The night train line Paris-Aurillac, which was discontinued 20 years ago, returned on Sunday, December 10, 2023, with a first train leaving Austerlitz station under the watchful eye of Transport Minister Clement Beaune and SNCF officials.
The inter-city train, mostly made up of berths, departed at 7:27 pm, headed to Aurillac where it is expected to arrive at 7:15 am, with stops including Châteauroux, Limoges, and Brive.
The reintroduction of the Paris-Berlin line, taking place alongside the Paris-Aurillac reinstallation, marks a revival of this nocturnal mode of transportation that was neglected in the 2010s.
“This marks a major acceleration,” commented Clement Beaune, as France aims for 10 night train lines by the end of the decade, as outlined in a plan launched in 2021.
For the Paris-Aurillac line, old railcars have been refurbished to accommodate berths.
“We will continue the renovations and procure new trains starting at the end of 2024, beginning of 2025,” explained the minister, with a total budget of 150 million euros allocated for this night train revival project, including amenities such as showers at the end of platforms.
For lines like Paris-Aurillac that are not achieving balance, the operation is subsidized as a public service, with an annual subsidy from the state of €3 to €4 million.
“Even more than the night train, Clément Beaune emphasizes the importance of inter-cities, which have been neglected, sometimes unfairly compared to TGVs and not considering regional inter-city trains,” said Clement Beaune.
Jean Castex, the former Prime Minister who had promised the line’s return to the Cantal, was present on Sunday evening to witness the train’s departure and noted that “it’s happening!”
He also added that he believed in the night train. “It checks the boxes for sustainable transportation and rural aspects, which align with my DNA.”
At this stage, three nightly trips from Paris to Aurillac are offered by SNCF – one in the other direction and one at the end of the week. The initial sales showed 65% occupancy, according to Clement Beaune.
In Montpellier, around forty demonstrators gathered in front of the Saint-Roch station bearing a banner reading: “Yes to inter-regional night trains.”
“We hope that night trains will be multiplied between regions, not always to Paris. It would be interesting to create night connections between Montpellier-Strasbourg, or Montpellier-Nantes,” explained Marie-Noëlle Devisscher, a 71-year-old former ecologist who advocates for a reduction in air travel.
Montpellier is one of the newly serviced stations by the night train between Paris and Cerbère, on the Spanish border, as mentioned by the SNCF in a statement.
