(Finance) – The interest in night trains throughout Europe is back. This is what emerged today in Paris – as reported by FS News, the information portal of the FS Group – during the conference organized by the French ministry of transport “The rebirth of night trains in Europe”.
“On the long-distance train segment – said the president of the Italian Railway Network (FS Group), Anna Masutti – we are witnessing a resurgence of interest in night trains, which after a certain decline for the development of low cost air transport and high-speed services, is experiencing a renaissance and is attracting the attention of the citizens of the institutions and also of the manufacturing industry . There is cooperation between European states on this issue. RFI participates in the tables of Prime, a working group made up of European infrastructure managers which, in collaboration with the European Commission, is carrying out a study to identify and promote the strategies for relaunching the night segment. It is becoming increasingly evident that on shorter haul routes the train is the most sustainable and temporally convenient means of transport, considering accessibility, ancillary times, comfort and travel experience. A service, that of the night trains, which seems to find strong approval especially among young people and the part of the population most sensitive to environmental issues. The modal shift from plane to train on the short haul – continued Masutti – can make it possible to free up time slots in favor of long haul flights, with better productivity for airports and air carriers. Furthermore, the enhancement of rail transport in connection with airports can improve its accessibility for long-haul travel in an efficient and environmentally sustainable manner. Ultimately, the challenge is to search for the areas of convenience of carriers and the spaces for possible cooperation with specific regulatory interventions to support them. These actions will help to further promote the development of night train services throughout Europe “.