Once considered relics by a vintage novel, the bulls are the protagonists of European travels today. It is not only a matter of nostalgia: the flight crisis at torn prices, the urgency of reducing emissions and the search for practical solutions have reported night trains to the center of mobility policies.
From the crisis to the relaunch
In the nineties the bed carriages were widespread throughout Europe, but the arrival of low cost and high speed companies pushed them to the margins. The point of no return was in 2016, when Deutsche Bahn, the main German railway company, canceled his night connections. It seemed the end of an era. Instead, a few years later, the question returned to grow. In 2022 the same CEO of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, decreed the “end of flights at torn prices”.
The Austrian federal railways (ÖBB) took the opportunity, which relaunched the Nightjet brand, now active in 14 countries with over one and a half million passengers per year. At the wheel, startups like European Sleeper and Nox have started new routes, focusing on modern comfort and affordable prices.
Italy that has never stopped
Unlike Germany, Trenitalia has not abandoned historical lines. Every night 24 trains connect 148 stations, from Turin to Reggio Calabria, from Milan to Lecce. By 2026 the renewal of the fleet is expected, while collaborations with the Austrian and Swiss railways for international sections continue.
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The request is not only from commuters or workers: more than half of travelers consist of tourists, who choose the night by train to save on hotels and reach destinations such as Tropea, Otranto or San Candido without stress.
The movement that pushes the tracks
Behind the relaunch there are not only railway companies, but also a pressure from the bottom. The European Back-On-Track Movement, born in Brussels in 2014, has just opened an Italian section. “Long-distance rail transport was undergoing a dramatic downsizing, while the aviation grew for volumes and emissions,” Giovanni Antoniazzi, spokesman for Back-On-Track Italia, told the fact. “Night trains are the only sustainable alternative”.
The requests of the Association are precise: abolition of VAT on international railway tickets, kerosene tax, more investments in bed carriages and a unified ticket system. “Those who pollute pays: we cannot continue to subsidize air transport,” said Antoniazzi.
Opportunities and obstacles
A study by the German Ministry of Transport confirms that night trains produce 28 times less emissions than planes. Still, the sector remains penalized: higher taxes on the railways, lack of new convoys, not very updated booking platforms. The European Commission had announced an integrated ticket office system, but the reform was postponed.
As Antoniazzi explained: “Traveling at night by train means imagining a connected Europe, less dependent on planes and more just for everyone. It is not a vintage dream, but a concrete necessity”.
