France obstructing the overnight train between Amsterdam and Barcelona
Rail company European Sleeper’s plans to run night trains between Amsterdam and Barcelona next year are being frustrated by an unwilling French rail manager. The train to Barcelona has to run through France. “But it is not easy to get a place in the timetable there,” European Sleeper co-founder Elmer van Buuren told BNR. The Amsterdam-Barceolna night train may take longer to get off the ground than hoped. “It could also be 2026.”
The French railway is crowded and is undergoing extensive renovations following years of deferred maintenance. “That kind of work is mainly done at night. And we run night trains. So then you collide in terms of priorities,” Van Buuren said.
The fact that European Sleeper is a new player in the railway market also counts against them. “They make it appear that they had not counted on us in the timetable and that it will be difficult to include us.” It's annoying, but Van Buuren isn’t too concerned. “Every time we enter a country, you see that they have to get used to the fact that there is a new party.”
Van Buuren does not think that France is deliberately trying to stop foreign players. “I don’t think it’s because we are Dutch. I think they’re used to doing things a certain way,” he said. He added that there are European rules that describe how rail companies have to deal with capacity issues. “The French will also have to make room for us.”
In the meantime, European Sleeper continues to work on the Amsterdam-Barcelona night train. “In addition to the timetable, we also need trains, so we are working on all kinds of components and will continue with them.”
