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Long-distance train travel is on the rise in Europe. This year, there have been new routes introduced between Germany and Denmark, Poland and Germany, Paris to the Alps and there are more planned in the near future from London to Cologne and Zurich. Keen to get in on the action, the Scottish government has announced that it’s looking into launching train journeys that take passengers all the way to mainland Europe.
Scotland’s national transport agency Transport Scotland has confirmed that a working group has been formed to assess the possibility of launching a direct Caledonian Sleeper service to mainland Europe. And it met for the first time this week.
The Caledonian Sleeper already transports people between London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Highlands. This week, the SNP said that it is looking at options to run the Sleeper from Scotland to London, then through the Channel Tunnel to European cities like Paris or Amsterdam. Scotland has tried to launch a similar service before – in the mid-1990s a project called ‘Nightstar’ was launched but eventually ditched. A couple of decades later, part of the SNP’s manifesto was a pledge to explore train connections to Europe in order to reduce air travel.
Stephen Flynn, Scotland’s cabinet secretary for economy, tourism and transport said: ‘We committed to exploring the potential for a direct Caledonian Sleeper service to mainland Europe and I am pleased that this work is now underway. The establishment of this working group marks an important first step in delivering that commitment and will help ensure the feasibility study is informed by the expertise of our rail partners.
‘This is an early-stage exercise and the study will focus on understanding the practical, technical and commercial considerations involved. The findings will provide an evidence base to inform any future decisions.’
The findings of the working group are expected to be presented to Scottish Parliament later this year.
Did you see that a brand-new ferry route connecting England and France is launching in just a few weeks?
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