Well before the hype of European Sleeper‘s Ostend – Prague and Ostend – Warsaw routes and of Moonlight Express‘ Barcelona – Perpignan – Brussels – Berlin dream, Sweden announced going for a night train from Malmö to Cologne and Brussels. But now, a French minister is implying a Paris – Brussels – Cologne – Copenhagen – Malmö sleeper train. 

Train travel is living a momentum. At least on paper and in conversations, as there is still this COVID-19 reality and no-one has a crystal ball to predict how travellers will react to increasing ideological pressure on short flights. 

But anyway, international train travel from high speed day trains to night trains are experiencing a hype.

Paris – Nice

This week, SNCF relaunched the Paris – Nice night train, attended by Prime Minister Jean Castex. The Paris – Nice has no beds but only couchettes. But the rolling stock is being modernised. 

It was on this occasion that Minister Delegate for Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari (LREM) this map of potential night train routes. Nothing firm yet, but these routes are being investigated.

Firstly, “Minister Delegate”? A Minister Delegate (ministre délégué) is a minister in the French government in charge of a specific issue within a ministry. They are placed under the authority of a specific cabinet minister or that of the Prime Minister. According to protocol, a Minister Delegate ranks between a Minister and a Secretary of State.

Djebarri’s supervising minister is Minister for Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili (Ecologist Group).

Malmö

Whatever. Look at the map. Have you seen the red line linking Paris to Brussels, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Malmö? That would be an interesting route and affirming Brussels as a night train hub.

ÖBB‘s Nightjet to Vienna, the European Sleeper, the Moonlight Express, the Ostende – Vienne Orient Experience, Paris – Malmö. And of course Thalys, Eurostar, Izy, inOui and Benelux services. The IBRU international train manager team will have work to do. 

Other routes on the map are also promising.

• Paris – Bordeaux – Madrid.
• Paris – Rome.
• Paris – Venice.
• Paris – Vienna.
• Paris – Berlin.
• Barcelona – Zurich.
• Barcelona – Metz.

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