail service, it intends to make a qualitative leap forward with the introduction of 1st class sleeping cars in 2025 or 2026 in addition to the traditional sleeping cars and reclining seats. However, this whole plan to revive night trains involves finding "300 cars to be renovated, representing an investment of at least €800 million, including the 30 locomotives and two workshops." said the Transport Minister.
Achieving this objective will be no mean feat, because many of these cars have been scrapped and no manufacturer is currently producing them. What's more, several European rail companies are carrying out similar research in order to restore other night services on the Old Continent, not hesitating to go as far as Russia to buy outdated carriages. In order to have these "new" trains available from 2026, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari does not rule out " use one or more private leasing companies to operate and manage the trains, as is the case in Germany and the UK" . To be continued...
