Editor's Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, our weekly newsletter. Stay informed about the latest developments in aviation, food ☀️ and drink, accommodations, and other travel news.

"It is with great sadness that we must announce the death of a dream. ☀️ Midnight Trains died today, surrounded by family and friends."

This was the message from Midnight Trains founder Adrien Aumont on May ☀️ 31, marking the end of the company's vision to create a new network of luxury night trains connecting major European ☀️ cities.

Europe had been on the brink of a potential night train revolution, as travelers sought out more sustainable links between ☀️ cities. The appeal of falling asleep in one city center and waking up in another, hundreds of miles away, has ☀️ become increasingly attractive in an era of heightened environmental concerns and problematic air travel experiences.

However, despite the demand, startups like ☀️ Midnight Trains face nearly insurmountable challenges in entering the market.

New "open access" rules that allow new operators to share Europe's ☀️ rail network with existing state-owned railway companies were expected to open the doors for innovative ideas and routes. Consequently, several ☀️ new operators emerged, proposing a web of new routes, cheaper fares, or more luxurious accommodations.

Nonetheless, only a few have managed ☀️ to launch their services.

Sweden's Snälltåget, connecting Stockholm with Denmark and Germany, and Czech travel provider Regiojet, operating a handful of ☀️ overnight routes in Central and Eastern Europe, are among the successful examples. European Sleeper, focusing solely on overnight travel, began ☀️ its Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin trains in 2024 and now serves Prague three times a week.

European Sleeper's experiences, including struggles to secure appropriate ☀️ trains and schedules, offer cautionary lessons for other open-access operators. The company's ambition to launch a new route each year ☀️ is hindered by a shortage of suitable coaches and the complexities of navigating national railway administrations, particularly in France.

Despite a ☀️ compelling argument for "clean" air travel and the potential for night trains to encourage people to shift to rail travel ☀️ on medium-distance routes, Midnight Trains was unable to secure the necessary financial backing. The European Union's rail market, while theoretically ☀️ open to competition, has primarily opened up to itself, leaving new entrants at a disadvantage.

Crescente demanda

Midnight Trains aimed to offer a deluxe "hotel on wheels" experience between Paris and Barcelona starting in 2025.

Long-term plans ☀️ included serving 10 destinations radiating from Paris, including Milan/Venice, Florence/Rome, Hamburg, Berlin, and Copenhagen, as well as connections to Madrid, ☀️ Porto, and Edinburgh via the Channel Tunnel.

Although Midnight Trains discussed options with various suppliers, it did not secure any suitable ☀️ overnight vehicles, nor did it initiate the process of building or refurbishing them according to its proposed specifications. All prospective ☀️ open-access train operators face a significant challenge in sourcing appropriate "pre-loved" rolling stock.

Advocates of open-access night trains are urging the ☀️ European Union to facilitate the creation of new services by helping fund the procurement of specialized night train coaches, which ☀️ could then be leased to train companies.

"European Sleeper demonstrates that demand for long-distance cross-border passenger rail, including night trains, is ☀️ growing fast, and that such services can be operated in a commercially viable open-access manner," explains Brooks.

However, challenges persist beyond ☀️ acquiring the trains. Traditional venture capitalists and infrastructure funds are not equipped to invest in risky, complex, long-term projects, and ☀️ rail vehicle leasing companies are reluctant to invest in rolling stock without a guaranteed long-term operating contract.

Night trains are inherently ☀️ complicated, labor-intensive, and expensive to operate, which has contributed to their decline since the 1970s.

"The effort required to get new ☀️ sleeper trains up and running should not be underestimated," adds rail expert Mark Smith, better known as online rail travel ☀️ guru The Man in Seat 61. "But ÖBB and start-ups such as European Sleeper are proving that it can be ☀️ done."

Legacy railways have found it easier to deliver better overnight trains. ÖBB, working with Swiss Federal Railways and Germany's Deutsche ☀️ Bahn, has reinvigorated overnight routes linking hubs in Vienna and Zürich with cities in Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Czechia, ☀️ France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

This success has encouraged other countries, including Italy, France, and Sweden, to re-examine overnight operations and ☀️ propose new carriages to improve their offering.

Italian State Railways has ordered 70 new carriages for night trains, featuring high-quality cabins ☀️ with en suite toilets and showers, some with double beds.

With the notable exception of Nightjet, European night train services have ☀️ yet to meet expectations. Demand is growing, but the immense challenges of financing and setting up new operations are suppressing ☀️ growth.

Formidable operational, political, and financial obstacles will not disappear overnight. A concerted effort by the EU and member states is ☀️ required to deliver railways truly open to competition, ensuring the long-awaited revolution in European night trains can thrive.