BELGIUM’S capital has all the attributes needed to establish itself as Europe’s hub for night-trains, according to a group in favour of resurrecting the services, which also sees the coronavirus crisis and the EU Green Deal as opportunities for rail’s most romantic of journeys.
In an open letter to members of the European Parliament and Belgian lawmakers, ‘Back on Track Belgium’ urged politicians to prioritise night trains on trips up to 1,500km, impose a kerosene tax on aviation and iron out obstacles that currently stand in their way.
According to the letter, night trains are perfectly suited to trips of between 800 and 1,500km and their environmental credentials “are undoubtable”, as they emit 14 times less CO2 per passenger and per kilometre than a plane.
Brussels welcomed its first overnight service for the first time in more than a decade earlier this year when Austria’s state railway company started a
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