Austrian railway company OBB has unveiled the latest Nightjet night train carriages, which will run from summer 2023 on routes such as Vienna to Rome. The Austrians restored night trains in Europe and invested 700 million euros in rolling stock.
7-8 years ago, night trains almost completely disappeared from central and western Europe, but the Austrians from OBB invested in this area, they started with older (but comfortable) cars bought from Deutsche Bahn, and then invested in a fleet of new cars.
Russia has the longest night trains by number of hours, followed by Romania, where CFR Călători cars are not modern at all. The most modern carriages in our night trains are the Astra TC Constanta – Arad train, 13 hours 40 minutes, 815 km. The ticket costs 200 lei for a four-seater bed, and 421 lei for a single bed in a compartment of a sleeping car.
Photo of Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB)
The Austrians have launched night trains on increasingly long routes, including Vienna – Amsterdam or Vienna – Brussels.
OBB initially ordered 13 wagons in 2019, followed by another order for 20 wagons two years later. The first cars will be put into operation at the end of the summer of 2023, and all 33 – in 2025. You can see more photos here.
Photo of Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB)
The new carriages are built by Siemens Mobility and have compartments with more space for passengers, there are also small cabins where passengers can work or eat, and the multi-purpose carriage has more space for bicycles and skis.
The Nightjet train in the new composition is designed for 254 passengers, will consist of two class cars, three sleeping cars (four seats in a compartment) and two sleeping cars.
Photo of Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB)
The carriages can also travel at a speed of 230 km/h, the maximum possible speed is a few tens of km near Vienna, but on average for long distances it will be about 80-100 km/h, so that the passengers can sleep soundly and the train reaches its destination at a decent hour.
The first carriages will operate on routes such as Vienna – Munich and Vienna – Rome, and from 2025 they will arrive on Nightjet routes to Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Sources: International Railway Journal, RailTech.com
Source: Hot News RO
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