Rail transport services with night trains from Berlin to Paris and Brussels will be canceled from mid-August until the end of October, due to construction works on the rail network in Germany and France, reports DPA.
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The route is operated by Austrian Federal Railways (OBB). Also, the night train between Vienna and Paris will be temporarily suspended due to construction works.
There will be no connections between August 12 and October 25 and no tickets will be sold for this period, OBB said in a statement.
Night trains practically disappeared in Europe in the 2010s, due to their low profitability and competition from air travel. But, nowadays, they are demanded by the public due to their ecological advantages and affordable prices and, consequently, they are starting to be reintroduced all over the continent.
In December, night trains between Berlin and Paris were launched. OBB had originally planned three trips a week, but recently reduced the pace.
The Austrian company OBB is the leader in this segment thanks to the ‘Nightjets’, the old night trains bought from Deutsche Bahn and modernized to meet the current requirements.
Overnight trains have returned to Europe after decades of decline, raising the prospect of more sustainable ways to cross the continent as travelers seek alternatives to planes.
Even before their return, night trains could be a pleasant, memorable and sometimes economical way to travel long distances – but luck was always a factor.
At best, fares can be a bargain, combining the cost of a bed for one night and hundreds of kilometers of travel, but prices rise quickly on busy routes, often making them unaffordable for most travelers.
Wherever they run, night trains are complicated, labor-intensive and expensive to operate – one of the main reasons they have fallen into decline.
Delays are frequently measured in hours rather than minutes due to night diversions, while the quality of accommodation has been uneven, ranging from modern and comfortable to basic and dated.
