The time has come for cheap, easy and comfy night trains! Book online, board in those hours before midnight in your private hotel room on rails. Get off the train the next morning in the hours after arrival.
No hassle, good for the environment, safe. And most of all, reliable because of a relaxed schedule.
Unfortunately the European Commission gambles on high speed rail for international train transit. Attempts by the current state rail companies to make international night trains attractive fail again and again. They can not rethink their business, but only adjust their legacy slightly. Allow and promote new price fighters in this business. Just like what happened in EU aviation.
This petition falls under the competence of the EU; the "free movement of goods, capital, services, and people"
(normp has the rights on photo 1 http://www.flickr.com/people/normp/)
travellers in Europe,
travel per night train becomes a luxury product
Europe only focuses on the development of a European high speed rail network
no big investments in infrastructure are necessary to run regular night trains
travel per regular night train with many wagons is per definition more energy efficient then a high speed train
the rail companies are challenged by competitors like state airline companies were confronted with price fighters
there are many deserted railway yards in industrial zones near major cities where platforms can exploited, like deserted military airports are used by price fighters in aviation
the capacity of the rail network can be maximised by slow night trains mixed with the current cargo traffic and maintenance.
travel by night train is currently not as easy as:
"book online, board in the evening after supper before midnight in full hotel room on rail and get off in the morning in the city of your destination (or sleep a bit longer in your room). "
to open up the European rail network for commercial price fighters with international night trains and possibly commission a European tender for the start up phase for such initiatives (for example for investments in equipment that meets the European safety regulations).
In the Guardian news about SNCF ending sleeper trains in France. Deutsche Bahn already did it in Germany.
Apparently hefty track access fees are an obstacle, not only wages
The short link to this petition does not seem to work, so use https://petities.nl/petitions/night-trains-in-europe?locale=en to promote this petition amongst Europeans who do not understand Dutch.
De Eerste Kamer heeft de "Richtlijn 2012/34/eu van het Europees Parlement en de Raad van 21 november 2012 tot instelling van één Europese spoorwegruimte" aangenomen. Dit maakt de weg vrij voor het realiseren van fijne nachttreinen. .