Nights on Tracks

Some night train fans may wonder why there aren’t more connections in Europe. However, there are many routes that have already been planned but were never realised. In this article, you can find out why Zurich doesn’t have more night trains on its departure board or how a night service almost ran through the Channel Tunnel.

Zurich – Barcelona
From the Swiss financial metropolis to the beach in Barcelona without changing trains sounds like music to the ears of many night train fans. But then, in spring 2025, the sad certainty: The connection cannot be financed. Although the Swiss federal government had originally planned to subsidise night trains with up to 30 million CHF a year, these subsidies have now been cancelled for good (Travel Inside, 2024). This is particularly unfortunate as SBB was already well advanced in its discussions about the new connection to Catalonia (Ehrbar, 2024).

Zurich – Rome
The Zurich – Rome connection was also cancelled due to the lack of subsidies. Bitter, because the Italian railway had already procured rolling stock that could be used (Ehrbar, 2024). A look into the past shows that such a connection is perfectly feasible, as until December 2009, a night train ran between Switzerland and the Italian capital (Ehrbar, 2021).

Warsaw – Innsbruck
The Czech private railway company Regiojet had plans for a night train from Warsaw to the Tyrolean mountains in 2022. Although it already had a licence to operate its own trains in Austria, this connection was never realised. The plan was more precisely to operate ski trains to Innsbruck and other ski resorts, which were initially expected to run twice a week (Burroughs, 2022).

Swansea – Paris
From May 1994, the so-called ‘Nightstar’ should have carried passengers from Swansea to Paris while they slept. After a passport check, the departure time in Wales was scheduled for 9.15 p.m. The train should have entered the Channel Tunnel at around 4.15 a.m., arrived in France at 5.15 a.m. and reached Paris Nord exactly 11 hours after departure. A stop in London was also planned. According to a pricing policy draft published by European Passenger Services, this service should have cost ‘similar prices to airline club and economy tickets’. However, these airlines were ultimately the main reason why the connection was never realised. The emergence of low-cost carriers in 1995 destroyed the ‘Nightstar’ business model. In 2001, the dream was definitively shattered: The 139 wagons purchased were shipped to Canada, where they are still in use between Montreal and Halifax (James, 2023).

Midnight Trains
The European rail company founded in 2020 had big plans: Midnight Trains wanted to run luxurious night trains as ‘hotels on wheels’ from Paris to destinations such as Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Copenhagen. However, instead of the first planned route to Venice being realised in 2024, it was cancelled. The reason given was the lack of funding from investors. According to the founders, the measures to open up the European rail network were also not aimed at helping new market participants in this sector, but instead favoured the existing state rail operators (Gill, 2024).

As you see, Zurich has missed the chance to become one of the most important hubs in European night train traffic. The planned connections usually failed due to lack of funding. But low-cost airlines can also be the reason why plans for a night train connection once again fall through.

Sources:

Burroughs, D. (2022, 17. March). RegioJet awarded Austrian operating licence. Retrieved on 23.05.2025, from https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/main-line/regiojet-awarded-austrian-operating-licence/

Ehrbar, S. (2021, 29. May). SBB planen Nachtzug nach Rom bereits im nächsten Frühling – aber in Bern kann der Zug wahrscheinlich doch nicht halten. Retrieved on 23.05.2025, from https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/wirtschaft/ausbau-sbb-planen-nachtzug-nach-rom-bereits-im-naechsten-fruehling-aber-in-bern-kann-der-zug-wahrscheinlich-doch-nicht-halten-ld.2142869

Ehrbar, S. (2024, 19. September). Warum der Bund den neuen Nachtzügen nach Rom und Barcelona den Stecker ziehen könnte. Retrieved on 23.05.2025, from https://www.watson.ch/schweiz/sbb/369867227-bund-koennte-sbb-plaene-fuer-neue-nachtzuege-nach-rom-und-barcelona-verhindern

Gill, R. (2024, 04. June). Midnight Trains ends dream of starting European rail services. Retrieved on 23.05.2025, from https://www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Ground-Transport/Midnight-Trains-ends-dream-of-starting-European-rail-services

James, L. (2023, 27. May). ‘Go to bed in Swansea, wake up in Paris’: The story of Wales’ forgotten sleeper train to France. Retrieved on 25.05.2025, from https://nation.cymru/culture/go-to-bed-in-swansea-wake-up-in-paris-the-story-of-wales-forgotten-sleeper-train-to-france/

Travel Inside (2024, 21. November). Geplante Nachtzugverbindung Zürich – Barcelona auf Eis gelegt. Retrieved on 23.05.2025, from https://abouttravel.ch/reisebranche/geplante-nachtzugverbindung-zuerich-barcelona-auf-eis-gelegt/