Sleeper trains are undoubtedly the transportation trend at present. With new routes garnering significant media coverage, travelers are prioritizing spending a night on the tracks near the top of their wishlists.
Actually, passenger statistics from France indicate that night trains might keep experiencing peak traveler numbers – provided the supply can match the demand.
A recent report from the French climate advocacy organization Réseau Action Climat highlights that the primary obstacle to the success of sleeper services is an insufficient number of trains.
France's overnight trains set records for passenger numbers in 2024
In 2024, night trains in France are set to become one of the nation's most favored modes of transportation, marking a record-breaking year for this mode of travel. sleeper services , serving over a million passengers annually in France.
On average, night trains had an occupancy rate of 76 percent, with the two primary routes—Paris-Toulouse and Paris-Nice—even exceeding 80 percent capacity.
Between 2019 and 2024, the route connecting Paris and Toulouse saw an increase of almost 100,000 extra passengers (a growth rate of 64 percent).
Evening train services are gaining popularity among professionals, accounting for 30 percent of customers in 2023.
Despite frequent delays and a three-month service interruption in 2024, both international routes (Paris-Vienna and Paris-Berlin) saw significant ridership.
According to a survey According to the Europe on Rails group, 72 percent of French citizens would consider taking the night train if the pricing were more reasonable and connections were readily available.
France is having difficulty fulfilling the high demand for night trains.
Although these increasing passenger figures ought to be seen as a good indicator, France’s restricted train fleet struggles to keep up with the rising demand.
Actually, this is coercing travellers The climate organization's study discovered that people might opt for alternate, frequently more polluting transportation methods or decide to skip their journey altogether.
To ease overcrowding on current routes and establish new ones, the study determined that France must significantly increase its number of sleeping cars well past the present total of 129.
Moreover, these routes should be expanded to link cities outside of Paris with other major European centers.
Night trains are a multi-beneficial solution
The report emphasizes that restoring night trains to their proper functioning would yield numerous advantages.
Initially, these methods serve as a vital link for connecting remote or secluded regions with urban centers without necessitating passenger transfers during transit.
Although longer than flying, night trains are also a more environmentally friendly way to get between Europe’s major cities.
Out of the 10 primary air routes connecting France to various destinations, rest of Europe At minimum, six routes can be traveled overnight by train: (Paris-Madrid, Paris-Barcelona, Paris-Milan, Paris-Rome, Nice-London, and Paris-Venice).
Opting for a sleeper service instead of a high-speed TGV daytime equivalent can also save you money .
For instance, the overnight train from Paris to Toulouse begins at roughly €30 less expensive compared to the TGV, eliminating the necessity of paying for an additional hotel stay.
How France Could Transform Its Night Train Services
The report suggests two potential strategies for growth, both aiming for implementation by 2035.
The more modest objective is to achieve a total of 340 sleepers, enabling the resumption of routes like Paris-Barcelona and Nice-Strasbourg.
In this situation, up to 3.6 million travelers could be transported and approximately 400,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents could be saved, according to the statement.
The more ambitious plan involves increasing the number of cars to 600, as suggested by the Ministry of Transport’s 2024 report on nighttime services. trains .
This could facilitate the resumption of routes like Paris-Venice or Bordeaux-Lyon, enabling the transportation of up to 5.8 million passengers and helping to reduce emissions by approximately 800,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents.
According to the report, by 2040, the plan includes increasing the fleet size to 1,200 trains, enabling direct international routes without passing through Paris (such as Lyon-Rome, Nantes-Barcelona, Marseille-London).
These would carry 12 million passengers and save 2 million tons of CO2 equivalent.
“The record ridership in 2024 demonstrates the French people's appetite for night trains,” Réseau Action Climat writes.
Political commitment was present in 2020 when reversing the trend and restarting nighttime operations. This same dedication is required now to amplify these changes.
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