Night Trains: A Comeback by 2030?

Only eight overnight Intercités train routes are currently in service. France aims to introduce about a dozen new routes by 2030.

Here is the current overnight train offer:

• Paris-Toulouse,
• Paris-Briançon,
• Paris-Nice,
• Paris-Albi,
• Paris-Argelès-sur-Mer
• Paris-Aix-les-Thermes
• Paris-Cannes
• Paris-Lourdes

A limited number of routes that allow some travelers to optimize their journeys and arrive refreshed early in the morning.

Good news for those living in other regions: the Ministry of Transport has announced the opening of about ten new national routes by 2030! According to the Ministry, on a Paris-Nice route, environmental impact can be reduced by up to 27 times! An average traveler emits about 3 kg of CO₂ if traveling by train, compared to 82 kg when choosing the plane.

Furthermore, fares are currently unbeatable, with Intercités tickets available from just €19 if you choose a reclining seat, then increasing to €29 for a second-class couchette, and finally €39 for a first-class couchette.

So what are the future night train routes?

Exactly one year ago, the French government announced the resurgence of night train routes. Among the new destinations are Latour de Carol (Pyrénées-Orientales), Tarbes, Bayonne, and Saint-Sébastien (Spain), as well as routes from Paris to Perpignan, Cerbère, and from Paris to Toulouse, Montpellier, and Marseille. There are also connections between cities without passing through Paris, such as Metz to Geneva, as well as Nice/Barcelona/Bordeaux and Bordeaux-Nice. However, French and Spanish railway companies have ruled out the possibility of establishing a night train between Paris and Barcelona in their strategic plans.

Despite government announcements, French and Spanish operators prefer to focus on the TGV. “If demand increases on this route, we would prefer to add more high-speed services rather than a night train,” explains Jean-Baptiste Guenot, Director of International Development at SNCF.

Source: Equinoxmagazine.fr

Also read: Grenoble-Gap Train: SNCF finally reopens the line!