All Night trains articles
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NewsLonger and wider coach on test
RUSSIA: A longer and wider design of overnight coach developed by Transmashholding’s Tver Carriage Works is undergoing certification trials at the VNIIZhT test centre in Belorechensk. The Type 61-4533 coach meeting the T profile is 730 mm longer and 280 mm wider than the 1-BM profile ...
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NewsSJ awards night train maintenance contract
SWEDEN: SJ has awarded Alstom a further two-year contract for the maintenance of night trains at depots in Luleå and Stockholm. The contract announced on March 14 covers 75 coaches and 12 Rc6 electric locomotives used on Stockholm – Umeå – Luleå – Narvik services. Alstom ...
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NewsDreamSuite concept targets night train market
Speaking to Railway Gazette International at the Rail Innovation Exhibition in London on February 13, FTS said DreamSuite does not simply transfer airline seats to rail, as the technical constraints and requirements are too different, not least that train seats need to be harder-wearing.
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NewsFrance begins procurement of replacement night train fleet
FRANCE: The government has called for expressions of interest in contracts to supply locomotives and coaches to renew the national night train fleet. French night trains carried 950 000 passengers in 2024, a 23% increase on the previous year, according to Pierre-Christophe Soncarrieu, deputy director of ...
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NewsICF orders Alstom traction equipment for Vande Bharat sleeper trains
INDIA: Integral Coach Factory in Chennai has awarded Alstom a contract to supply Mitrac traction components and other electrical equipment for 17 24-car Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets. Alstom will produce the equipment at its Maneja site, with a prototype to be delivered by August 2026 followed ...
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NewsFrench night train fleet renewal tender expected
FRANCE: Tenders are to be called in early 2025 for the renewal of SNCF’s night train fleet. The plans were confirmed to local media by Pierre-Christophe Soncarrieu, the deputy director of the transport ministry’s Trains d’Équilibre du Territoire regional trains division responsible for overnight services. The ...
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NewsRussian-backed consortium prepares to start production of Indian overnight trains
INDIA: A Russian-backed consortium led by Transmashholding is preparing to begin producing Vande Bharat inter-city sleeping car trainsets for Indian Railways.
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In depthInterview: Ukrainian Railways looks for more international partnerships
Ukrainian national railway Ukrzaliznytsia is looking for international help to boost rail freight traffic, and for assistance in funding major projects including 1435 mm gauge lines, as Board Member Yevhen Liashchenko* explains to Benjámin Zelki.
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News‘Sleep in Motion’ night train concept launched
EUROPE: A ‘groundbreaking’ concept for high-capacity overnight trains has been unveiled by Škoda Group. Developed by designers in the Austrian arm of the company, the ‘Sleep in Motion’ proposal features a double-deck coach with pairs of single-berth cubicles stacked one above the other on each side of ...
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NewsCross-border complexity puts brakes on Nightjet expansion
EUROPE: Further expansion of Austrian Federal Railways’ Nightjet overnight train network beyond the routes already announced is on hold amid ongoing operational and approvals challenges, according to ÖBB.
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NewsBrussels – Venezia night train to serve winter sports and city break destinations
EUROPE: Open access night train operator European Sleeper is to launch a seasonal Brussels – Utrecht – Köln – München – Innsbruck – Verona – Venezia service to winter sports and city trip destinations. The service is being planned around school holidays, the peak winter sports ...
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NewsReport identifies European missing links where rail could compete with air
EUROPE: Environmental campaigning organisation Greenpeace has produced a comprehensive study of rail services between major European cities, highlighting the ‘untapped potential’ for new direct trains which could replace flights. The Connection Failed report looks at 990 routes between 45 cities. It says only 13% of the ...
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NewsSJ to replace Vy Tåg as night train operator
SWEDEN: National transport agency Trafikverket has directly awarded state operator SJ a contract to operate Stockholm – Narvik overnight trains for one year from December 15 2024, with an option for a further year. SJ operated the services until December 2020, when the Vy Tåg subsidiary ...
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In depthComment: Private train operators seek the light
The collapse of Midnight Trains has raised questions about the viability of new entrants in Europe’s open access rail market, despite the optimism surrounding ventures like Le Train and Proxima. Nick Kingsley reflects on the challenges and potential for future success in this competitive landscape.
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Rail Business UKFlipside redesigns Caledonian Sleeper website
UK: Night train operator Caledonian Sleeper has worked with digital agency Flipside to make its Sleeper.scot website more user-friendly. Matterport’s 360 technology has been used to provide virtual tours of the trains, and Recite Me has enhanced the site’s accessibility with customisable background colour, font style, ...
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NewsMidnight Trains drops plans for hotel quality sleeper train network
FRANCE: Start-up Midnight Trains has abandoned its ambitious plan to develop a network of premium overnight trains offering hotel-standard accommodation on European routes of up to 1 500 km from Paris, after being unable to raise the necessary funding. Co-founder Adrien Aumont said the rail sector’s ...
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NewsRegioJet to launch night train to Ukraine
EUROPE: RegioJet has opened ticket sales for a night train service between Praha and the rail hub at Chop in western Ukraine’s Zakarpattia Oblast. The operator says this will be the first 100% commercially operated service between the European Union and Ukraine. The daily service is ...
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NewsEuropean day and overnight train expansion outlined in green travel collaboration
EUROPE: Open access night train co-operative European Sleeper and tour operator Flywise’s rail brand GreenCityTrip are to collaborate to offer travel from the Netherlands and Belgium to Berlin, Dresden and Praha. European Sleeper’s Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin overnight service is to be extended to Dresden ...
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Rail Business UKCracks found on Caledonian Sleeper vehicles
UK: A National Incident Report issued on January 10 confirmed that hairline cracks have been found in the T slots of eight of 75 MkV coaches in the Caledonian Sleeper fleet at points where the yaw damper bracket joins the body of the vehicle. Industry sources ...
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In depthEurope: Overnight trains are back in vogue
With the launch of next-generation rolling stock on ÖBB’s international overnight trains and the revival of a Paris – Berlin service, the stage is set for a night train renaissance in Europe. Toma Bačić reports.