North America's Sleeper Train Problem | CBC Creator Network
Sleeper trains are making a comeback in Europe, allowing existing infrastructure to be put to good use. So why hasn’t North America made any progress on sleepers for decades?
Read more: www.cbc.ca/news
»»» Subscribe to CBC News to watch more videos: bit.ly/1RreYWS
Connect with CBC News Online:
For breaking news, video, audio and in-depth coverage: bit.ly/1Z0m6iX
Find CBC News on Facebook: bit.ly/1WjG36m
Follow CBC News on Twitter: bit.ly/1sA5P9H
For breaking news on Twitter: bit.ly/1WjDyks
Follow CBC News on Instagram: bit.ly/1Z0iE7O
Subscribe to CBC News on Snapchat: bit.ly/3leaWsr
Download the CBC News app for iOS: apple.co/25mpsUz
Download the CBC News app for Android: bit.ly/1XxuozZ
»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»
For more than 80 years, CBC News has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians.
Glad CBC finally started to care about rail when it is most needed.
Hurray!!! Happy to see your work again! @PaigeMTL! Kudos to @CBCnews for supporting intelligent, interesting and fun Canadian content creators 🎉
My dad and I travelled in Italy for three weeks in '06. One night, we took a sleeper train from Naples to Venice. I loved it: the sway of the train rocked me to sleep, and because European rails are welded together instead of jointed like they are here, it was relatively quiet--no CA-CLUNK, CA-CLUNK--and a very smooth ride.
This video is so good. Thank you Paige and thank you CBC! Everyone else, send this to your MPs! Policy change won't happen quickly, but it
I love a sleeper car, they need to be brought back on all trips. The passenger train should be a priority on the rails like the time before Via Rail.
In Bulgaria, in the last work day, you go to work, and at the evening you take the night train, and the next day, first day of vacation, you are already at your vacation destination
I liked the video as soon as I realised sleeper trains were being compared to cryogenic hibernation from sci-fi.
Years ago, I would take the overnight train to Toronto, leaving Montreal about 11 pm and getting into TO around 7 am. I could then spend most of the day in Toronto, get a late afternoon train back to Montreal and be home in less than 24 hours after I left. It suited me perfectly. Alas, VIA did away with that overnight train many years ago.
Great content. Please do an expose on rail infrastructure in Vancouver Island that is now lying in shambles... Very good
Very interesting video! As someone living in France with an interest about these questions, the return of night trains is good but actually pretty underwhelming compared to the service provided back in the eighties. Only a handfull of routes have been restored and mostly between capitals. This pales in comparison to the countless destinations it was possible to connect 40 years ago, even within a country. In Frances case, the national rail operator heavily invested in its high speed rail program, completely omitting the traditionnal network even though it is crucial for the country transportation. In 2021, the French government promised to reopen 10 french nightlines. This has gradually been watered down and no concrete action has yet been taken to build new coaches which are needed to run these trains (the old ones were scraped as soon as service stopped, as if they wanted to be sure they would never use them again). To the North American viewers here, it might seem that I'm just complaining too much and that I should consider myself happy with what we have which is pretty good. However, I just find sad that short haul flights and High speed rail were a reason too anihilate an entire network of trains that could cheaply and efficiently bring you further than high speed rail. Too show what I'm talking about, this link shows how the night train lines have evolved since the eighties (in 2023, only two of these lines have been restored):
Love this creator content concept
The Amtrak Maple Leaf from Toronto to New York City takes 12 hours (ten actual travel, two hours customs clearance at either Niagara Falls with CBSA or US CBP), it's a long day trip, This train makes more sense as an overnighter like leaving Toronto around 9PM and roll into NY Penn Station at 9 AM. The big challeng while the Maple Leaf is an international train between Toronto and NYC, ir's a milk run of sotts between NY Penn Station and Buffalo NY.
The US rail system is designed for freight only, and it's barely adequate for that. Even if there were time in the freight schedule, the trackbeds are often not smooth enough for passengers to get much sleep. We desperately need both high speed rain and sleeper trains to ease the pressure on our airports, but it will be a long time coming.
The obituary of European night services was being written as recently as 2019 (There's a book: "Night Trains" by Andrew Martin). The argument that SNCF and others were making was the HSR and ULCC airlines had invalidated the business case for overnight rail travel. Thankfully the Austrians took the contrarian view, creating NightJet and proving that there was still a significant market for arriving at your destination in the morning relaxed, and having avoided airport shenanigans.
Sounds like we need some major legislation forcing railroad operators to have the same open access and transparency in pricing that enables a competitive market in Europe
The Nightjet trains can go 142mph, so they are already much faster than almost all the trains in America.
These are good points. problem is how do you nationalise the rail lines? Cause that's what you'd have to do to turnrails into the equivalent of public roads IMO.
Take a look at Amtrak's woes on the Gulf Coast. They have been trying to reinstate the simple service from New Orleans to Mobile...10 years later it's still a major fight. I live in Moss Point, MS and would ride it frequently. Please do a video on this subject. Truly enjoyed your video. Lived in Europe and can attest to the great service.
To be fair, the new European sleeper trains are a largely revival of services that were shut down in the 2010s. I'm so happy to see them back.
Great video Paige! Love that CBC is investing in my favourite Urban Planning channels