第3177期:Return of the sleeper train in Europe

The Sun has set, and you're headed to a train station in Stockholm with your overnight bag. You board the sleeper train, change into your comfortable clothes, enjoy the scenery through the window for a while before laying your head down to rest. Snoring from the other passengers in your shared cabin delays your bedtime, but the gentle motion and white noise eventually send you to sleep. The next morning, just over 12 hours later, you wake up in Germany's second largest city, Hamburg. "It still sounds like a long time, but you go to sleep, and it's such a nice atmosphere on the train," says Julia Senninger, a fan of sleeper trains. 太阳已经落山，您带着过夜行李前往斯德哥尔摩的火车站。 登上卧铺列车，换上舒适的衣服，欣赏一下窗外的风景，然后就低头休息。 共用客舱内其他乘客的鼾声会延迟您的就寝时间，但轻柔的动作和白噪音最终会让您入睡。 第二天早上，12 个多小时后，您在德国第二大城市汉堡醒来。 “听起来还是很长一段时间，但你很快就睡着了，火车上的气氛真好，”卧铺火车的粉丝朱莉娅·森宁格 (Julia Senninger) 说道。

Before budget airlines made flights across Europe so quick and cheap, sleeper trains were a popular way to cover large distances without wasting daylight or paying for a place to stay. After a period of decline, sleeper trains in Europe are making a comeback.Belgian-Dutch company European Sleeper launched the Brussels to Milan route in September 2026 and has announced a new route connecting Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, scheduled to open in 2028. Other train companies Trenitalia and Nightjet have also announced plans for new international routes. Companies are rushing to meet high demand. 在廉价航空公司提供如此快捷、便宜的穿越欧洲的航班之前，卧铺火车是一种流行的长途旅行方式，无需浪费日光或支付住宿费用。 经过一段时间的衰退后，欧洲的卧铺列车正在卷土重来。比利时-荷兰公司European Sleeper于2026年9月推出了布鲁塞尔至米兰的航线，并宣布了一条连接比利时、荷兰和瑞典的新航线，计划于2028年开通。其他火车公司Trenitalia和Nightjet也宣布了新的国际航线的计划。 公司正在争先恐后地满足高需求。

The rise in popularity is partly due to changing attitudes and increased awareness surrounding climate change. The carbon footprint of an electric-powered train is just a fraction of a flight. But there's more to it. Sleeper train fan Julia Senninger says trains are simply more fun. You meet more people and can have interesting conversations. Cat Jones, founder of the flight-free travel agency Byway, says, "The point of travel is the experience rather than just the arrival." So, people are buying into the idea that the journey to your destination is also part of the trip. Besides the convenience of starting and ending your journey in a city centre, there's also a sense of romance and adventure when you imagine whizzing through unknown landscapes and foreign villages while you sleep. 受欢迎程度的上升部分归因于人们对气候变化的态度的改变和意识的增强。 电动火车的碳足迹只是飞行的一小部分。 但还有更多。 卧铺火车迷朱莉娅·森宁格 (Julia Senninger) 表示，火车更有趣。 你会认识更多的人，并可以进行有趣的对话。 不搭乘航班的旅行社 Byway 的创始人卡特·琼斯 (Cat Jones) 表示：“旅行的重点在于体验，而不仅仅是抵达。” 因此，人们相信到达目的地的旅程也是旅行的一部分。 除了在市中心方便地开始和结束旅程之外，当您想象在睡觉时飞驰穿过未知的风景和外国村庄时，还会有一种浪漫和冒险的感觉。

In Europe, the sleeper train comeback does not come without challenges. Competing with budget airlines, some sleeper train routes have disappeared, even while new ones have launched. Problems with infrastructure, cost and availability mean that the high demand for a more sustainable travel option is not currently being met. 在欧洲，卧铺列车的卷土重来并非没有挑战。 与廉价航空公司竞争，一些卧铺火车线路已经消失，尽管新线路已经开通。 基础设施、成本和可用性方面的问题意味着对更可持续的旅行选择的高需求目前尚未得到满足。