Considerations on the efficient use of night trains in daytime transport

Abstract

As a result of the stricter climate protection targets in the European Union and the growing awareness of sustainable mobility, night trains are currently experiencing a renaissance. However, a major challenge for night trains is their economic operation. In conventional night trains, the achievable occupancy density is lower than in day trains. As a rule, seats are only allocated once for the entire run of the train. The personnel costs and, in some cases, the operating costs are often higher than for day trains. In addition, night trains are generally not in use during the day but are "unproductive" in carriage siding. As a result, many night trains do not cover their costs and have to be subsidised. In the TANA research project, concepts are being developed to increase the operating range of night trains by making their vehicle equipment suitable for use during the day. This will enable long-distance runs with better distribution functions in the pre- and post-carriage as well as operations exclusively during the day, which will avoid inefficient downtimes. The project clearly demonstrates whether and under what conditions night trains can be developed and put into service that are also suitable for use in daytime transport, taking into account the tight economic framework conditions. An overall system will be designed which, in addition to specific equipment features of the vehicles, will show suitable deployment scenarios, in some cases broken down into operational routes. The project will assess the economic efficiency and feasibility and propose concrete implementation measures.