More night trains coming
One of the many things I liked about living in Ukraine were the night trains. These made weekend trips to the Carpathians and other parts of the country much more appealing.
But trains really can’t compete with the budget airlines, and that’s frustrating. It’s usually cheaper to fly to London, rather than hopping on the train, despite the train being less time door to door.
With southern Europe, it’s not even a competition. Budget flights win for price and practicality.
But I’m hoping that’s going to change, there are going to be Amsterdam–Barcelona night trains starting in 2025 🎉
Berlin too, although it’s currently a borderline reasonable six-hour trek to the German capital.
One bit that’s odd is how adamant the EU is about not subsidizing night trains. I don’t get why not. It’s a win for sustainability, relieves congestion at airports, and budget airlines get tons of overt and indirect subsidies.