As Europe is rediscovering travel by rail, in Canada rail travel is treated with disdain, yet in the age of Global Warming and climate change, the train is making a strong comeback for travel.
It is my contention, that when federal and provincial politicians and bureaucrats are banned from taking planes for travel under 1500 km, only then will rail see the investment needed for a strong regional rail system.
Do our politicians have the moral fibre to do the same?
I doubt it, especially when the Carbon Tax is just a tax, with revenue going into both the provincial and federal treasuries and is doing little to mitigate the current environmental crisis.
Rail is not a panacea, but it is a proven alternative to the car and if government is serious about reducing auto and truck use (which they are definitely not), rail is the proven alternative.
If government is honestly wants to reduce motor vehicle use, government must invest in a viable and user-friendly regional and long haul rail services.
Sadly, honesty is not in the Canadian politcal lexicon.
The Stadler DMU’s now used on Ottawa’s Trillium Line could be a template for regional rail services across Canada
Europe is currently in the midst of a full-blown night train renaissance. In fact, the number of new and revived sleeper train routes in Europe is getting so numerous that it’s getting pretty hard to keep track of them all. Up and down the continent, new routes are providing more and more alternatives to travelling by plane – alternatives which are greener, nicer and maybe even cheaper.
But hold on to your hats: European Sleeper has barely launched its latest route, and already another sleeper-train service linking Brussels and Berlin is in the works.
Run by NightJet (the sleeper arm of Austria’s national rail provider ÖBB), this new service has a number of potential advantages over European Sleeper’s. It’ll be more frequent, with a daily shuttle service. It’s expected to feature the company’s brand-new sleeper carriages, which are set to come into service this summer. And it’s set to launch this year: to be precise, in December 2023.
It’s worth noting that ÖBB/NightJet is a massive player in European train travel, whereas European Sleeper is a new start-up: in fact, the Berlin route is its very first venture. The new Brussels-Berlin NightJet service is expected to directly compete with European Sleeper’s trains, which could lead to lower prices for all passengers on the route.
Initially billed to launch in 2022, the so-called ‘Good Night Train’ will link Brussels and Berlin via Amsterdam and Rotterdam, letting travellers shuttle between three dazzling European capitals via one overnight service. What’s more, the route will link up with Eurostar, meaning passengers from the UK will be able to join the sleeper train service to Berlin with one quick change in Brussels. That’s right: from this week, you’ll be able to hop on the 15:04 from London St Pancras, enjoy a quick beer in Brussels and wake up in Berlin.
The service from Brussels will initially run three times a week, and tickets from Brussels or Amsterdam to Berlin start at €49 for a seat – though you’ll want to spend a bit more and book a couchette or sleeper bed for a better night’s kip. Depending on the size of your group, taking a sleeper train could be cheaper than flying. And all services will include free wifi, coffee and a light breakfast – something you wouldn’t get on a budget flight, that’s for sure.
If that’s not exciting enough, the pan-European sleeper route is set to extend even further in 2024, sweeping passengers from Brussels all the way to Prague, with an additional stop in the historic German city of Dresden. European Sleeper also recently announced plans to set up a direct night train route between Amsterdam and Barcelona in spring 2025, which will also serve the north and south of France. Eventually, the service might even link up with the UK – thereby criss-crossing a huge chunk of the entire European continent.
All this is a big win for green travel. Apparently, a single trip from one of these trains will produce 75 fewer tonnes of carbon than the equivalent plane journey. Honestly, flying is so last year.
I wait too see who, or more accurately, which airline is the first to sue the French government. Short hall flights of up to 2 to 2.5 hours (the ones France’s government are banning) are the bread and butter of the industry, here and in Europe. It’s going to be a big case. If a court actually agrees and says effectively yes, the government can wipe out many airlines and cripple the richest part of the industry, all in the defense of the environment, wow!
I wait too see who, or more accurately, which airline is the first to sue the French government. Short hall flights of up to 2 to 2.5 hours (the ones France’s government are banning) are the bread and butter of the industry, here and in Europe. It’s going to be a big case. If a court actually agrees and says effectively yes, the government can wipe out many airlines and cripple the richest part of the industry, all in the defense of the environment, wow!