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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Jon Worth

Europe was promised a new golden age of the night train. Why are we still waiting?

A night train on the platform at the main station in Berlin, 11 December 2023.
A night train on the platform at the main station in Berlin, 11 December 2023. Photograph: Michele Tantussi/AFP/Getty Images

As Europeans woke up to the joy of travel post-lockdown, it looked as though we were in store for a resurgence of continent-crossing night trains. Sleeper train fans hailed a “night train renaissance” and a “rail revolution”, combining some of the nostalgia for an old way of travelling with modern climate and sustainable transport concerns.

The long-distance European train journey might be slower than a short-haul flight, but it is surely better in terms of the environment and the traveller experience. For those on a budget, the prospect of saving on a night in a hotel appeals too.

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