More Night Trains for Europe

[Just-Thinking-51]

I've been getting ads on YouTube for purchasing shares in a night train company - which seems to be Netherlands based as the ads are in Dutch. The cars themselves to not appear to be new and have limited destinations (Berlin to Amsterdam iirc) so far. I'm intrigued by the concept, but wonder how far it'll go.

If you’re US based you will not be able to “invest” with this company. If you have a EU bank account then you would be able to. They are not set up to deal with the “lack of security” banking system options we have. No US credit cards will work with there system.

If you do invest be sure it’s a sum of money you will not need in the future. While these folks have been able to start their service, it may be a flash of bright light as it vaporize next week. Think “Locomore” that operate less than a year. The route is still be used, just not by the original company, that ask you to invested in.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

From what I've been reading on European forums, Nightjet are having problems with getting their new equipment approved, and some of it will probably not be coming online as soon as OBB's bold and optimistic predictions would have us believe. Some of the legacy stuff will have to do at least another season.

I am not sure what is happening, but they seem to be having design issues with the accessibility sleeper, and possible the cab car’s design. When they did the media tour with the some of the new equipment. The coach seating in the cab cars was blocked off, and the accessibility sleeper was missing.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

We are planning to travel in the NightJet Hamburg - Zurich sleeper in November 2024. It would be nice if the new equipment is in service by then. The 2 berth compartments look great.

 

[Willbridge]

Nightjet has announced that a tri-weekly Berlin<>Paris service will be added to their network starting in mid-December 2023. Intermediate stops include Halle, Erfurt, Strasbourg. Daily operation is planned to begin in autumn 2024. It will also carry a Brussels section.

Source: Berliner Zeitung

 

[slasher-fun]

We are planning to travel in the NightJet Hamburg - Zurich sleeper in November 2024. It would be nice if the new equipment is in service by then. The 2 berth compartments look great.

Won't be in use on this line at this point, but should be on the Hamburg-Wien/Innsbruck train though.

 

[slasher-fun]

Nightjet has announced that a tri-weekly Berlin<>Paris service will be added to their network starting in mid-December 2023. Intermediate stops include Halle, Erfurt, Strasbourg. Daily operation is planned to begin in autumn 2024. It will also carry a Brussels section.

Source: Berliner Zeitung

It's actually a 2x2 train, with cars shuffling in Mannheim :
- Paris <> Berlin
- Paris <> Wien (exists as a standalone train already)
- Bruxelles <> Berlin
- Bruxelles <> Wien (currently runs with the Amsterdam <> Wien/Innsbruck train between Köln and Wien)

 

[cirdan]

Also Paris doesn't have a central train station they could use as a hub.

Traditionally the majority of night trains, at least those bound for destinations vaguely south, have departed from Gare d'Austerlitz. This station has connections to most of the main lines as well as spare space / capacity. This is why staffing and support facilities are also located there.

The night trains from Germany, Austria etc use Gare de L'Est because that is the more logical terminus for those routes. These trains are typically not staffed or supported by SNCF but by OBB etc.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

It's actually a 2x2 train, with cars shuffling in Mannheim :
- Paris <> Berlin
- Paris <> Wien (exists as a standalone train already)
- Bruxelles <> Berlin
- Bruxelles <> Wien (currently runs with the Amsterdam <> Wien/Innsbruck train between Köln and Wien)

I am personally ok with banging (switching) of the cars during the night. However the new equipment is arriving in sets of 7 railcars so not sure how this will work in the future.

 

[slasher-fun]

The new sets are similar to the current Railjets* (same base of Viaggio cars, their locomotive is a Vectron, not a Taurus), so they :
- can be coupled together, so no issue with switching, except you'll have to have 7 cars per "subtrain"
- push/pull capabilities (locomotive on one side, cab car on the other side), so reversing in stations where it's needed will only require a few minutes

*"current" because the next generation of Railjet trains will be KISS EMUs.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

European Sleeper is removing a bunk in its couchettes and adding AC (air conditioning).

One thinks it’s a heat pump set up and by removing a bunk they have the space to install a wall mount blower unit. From the wall unit you have two cooper pipes and a power cord, which should be easy to route to the heat pump outside of the compartment.

So last summer was very hot and now with this upgrade this outfit will not have a drop off of passengers due to high heat.