Sleeper trains and other privacy-enhanced rail services have a bright future in European rail service, while the revival future is harder to predict for other services, according to a new edition of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide.
The book, published by Hidden Europe, suggests that the pandemic has had long-term effects on how people view personal space, which will only help the demand for sleepers with private compartments.
The past few years have seen a growth in such services, under leadership of the Austrian rail system, and others are joining in, including a new SNCF service to launch this spring from Paris to Nice. A number of other routes are also in the works. Perhaps we will even see a revival of corridor-and-compartment style trains that have given way in recent years to open seating.
The authors see a slower return for some services, such as Eurostar between London and European cities. That one, in particular, may be impacted by Brexit issues in travel plans.
