Brussels to Venice night train's maiden voyage 'couldn't even enter Italy': Here's why

The head of the company behind the journey said 'the Italians began to change their minds' on allowing the train into the country.

Transcript

00:00The new Brussels-Venice night train by European Sleeper failed to reach its destination Thursday

00:12due to issues at the Italian border. Passengers had to change trains in Innsbruck, Austria

00:18to complete their journey. The Italian operator reportedly informed the start-up two days

00:24before departure that it was no longer able to operate the train in Italy. These setbacks

00:29show the challenges of bringing back night trains in Europe.

00:59In as a greener alternative to planes, night trains are making a comeback in Europe. Patience

01:14is key as the Brussels-Venice route takes around 20 hours, but it doesn't discourage

01:19train enthusiasts.

01:43Despite eco-friendly intentions, passengers face high ticket prices. In Europe, trains

01:49cost twice as much as planes on average, according to a 2023 Greenpeace report.

02:12A European regulation to improve the efficiency of Europe's rail network and harmonise it

02:18could be adopted by this summer.