Back On Track Belgium reiterates necessity for new night train rolling stock

Back on Track Belgium, the non-profit organization that strives to make Belgium once again a hub for the night train, is happy with firm news at last.

“This train makes it possible to travel not only to the Alps overnight, but also to the great metropolis from Berlin which makes it possible to travel further to Central and Eastern Europe“, it says in a press release.

“We are still waiting for the quality of the carriages. As the cooperative itself indicated, they start with rented carriages because new purchases due to the marginalization of the means of transport by the (European) governments have not built new carriages in the past twenty years – except for the Austrian ÖBB, which is currently the market leader. Since the number of coaches remains the same and all coaches in the season are already in daily service, each new train channels a part of another night train, which is also one of the reasons why so few new night trains are starting.”

“To get more night trains, the carriage fleet needs to be expanded, and European Sleeper is aware of this. And the demand is there, we notice that from the reactions now.”

“An agency, government or private coach builder, who makes a pool of modern night train coaches available would really mean a renaissance in the range. Just look at France. The French State is renovating carriages en masse and making them available to third parties (now only the SNCF until more providers arrive).”

“There is indeed a renaissance there. Belgium can do that too! We calculated this ourselves. It would only require a fraction of funds like the Green Deal, Fitfor55…. Not only the ecology would benefit, but also the economy with more jobs, tax revenues…”

What do we think?

Back On Track Belgium’s analysis is correct obviously. Night trains need sleeper cars and couchette cars. In sleeper cars you get a bed, in couchette cars you get something closer to a bunk. 

To make a night train service really work commercially, you need to cater to different types of travellers. Environmental, budget conscious people ready to ‘roughing it’, people more prone to a certain level of luxury and people travelling for work. 

So there needs to be diversity. Danny and I are willing to pay extra for an ensuite shower-toilet combination. Not having this option is a bit of a turn-off for us.

So we share BOTB’s scepticism: we want to see it first before really believing it. 

But we should look at the reality. Russia‘s war in Ukraine, energy crisis, government budget issues, inflation, staff shortages at railway companies and rolling stock providers, politics in general… make creating a pool of night train rolling stock everything but a priority for countries. And certainly in Belgium. 

But yes, it would be very nice. 

What is Back On Track Belgium anyway?

Back On Track Belgium is the Belgian branch of the European collective Back On Track, a European network that supports and aims to improve cross-border rail traffic and night trains.

In September 2021, it published ‘A Plea for a Night Train Renaissance: Presented by Back On Track Belgium‘.

Twenty years ago, in 2003, Belgium lost its last regular night train service. It only returned in January 2020 with the Nightjet from Brussels to Vienna and Innsbruck.

More on night trains and transcontinental train travel

• EUROPEAN SLEEPER | ‘The Good Night Train’ Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin starts on 25 May 2023.
• REVIEW | ÖBB Nightjet Amsterdam – Zurich night train.
• 33 European railway companies call for massive investment in rail travel.
• Trans Europ Express 2.0 advocates a renewed extensive European train network.
• International Railway Union working on facilitating night trains, but very aware of the many challenges.
• Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin – Prague RegioJet / European Sleeper night train service delayed.
• EUROPEAN UNION | The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the European Transport Corridors.
• European Commission wants booking train tickets to be as easy as booking flights.
• Orient Express La Dolce Vita: luxury train travel in Italy from 2023.
• Future Benelux ICNG trains complete test rides for Belgium.
• Trenitalia aspires to run trains from Milan to Brussels and Amsterdam.
• Green light for ‘Green Speed’ Eurostar and Thalys merger.
• ‘Green Speed’: Train operators Thalys and Eurostar to become one.
• GREEN SPEED | 2024 Eurostar – Thalys merger marks the end of Thalys brand.
• Eurostar ex-Thalys trains will keep ‘ruby’ red livery after 2024 merger.
• SJ EuroNight announces 2022 night train service from Stockholm to Hamburg, no Malmö – Brussels for now.
• NIGHT TRAINS TO BERLIN | Stronger European Sleeper effectively takes over Moonlight Express.
• Malmö – Brussels night train to become Malmö – Brussels – Paris?.
• Ostende-Vienne Orient Experience plans tourist season night trains from Brussels and Antwerp to Salzburg, Innsbruck and Milan.
• GreenCityTrip: chartered night trains from Breda in the Netherlands to Venice, Prague, Milan, Vienna, Prague, Verona and Innsbruck.
• GreenCityTrip launches new destinations for its chartered night trains: Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Malmö, Bologna, Firenze, Bolzano, Como, Salzburg, Linz.
• Moonlight Express to offer night train services between Brussels, Liège and Berlin from April 2022.
• The couchette and sleeping cars for the Ostend – Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin – Prague European Sleeper by RegioJet.
• ‘Hotel on rails’ Midnight Trains to link Paris to Edinburgh, Brussels, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Berlin, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid and Porto.
• The couchette and sleeping cars for the Brussels – Liège – Berlin Moonlight Express.
• Moonlight Express to include bar / restaurant coaches and sustainable quality food on Brussels – Liège – Berlin night train.
• 2021, European Year of Rail.
• Nightjet Vienna/Innsbruck to Brussels, or how we got thrown off the train in Aachen.
• NIGHTJET | Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB and Swiss Federal Railways SBB-CFF-FFS present 2024 Austro-Swiss night train plans for Europe.
• Why the expensive ÖBB Nightjet is really not that expensive.
• Reliving the era of the great railway journeys, travelling overnight on Nightjet.
• How we plan a big rail trip.
• Ticket Distribution: the failure of railways to sell themselves.
• Malmö – Cologne – Brussels Night train.
• BOOK REVIEW | ‘Night Trains, The Rise and Fall of the Sleeper’ by Andrew Martin.
• To use night trains in Portugal and Spain or not?.
• Night trains in Europe.
• Low-cost, long-haul trains to conquer Europe?.
• Fly now before it’s taxed and consider using the train instead.
• Belgium to pay railway infrastructure fee and traction energy costs to lure night trains to Brussels.