And what’s more there are no frequent and cheap sleeper trains. Imagine traveling to your destination sleeping in a comfy bed overnight. Lost ancient technology.
Ostend–Istanbul (officially called the *Ostend-Vienna-Orient Express*) ran from 1900 to 1939 and was never re-opened after WWII. Today, there are zero international trains departing out of Ostend, so a direct train from Ostend to Istanbul is wild to think about now.
Btw, the current section Budapest-Belgrade is cut because of multi-year reconstruction.
It’s time for Europe to start investing seriously in railway lines again, also with interventions on tariffs. A train journey between two capitals must be more convenient than a flight connection between two airports.
That branching between Belgrade and Sofia is Niš, my hometown
Ostende originally served as a ferry hub to go across the English channel to UK back then. Its role would be rendered obsolete today with the Chunnel and would be replaced by Calais and London.
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And what’s more there are no frequent and cheap sleeper trains. Imagine traveling to your destination sleeping in a comfy bed overnight. Lost ancient technology.
Ostend–Istanbul (officially called the *Ostend-Vienna-Orient Express*) ran from 1900 to 1939 and was never re-opened after WWII. Today, there are zero international trains departing out of Ostend, so a direct train from Ostend to Istanbul is wild to think about now.
Fun fact: the 1928 thriller [Stamboul Train](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamboul_Train) takes place on the Ostend–Istanbul train.
Btw, the current section Budapest-Belgrade is cut because of multi-year reconstruction.
It’s time for Europe to start investing seriously in railway lines again, also with interventions on tariffs. A train journey between two capitals must be more convenient than a flight connection between two airports.
That branching between Belgrade and Sofia is Niš, my hometown
Ostende originally served as a ferry hub to go across the English channel to UK back then. Its role would be rendered obsolete today with the Chunnel and would be replaced by Calais and London.
They NEED to put this line again