B1 reading: The return of the night train

Ten years ago, many people thought night trains in Europe had no future. Cheap flights were faster, and several countries stopped their overnight services. But now night trains are coming back, and a lot of travellers are choosing them again.

Kenji, a software engineer who lives in Vienna, took his first European night train last spring, from Vienna to Amsterdam. He left at eight in the evening and arrived just before ten the next morning. "I know a plane takes less than two hours," he says, "but you have to get to the airport, go through security and wait. On the train I slept, had breakfast and arrived in the city centre. I didn't lose a day."

For many passengers the environment is the main reason. A train journey produces much less carbon dioxide than the same journey by plane. Others simply enjoy the experience. Lying in bed and watching the lights of small towns go past is, for some people, part of the holiday.

Night trains are not perfect, though. Tickets for a private sleeping compartment can cost more than a flight, especially if you book late. The cheapest option is a seat, or a bed in a shared compartment with five other people, and not everyone sleeps well with strangers around them. Kenji shared his compartment with a family of four. "The children were lovely," he says, "but the baby woke up twice in the night."

Delays can also be a problem. Because night trains travel through several countries, a problem in one place can make the train late for everyone. On one trip, Kenji's train arrived three hours late, and he missed a meeting.

Even so, he now takes the night train whenever he can. "Flying is quicker on paper," he says. "But when you count the whole journey, the difference isn't as big as people think. And I arrive feeling like a person, not a suitcase."