Europe is Having a Night Train Renaissance. What About the United States?

Once the backbone of travel around the world, night trains had largely disappeared in Europe by the early 2000s. Low-cost airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet offered faster travel for less, while high-speed rail networks connected cities in a matter of hours. A major blow to the night train model came at the end of 2015. Deutsche Bahn, one of the largest operators of night trains in Europe, announced it would end its sleeper services the following year. It subsequently sold its remaining sleeping cars and routes. For a brief moment, it appeared that night trains were obsolete.

Yet today, Europe is experiencing a resurgence of night trains. Legacy state-owned operators and private entrants alike are launching new routes and renovating their sleeping cars. One of the most popular brands, ÖBB’s Nightjet, served 1.5 million people alone in 2022 on its night trains.

This renaissance isn’t just about reviving old routes - it’s about reimagining how people move. Gone are the days of rattling carriages and cramped compartments. European night train operators today are modernizing their services to attract a new generation of travelers.

The Forces Behind the Revival

While others had given up on operating night trains, one agency had a bold vision for how innovative night trains could meet the needs of modern travelers. ÖBB, the Austrian rail operator, launched Nightjet in late 2016 using the sleeping cars it had purchased from Deutsche Bahn (DB). By updating the acquired cars and integrating them into a customer-focused service model, Nightjet quickly gained traction.

ÖBB’s risky decision to acquire DB’s sleeping cars paid off. Nightjet has become the flagship example of how night trains can thrive with the right vision and investment, setting the stage for a broader night train renaissance across Europe. Nightjet has since introduced brand new sleeping cars to accommodate their growing night train network. Featuring amenities like private compartments, Wi-Fi, and improved bedding, these modern coaches appeal to a new generation seeking more comfortable alternatives to flying and driving.

Nightjet’s success kicked off the night train renaissance across Europe, and both public and private operators are innovating in the space.

European Sleeper, a Dutch-Belgian startup, has positioned itself as one of the most important private-sector players in the night train industry. Organized as a cooperative, this young train operator successfully launched a Brussels—Prague overnight service in 2023 with a focus on affordability and comfort. European Sleeper has since followed this up with an additional winter night train to winter sports hot spots, and an onboard restaurant and bar car.

Nightjet and European Sleeper are joined by nearly every rail operator on the continent. France’s SNCF, Italy’s Trenitalia, Finland’s VR, the United Kingdom’s Caledonian Sleeper and Night Riviera, and the privately-operated Snälltåget in Sweden have all either recently launched new overnight routes, introduced new sleeping cars, or have plans to do so.

Not all new services have been successful, however. Midnight Trains, a French startup proposing a Paris—Berlin service, announced earlier this year that it would end its project. The company cited difficulty in reaching an access deal with the French state-owned railway and raising investment to fund construction of the trains.

Could the Night Train Renaissance Come to the United States?

While Europe is leading the charge in reviving night trains, there is a strong demand among American Millennials and Gen Z for alternatives to flying and driving. Despite the long-standing love affair with cars and planes in the U.S., both have become major headaches with increased highway traffic, customer-hostile airline policies, and souring sentiment on budget airlines.

No night train could emerge in the U.S. without challenges, of course. Some challenges and lessons learned could carry over from Europe, but the U.S. also faces its own unique hurdles.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is infrastructure constraints. Owned almost entirely by private freight railroads, the U.S. rail network is largely designed to serve freight traffic. Spanning nearly 140,000 miles, the U.S. rail system is widely considered the largest, safest, and most cost-efficient freight system in the world. However, the huge amount of freight rail traffic between major cities puts many lines at capacity. State, federal, and private leaders will need to make investments to increase capacity for any sort of passenger rail expansion. Pennsylvania’s Keystone West program, which is under construction and will increase capacity on Norfolk Southern’s (NS) tracks between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, is a stellar example of public-private partnership that is moving passenger rail forward.

Limited public subsidies for new services means that Amtrak is unlikely to launch new overnight routes, and they almost certainly won’t have funding to purchase the types of new sleeping cars that have propelled Nightjet. This lack of investment has hindered the development of modern, high-quality rail services in America. If night trains are going to develop in the U.S., private companies will have to take the lead on innovating in the space.

Lastly, public opinion among Americans and preconceived notions of what taking the train means is another challenge that any train operator will have to overcome. Amtrak is often portrayed (fairly or not) as too slow, too uncomfortable, and subject to hours-long delays. For many Americans, it is, at best, a novel way to sightsee across the country. Amtrak is not widely seen as a reliable form of transportation for long distances. Night train operators will have to demonstrate that they are capable of offering a comfortable, reliable product if they are going to be successful. Most Americans won’t be sold on the benefits of great overnight train services until they experience it for themselves.

Emerging Opportunities

Despite these challenges, there are opportunities for a night train revival in the U.S.

Like their counterparts in Europe, young Americans are seeking more comfortable, more convenient forms of travel. They want better service, unique experiences, and they have developed unique needs in a post-pandemic world that rail is well-positioned to serve. (We did a deep dive into this topic in another insights post, available here.)

While freight railroad ownership of tracks presents its own set of challenges, it’s also a major opportunity for passenger rail operators in the U.S. Midnight Trains wrote about their difficulty in working with France’s state-owned rail infrastructure manager, which was motivated to keep competition away from the state-owned passenger rail operator, SNCF. Night trains in the U.S. would not compete for customers with the freight railroads that own the tracks. This opens the door for productive partnerships between passenger rail operators and their hosts.

In addition to partnerships, private companies have already proven that innovative trains will attract Americans. Brightline, the private high-speed rail operator in Florida, is already expanding westward to connect Los Angeles to Las Vegas, demonstrating the viability of modern rail services. Brightline has focused on customer experience, with amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, luxury seating, and reliable timetables, to win travelers over from flying and driving. While cross-country train trips would be uncompetitive with flying, many of the country’s largest cities are well-suited for a night train. Single-night trips offer value to travelers, who would spend most of the traveling time sleeping in comfortable beds.

Strong federal leadership could also play a pivotal role in spurring rail advancement. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes significant funding for rail improvements, with $102 billion dollars allocated to rail. This investment focuses on upgrading tracks, expanding services, and modernizing trains. While the primary goal is improving day services, it lays the groundwork for future night train routes. The investments also make private-sector participation in the passenger rail space an attractive opportunity.

What’s Next for Night Trains in America

The U.S. can draw valuable lessons from Europe’s night train renaissance. By prioritizing customer experience, investing in modernized services, and creating strong partnerships, America has the potential to build its own night train network. But night trains in the U.S. will also need to solve the novel challenges that lie ahead.

Lunatrain is focusing on bringing the types of night trains that today’s travelers want to the U.S. We’re planning to launch our own night trains that focus on comfort, convenience, and onboard services, while being price competitive with flying. We know that with the right service, night trains will become the new gold standard for travel in the U.S, emerging as a symbol of adventure and practicality. The dream of waking up in a new city, with the rumble of the tracks fading into the distance, will soon become a reality for American travelers.

If you want to follow along with us on our journey, sign up for our waitlist below. We’ll email you whenever we have important progress updates.