“For me, the night train represents a future solution and a credible alternative to the plane. From an environmental point of view, night train journeys, which can easily replace flights over a distance of 700 to 1600 kilometres, have a much lower impact on the planet than air travel. In addition to the strictly ecological aspect, night trains offer us a level of comfort that is incomparable to other modes of travel, and give us the possibility of crossing several regions in the time of a dream.”
Karima Delli, Member of the European Parliament, Europe Ecologie, France, Chairwoman of the Committee on Transport and Tourism
“Night trains help us in connecting Europe, improving citizens’ life while enhancing sustainable mobility. As a MEP, I think night trains are really important to give passengers more choice and reduce short-range flights and private transportation, in this way playing a role in reaching our environmental goals.”
Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament, Partito Democratico, Italy
“I hope for the reintroduction of night trains in Europe, because they are the climate-friendly alternative to flying. They also make travelling more comfortable and save time, as the journey takes place overnight. They thus bring people in Europe closer together and, like no other means of transport, represent the European idea of cooperation and the crossing of national borders.”
Franziska Brantner, German MP, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Germany
“At the heart of the European continent, Switzerland must play an active role in promoting night trains. This is the future of our travel in Europe!”
Mathias Reynard, National Councillor, Socialist Party, Switzerland
“My best memory of travelling by night train was when I was doing my military service. I left Strasbourg in the evening to arrive in Toulon with the first rays of sunshine and reach the military port. That’s when I became aware of the many advantages of night trains. Today, our fellow citizens are more and more attentive to the choice of their means of travel. Night trains represent a credible alternative to the use of airplanes or private cars and, more often than not, are cheaper for the user. It is a type of transport of the future that I have always been keen to defend when lines were threatened with closure. There is now potential for the development of Europe-wide night train lines because they are particularly relevant for long-distance travel in Europe. I think it is important to give a boost to this dynamic!”
Fabienne Keller, Member of the European Parliament, the Constructive Right, France
“Not only is travelling by train at night environmentally friendly, but it is also a stress-free way to travel. We need to rapidly develop offers across the whole of Europe from North to South and from East to West.”
Isabelle Chevalley, National Councillor, Greenliberals, Switzerland
“Travelling by train is simply an experience, especially with a night train! Especially in our fast-moving times, the night train offers a healthy deceleration. The night train stands for calmness and tranquillity, but at the same time for modern progress. I would like to see a Europe-wide night train network. But this network must not be limited to Western Europe. Warsaw and Prague belong to the network just like Paris or Barcelona.”
Picture : Deutscher Bundestag/ Inga Haar
Alexander Krauss, German MP, Christian democratic Union (CDU)
“I think night trains are a great alternative to flying, especially for elderly and sick people. Boarding a train in the evening in one city and seeing a new city the next morning is fantastic. And there is an urgent need to catch up. There is definitely a gap in supply here!”
Katrin Budde, German MP, Social Democratic Party (SPD)
