Association presentation
The Night Train Objective association is committed to the fight against climate change by promoting rail transport, a means of transport six times less energy-consuming and nine times less CO2 emitting than road transport. We aim to decarbonise freight and passenger transport while reducing their energy consumption.
We are specifically interested in low daily volume freight and passenger flows, which cannot individually guarantee the economic viability of their rail transport. By grouping them in the same convoy on relevant axes, we work to restore this viability to them.
Thus, we initiated a feasibility study for a “mixed” night train, named Lunatrain MV, which groups in the same convoy vehicles carrying passengers and freight. The study carried out by Rail Concept, a company specialized in the railway field, explored the possibility of running this train on the major European transport corridor Barcelona – Perpignan – Strasbourg – Frankfurt-Am-Main.
You can download the complete economic and technical feasibility study of this first Lunatrain MVGV 160 “freight & passengers” project carried out during 2020 despite successive lockdowns, these did not make the task easier for the stakeholders.
The economic and financial results of this study were quite broadly positive, demonstrating that cost optimisation and increased night train frequency could exceed the break-even point.
Encouraged by these results, we plan to move to the next phase: operational experimentation.
Our goal is to launch the Demonstrator on the international line Barcelona – Frankfurt-Am-Main which was the subject of the preliminary study. Subsequently, we aim to secure the necessary funding to develop this operating model and to deepen the economic study of the Demonstrator.
In parallel, we are engaging in a process of dialogue with stakeholders and adapting to evolving technologies, such as digital automatic coupling. This work will allow us to improve the economic efficiency of the European railway system.
Night Train Objective is available to potential funders to share its know-how and assist in conducting a second feasibility study on another line, West / East (from Brest to Stuttgart).
Join us to contribute to a more sustainable future through an innovative approach to rail transport.
NIGHT TRAIN OBJECTIVE
1901 law association registered under the SIRENE number 851 764 662 – Email : contact@lunatrain.eu
Postal address : 3 allée des Libellules , 84800 L’ISLE SUR LA SORGUE– Tel.:+33 6 68 35 25 55
