Should ÖBB consider reviving other Night Trains cancelled by DB/SBB while expanding night train services

[Cheshire Scot]

A few years ago, when I was travelling on a Euronight from Münich to Ljubljana, the same train also included NightJet coaches destined for Venice (I think it was Venice), which suggests that collaboration with local railways is a part of how NightJet works

Likewise I've joined a HZ-run EN sleeper in Zagreb, and by the time that I'd woken up and was passing Sargans there was a NJ portion on the train, with an SBB loco on the front.

There are a number of cases where NJ and EN services run combined for part of the route.
These can be found by scrutinising:

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2024

 

[Stephen Lee]

I heard that Zürich - Barcelona will be introduced in December 2024, but what about Zürich - Rome?

 

[rvdborgt]

I heard that Zürich - Barcelona will be introduced in December 2024, but what about Zürich - Rome?

AFAIK, that were the plans but they're on hold now.

 

[D365]

Snälltåget operate one service, but I thought the other was an SJ EuroNight train - just that they have contracted operation within Germany to RDC. The SJ service has locomotive changes at Padborg and Malmö, whereas the Snälltåget train has one change of loco (at Padborg).

This is correct - I travelled on the EuroNight Hamburg-Stockholm in October 2023. Unfortunately I don’t remember where the locomotive changes took place, as I was fast asleep!

I heard that Zürich - Barcelona will be introduced in December 2024, but what about Zürich - Rome?

AFAIK, that were the plans but they're on hold now.

Which sleeper is ”on hold”?

 

[rvdborgt]

Which sleeper is ”on hold”?

Both of them: Zürich-Barcelona and Zürich-Rome.

 

[Stephen Lee]

Both of them: Zürich-Barcelona and Zürich-Rome.

Why is it put on hold?

 

[AlbertBeale]

While Nightjet is primarily an austrian operation, many of their routes are in cooperation with other operators; for example:
Amsterdam-Innsbrück/Wien in cooperation with NS (who provide traction on the Amsterdam-Köln leg, and all the way to Wien for some services)
Amsterdam-Basel/Zürich in cooperation with SBB (who provide seated coaches), NS (who provide traction on the leg from Amsterdam) and possibly DB?

A few years ago, when I was travelling on a Euronight from Münich to Ljubljana, the same train also included NightJet coaches destined for Venice (I think it was Venice), which suggests that collaboration with local railways is a part of how NightJet works

When I used the Zurich-Prague sleeper a few years back, the train in the platform in Zurich had rolling stock from at least 3 countries - it included services to Vienna and Budapest. (I can't now remember whether it was the same Zurich departure which also included carriages for Zagreb too; there were multiple eastbound overnight departures from Zurich in the evening.)

 

[nwales58]

NJ does feel in parts a little bit like a bubble - sleeper trains probably aren't, but logistically I'm not sure if it's particularly efficient for one company based out of Austria to manage the majority of Europe's long-distance sleepers alone

Current enthusiasm may well be a bubble. But price/supply and demand will eventually reach equilibrium.

How efficient is it for one company based in Dublin or Budapest to run the majority of Europe's point-point aviation?

 

[Krokodil]

(I can't now remember whether it was the same Zurich departure which also included carriages for Zagreb too;

No, the Zagreb-Zurich sleeper portion works with the Graz-Zurich sleeper.

 

[rvdborgt]

Why is it put on hold?

IIRC, the Swiss federal government wanted to fund them using a some tax, but the referendum turned that tax down.

 

[Stephen Lee]

IIRC, the Swiss federal government wanted to fund them using a some tax, but the referendum turned that tax down.

Why would the referendum turn the tax down?

 

[rvdborgt]

Why would the referendum turn the tax down?

That's what can happen in a referendum. I googled a bit and found that SBB says it's because of the revised CO2 law that was turned down in a referendum:

Ausbau des Nachtzug-Netzes - SBB: Nachtzüge nach Rom und Barcelona lassen auf sich warten

Die SBB kommt beim Ausbau des Nachtzug-Netzes nicht so schnell voran wie geplant. Vincent Ducrot erklärt, warum.

www.srf.ch

 

[30907]

That's what can happen in a referendum. I googled a bit and found that SBB says it's because of the revised CO2 law that was turned down in a referendum:

Ausbau des Nachtzug-Netzes - SBB: Nachtzüge nach Rom und Barcelona lassen auf sich warten

Die SBB kommt beim Ausbau des Nachtzug-Netzes nicht so schnell voran wie geplant. Vincent Ducrot erklärt, warum.

www.srf.ch

Googling a bit further, a revised law was approved last autumn, but I haven't been able to find the contents. Perhaps our member @bahnause could help?

 

[bahnause]

Googling a bit further, a revised law was approved last autumn, but I haven't been able to find the contents. Perhaps our member @bahnause could help?

Not a lot of news there. The law comes into effect 2025. Between 2025 and 2030 180 Million CHF will be provided for "international cross-border passenger traffic". How this money will be used is not clear to me.