The growing popularity of overnight sleeper trains in Europe—a sharp turnaround from their near-demise less than ten years ago—is leading not only to more routes, but to a whole new generation of sleeping cars.
ÖBB, the Austrian national rail carrier which has led the renaissance, showed off the first of its new generation of Nightjet trains last week in Vienna. The 33 new trains will eventually replace most of the older equipment the carrier took over from Germany’s DB in 2016.
Design of the new cars is based on passengers’ perceived priorities, more privacy and safety. The trains have seven cars each, with choices of one-, two- or 4-person private lockable compartments as well as two cars without compartments but with comfortable reclining seats. Also included are free wireless, outlets and dimmable lighting.
The trains, which will appear in batches through 2025, have room for 254 passengers and are capable of travel up to 230km/h, although in practice they will often operate at slower speeds because the journey is meant to last until morning. On the other hand, the higher speed could allow some longer routes.
Nightjet operations are promised to be kept at reasonable prices, with at least some tickets priced in the €50-€100 range to keep journeys competitive with airlines, since reducing emissions is one of the goals. The trains also provide roll-on wheelchair accessibility, which air travel does not.
