Night trains from Switzerland face challenging revival

KEYSTONE

Night trains are regaining popularity, but the Basel-Amsterdam route reveals the railway's struggle to meet growing demand.

Marleen Hengeveld often travels by night train from Switzerland to her home in the Netherlands. It’s cramped in her compartment. The Dutchwoman has already experienced a lot: “Once our sleeping car broke down. We had to make do with a seat for the whole night.” Nevertheless, she remains loyal to the night train. “It’s romantic and better for the environment than taking a plane.” The train departs Basel shortly after 11pm – and Marleen Hengeveld tries to sleep.

However, railway experts say the Basel-Amsterdam night train is a “problem train”. Operated by Swiss Federal Railways in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railways, its outdated rolling stock often results in breakdowns due to a lack of spare parts. Federal Railways night service project manager, Robér Bormann, acknowledges the issue and apologises to passengers.

Student Nathan Soer, a regular night train traveller, shares his frustrations, citing delays and cancellations. Yet, he values the ecological benefits over air travel, a sentiment echoed by other young passengers.

While night train travel experiences a renaissance, challenges persist. Swiss politicians propose subsidising night trains and international connections, but they struggle to compete with planes.

Journalist Niklas Hoth, a frequent night train user, highlights recurrent problems jeopardising the night trains’ comeback. His scheduled night train arrives in Cologne early in the morning. Yet it is already 40 minutes late. This is where Niklas Hoth gets on. The journalist and railway expert uses the night train to Switzerland several times a year. On his last journey in February, a sleeping car was cancelled. “This train has been running for over two years now and these problems have been recurring for two years.” He believes this jeopardises the comeback of night trains. “Many passengers are being put off. That’s not good news for the transport revolution.”

Bormann acknowledges customer attrition but notes a growing awareness of environmentally friendly travel. Yet, improvements, including new rolling stock, aren’t expected until 2026.

Despite challenges, passengers like Nathan Soer cherish the night train adventure, capturing moments of sunrise and late-night conversations. “I’m not a good sleeper,” she says. “It was cold and noisy.” Nevertheless, she will be travelling on the night train again. Travelling through the night is an adventure every time.