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Europe's sleeper train comeback

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February 18, 2026

How about going to sleep in Berlin and waking up in Vienna! Night trains are popular but expensive. A Berlin startup wants to change that with compact sleeper cabins set to make night trains cheaper and greener.

Night trains are disappearing across Europe, but a Berlin start‑up is working on compact and comfortable sleeper cabins. Their aim is to create an affordable alternative to short‑haul flights. The concept relies on space‑saving modules that can accommodate almost twice as many passengers – which the company says could bring ticket prices down to the level of air travel while producing far lower emissions. The cabins are still prototypes, but the founders are determined to revive sleeper trains as a climate‑friendlyoption for travel.

Katharina Schantz Multimedia journalist with expertise in climate and environment reporting
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