Sibylle / Back-on-Track Switzerland1d ago
News auf swissinfo.ch zum Thema #Nachtzug Europa: @[email protected] schlägt vor, dass die EU 500 standardisierte Züge bestellen und diese zu günstigen Konditionen an Betreibergesellschaften vermieten sollte. Ein weiterer und schnellerer Ansatz wäre die Senkung der Trassengebühren.💪🚆🇪🇺 #Bahnzeit

Das holprige Revival der Nacht...
Switzerland – News and perspectives

SWI swissinfo.ch, your link to Switzerland. Providing independent reporting in 10 languages, focusing on democracy, foreign policy, and more.

www.swissinfo.ch
Show threadSibylle / Back-on-Track Switzerland1d ago
How can this be implemented effectively?✅ @[email protected] „Grossenbacher suggests the European Union could order 500 standardised trains and lease them at favourable rates to operators.“ www.swissinfo.ch/eng/emission...

Europe’s night-train revival o...
Europe’s night-train revival on ‘shaky ground’

Taking a night train across Europe is romantic and climate-friendly, and demand is strong. Yet the much-touted revival is hampered by ageing rolling stock, patchy funding and overstretched infrastructure.

www.swissinfo.ch
Show threadSibylle / Back-on-Track Switzerland4h ago
The proposal essentially corresponds to the call made by @[email protected] (Trains for Europe, 2021) and has since been taken up by various parties, though it has not yet been implemented by the European Commission. For what plausible reasons?
Show threadJon Worth3h ago
Because the rail industry doesn’t want it?
Show threadSibylle / Back-on-Track Switzerland3h ago
What are the arguments against it?
Show threadJon Worth
Rail firms would then have to run night trains that they don’t want to, because they think night trains are hassle? Seriously: the will is missing in the big companies. Obviously there’s demand. But they think it’s a pain simply.
2:27pmWeb
Show threadTobias Watzl2h ago
I talked to several people at ÖBB and I think the only reason ÖBB is investing so heavily is that there are some people at management level who believe in the product and are going out of their way to SOMEHOW make it work. And even a big player like ÖBB is met with huge obstacles.
Show threadTobias Watzl2h ago
Like they wanted to run a Nightjet to Barcelona. And I really believe they wanted to do it. But getting the train paths through France was just too difficult to provide a reliable service to passengers. Same with the Paris Nightjet. ÖBB really wanted to run it. But SNCF did not.
Show threadSibylle / Back-on-Track Switzerland1h ago
Through the EIB’s Green Rail Investment Platform, operators can purchase and capitalise rolling stock themselves, but are required to repay loans in the event of failure. For night train operators, this is hardly viable and the risk is too high!
Show threadSibylle / Back-on-Track Switzerland1h ago
Wouldn’t a leasing model involving a rolling stock pool reduce the risks? Who can come up with proposed solutions?
Show threadJon Worth49m ago
Yes I'd think so too. But even European Sleeper is not favourable to the pool idea, and they're exactly the people who would benefit. So honestly I am a bit stuck here - it makes sense to me and you, but not to operators.
Show threadSibylle / Back-on-Track Switzerland24m ago
Anne Dubost, Director of Strategy at ES, recently explained that ES now leases all its partners’ equipment – whilst emphasising that, although night trains need a helping hand to get started, they should not require long-term subsidies if the service is designed sensibly.
Show threadSibylle / Back-on-Track Switzerland24m ago
Does ‘designed sensibly’ mean profit-oriented? I do not believe that a profit-oriented approach mitigates the costs of climate protection measures and net-zero targets. On the contrary: without such measures, costs will spiral out of control.
Show threadSibylle / Back-on-Track Switzerland24m ago
That is why the rail sector needs a non-commercial approach (cost recovery, no profit motive).