European Railroad Discussion > Renewed Optimism for European Overnight Services

The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure has released a report supporting the return of
overnight sleeper services from Amsterdam to various destinations including Vienna,
Munich, Zürich, Prague, Turin and Milan.  Amsterdam(and Brussels) are presently no
longer served by regular overnight services.

The governments of Sweden and Switzerland have also recently endorsed working with
both state-owned and private operators to revive overnight services to neighboring
countries.  In addition, Austria's ÖBB and the Netherlands' NS have just started
negotiations to extend ÖBB's NightJet Vienna/Innsbruck to Dusseldorf service to
Amsterdam.

From today's IRJ:
https://www.railjournal.com/news/strong-case-for-overnight-trains-to-amsterdam/

Quite the opposite of what's happening in the U.S.  The overnight trains to Amsterdam are much needed. Schipol Airport the third busiest in Europe. An overnight train from elsewhere on the Continent would allow for a same morning transfer to a flight back to the U.S. thus avoiding an expensive night at the Airport Hilton and more time for tourist/rail activities the previous day. Hope more overnight trains come back soon.

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Quite the opposite of what's happening in the
> U.S.  The overnight trains to Amsterdam are much
> needed. Schipol Airport the third busiest in
> Europe. An overnight train from elsewhere on the
> Continent would allow for a same morning transfer
> to a flight back to the U.S. thus avoiding an
> expensive night at the Airport Hilton and more
> time for tourist/rail activities the previous day.
> Hope more overnight trains come back soon.

A few years ago we rode from Florence to Paris on an overnight train. Delayed somewhere in the night, we rolled into Paris several hours late and nearly missed our flight home. Never again. We now always plan at least one night in Paris on our return. Forget about trying to make any flights the same day unless you like drama. The bad news is you will need the expense of one more night, the good news it will be in Paris. A night stay in an AirBnB or local hotel is worth the cost. Then, out to CDG on the RER first thing in the morning. 

Indeed, here in Switzerland political pressure is buildiung up to reinstall overnight trains again. Plan are that the SBB joins the ÖBB-Nightjet system. ÖBB offers some destinations from  Switzerland (Zürich-Vienna-Budapest, Zürich-Graz, Zürich-Berlin, Zürich-Hamburg). Still missing and hopefully returning in 2-3 years are Zürich-Rome-Napoli... Let's hope

 

ATSF3751 Wrote:
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> A few years ago we rode from Florence to Paris on
> an overnight train. Delayed somewhere in the
> night, we rolled into Paris several hours late and
> nearly missed our flight home. Never again. We now
> always plan at least one night in Paris on our
> return. Forget about trying to make any flights
> the same day unless you like drama. 

Even in Europe, relying on a train schedule for a close connection to an expensive international flight is just colossally poor planning.  My OBB train from Vienna to Zurich was delayed on the west side of the Arlberg Pass by a freight train that had broken down.  OBB was pretty efficient, getting us moving after only a 90 minute delay, but the person behind me spent most of the rest of the trip yammering into their cell phone about how they were going to miss their $5000 biz class flight back to the US, and since it was a non-changable ticket, by no-showing they would lose the value of the ticket.  So, great idea to take an overnight train after you arrive in Europe in the morning, but on the way back stay in the airport hotel and save the stress.  BSB