The night train has not said its last word. Following the relaunch of Paris-Nice in May 2021 and then Paris-Tarbe-Lourdes in December, the government has just approved the creation of two new lines, one from Paris to Oriac (Cantal) in late 2023 and the other from Paris. Bayonne with Bordeaux in 2024. Abandoned in recent years due to lack of profitability, to the point of almost disappearing from the map of the SNCF network, this mode of transport, subsidized by the state as “territorial balance trains”, is back in vogue. and appeals to travelers who want to reduce their impact on the environment.
Which night train lines will be restarted?
The next connection to be restarted will be Paris-Aurillac, end of 2023. The Secretary of State for Ecology, Béranger Couillard, approved on October 25 the restart of this line, which was canceled in 2003. The project, which was expressed at the beginning of the year by former Prime Minister Jean Castex, who promised to restart this line.within two years“. This train will consist of three carriages that will split near Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze), the other carriages will continue to Rodez and Toulouse.
In 2024, a daily connection to Bayonne It is also planned to pass through Bordeaux, Dax, Orthez and Pau. This route will revive the “Palombe bleue” overnight connection, which was abolished in 2017. For now, the Basque coast is serviced only in summer.
And then? Former Secretary of State for Transport Jean-Baptiste Jebari wanted the night network to have “ten linesuntil 2030. According to a report on Intercités de nuit presented to parliamentarians in early 2021, the new lines will revolve around four main “corridors”, three of which intersect: Bordeaux-Marseille, Dijon-Marseille, Tours-Lyon via Île. de-France, and Paris-Toulouse.
The origin and destination stations of the trains that will use these corridors are yet to be determined. Thus, on the Tour-Lyon section, trains can depart from Brittany (Brest or Rennes) and continue beyond Lyon to Annecy. On the Dijon-Marseille axis, they could leave Lille, Metz or Strasbourg and continue to Nice. We will have to wait at least until 2025 to be able to use these new lines.”taking into account the main work to be carried out in the networkJean-Baptiste Jebbari recalled.
A renaissance of night trains is also underway in Europe. Following the opening of Paris-Vienna in December 2021, Austrian Railways (ÖBB) will launch two new international lines serving France in the coming years: one between Paris and Berlin via Strasbourg from December 2023 and the other between Barcelona and Zurich from December 2023. Lyon in December 2024.
Which lines are still running?
Currently, there are four night intercity lines in operation with one trip per day;
- Paris-Nice
- Paris-Briancon,
- Paris-Rhodes/Latour-de-Carole with Toulouse,
- Paris-Lourdes-Tarbeau (extension to Hendaye in summer).
What are the comfort levels on board and at what cost?
Intercité de nuit has three comfort categories: 1st class compartments (4 seats), 2nd class compartments (6 seats) and lie-flat seats. Coupes can be privatized for a minimum surcharge of €45. A Female Only option is available in the sleeping areas. Passengers who have booked a berth are provided with a bottle of water as well as a convenience bag containing refreshment wipes, earplugs and tissues.
Without discount cards, night train tickets are sold from €19 one way in a lie-flat seat, from €29 in a 2nd class couchette compartment and from €39 in 1st class. 1st class passengers can use the recently installed showers at Gare d’Austerlitz.
What do refurbished sleeping cars look like?
The carriages assigned to the night train are suitably transformed. Refurbishment of these Corail trains, which date back to the 1980s, began in 2021 at the SNCF technical center in Perigueux. They concern 71 trains (including 60 sleeping cars) out of 82 trains used by Intercités de nuit.
Everything is changing from floor to ceiling. The cars have Wi-Fi, individual electrical outlets, LED lights and better air conditioning and soundproofing. Each train has four vertical racks for bicycles. Enough to make the nocturnal Intercités even more attractive to travelers.
Posted on February 4, 2021, this article has been updated.
Source: Le Figaro
