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SBB considers bringing back night trains
filed on: 31.05.2019 (31st May 2019)
This newslog has reported the slow demise of night train services from Switzerland. SBB officially pulled out of the business in 2009 but foreign railway companies continued to serve Switzerland. The train to Spain was lost in 2012, and that to Denmark in 2014 (I believe the through coaches to Moscow and Minsk were discontinued at the same time). Finally in 2016, DB pulled the plug on all its remaining night trains (two of them serving Switzerland) but fortunately ÖBB stepped in and now runs a train to Berlin and Hamburg (but not Amsterdam unfortunately). There are also still two night trains to Austria, taking through coaches to Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia.
So, despite some respite, the long terms prospects for night trains would appear to be ever deeper retrenchment. Despite widespread concern about pollution and greenhouse gases caused by airplanes, the Kyoto protocol apparently excluded air traffic. But despite all that, a report in yesterday's NZZ says SBB are looking into new night train connections. If any are agreed on, these will take two to three years to implement due to the lead time for ordering rolling stock. The new connections would not be operated independeently but in cooperation with ÖBB.
Good news at last? Watch this space.
This news item is from the 2019 newslog.
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