Intercités de nuit
 Route map as of 2024 | |
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Operator | SNCF |
| Locale | France |
| Dates of operation | 2012–present |
| Predecessor | Corail Lunéa, Lunéa |
| Other | |
| Website | www |
Intercités de Nuit is a brand name used by France’s national railway company, SNCF, to denote overnight passenger rail services in France. It was known as Corail Lunéa[1] before 2009 and as Lunéa[2] from 2010 to 2012. In 2012 the brand was reintegrated into the main Intercités network.
Between 2013 and 2017, most services were cancelled due to budget cuts. By early 2018 only two routes, from Paris to Briançon and from Paris to Toulouse/Latour de Carol, were still in operation.[3]
In 2018 the French government announced it would continue financing the remaining routes, and would commit €30 million to renovating the remaining couchette carriages. This involved the replacement of sleeping berths, refurbishment of bathrooms, and the installation of electrical outlets and Wi-Fi.[4]
In 2020 the network was relaunched in response to growing demand for night trains, particularly over climate concerns. Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari announced that this would begin in 2021 with the re-introduction of the Paris-Nice and Paris-Tarbes services, with an aim for "around 10" overnight services to be running by 2030.[5][6] In 2025 the government announced it would begin procurement of new rolling stock for the Intercités de Nuit network, including at least 180 sleeper cars and 30 locomotives, which it hoped would be in service as early as 2030.[7]
Comfort
Intercités de Nuit services are unusual for modern European night trains by consisting only of shared couchette cars and seating cars; sleeping cars containing private one- and two-bed compartments were withdrawn from service in 2007.[8] The Corail carriages currently in use were constructed in the 1970s and 1980s, although some have been recently renovated.
Three different comfort levels are provided:
- First class couchette (A9c9ux): four berths per compartment. A pillow and sleeping bags are provided on each berth, along with mineral water and a kit containing earplugs and an eye mask. Toilets and washrooms are available at either end of the carriage. These compartments can be reserved for one, two or three passengers only by payment of a special supplement.
- Second class couchette (B10c10ux or B8c8ux): sixth berths per compartment. A pillow and sleeping bags are provided on each berth, along with mineral water and a kit containing earplugs and an eye mask. Toilets and washrooms are available at either end of the carriage. These compartments can be reserved for four or five passengers by payment of a special supplement.
- Second class seats (A10tuh): reclining seats in a 2+1 configuration. Neither pillows nor blanket are provided.[8][9]
No dining or bar cars remain in operation, but a service car (B8c8ux) is present on most routes where drinks and snacks can be purchased from onboard staff, and where pre-booked bicycles can be transported.[10] Food can also be preorded for delivery to compartments in the morning or evening.[9]
Female-only compartments are available to be booked. No showers are available on board, but passengers travelling in first class couchettes are entitled to use the shower facilities at Paris-Austerlitz and Toulouse-Matabiau free of charge.[8][9]
In 2025 the French government formalised its order for new rolling stock, which it specified should have a range of accommodation options including "reclining seats, couchette-style compartments for families or groups, individual pods for single travellers, two-berth sleeping compartments with washing facilities and luxury two-berth compartments with a private shower and toilet". It stated that these new trains could be in operation as soon as 2030.[7]
Network in 2026
As of 2026, the Intercités de Nuit network consists of the following lines:[10][11]
Former network
At the point of integration into the Intercités network in 2012, the network (then Lunéa) consisted of the following lines:[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Lunéa website". Archived from the original on 6 December 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
- ^ Lunéa devient INTERCITÉS de nuit, voyages-sncf.com
- ^ "Intercités – Réseaux des trains de jour et de nuit | SNCF". www.sncf.com (in French). Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ "SNCF : les deux derniers trains de nuit en France seront maintenus et rénovés". leparisien.fr (in French). 22 September 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ Haydock, David (2 February 2021). "France to restore Paris - Nice night train in April". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ Jaladis, Stephane (13 December 2021). "The State in the driving seat to relaunch night trains". Voyages d'Affaires. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ a b "France begins procurement of replacement night train fleet". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ a b c "A guide to French overnight trains | Intercités de Nuit". www.seat61.com. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ a b c "Travel by night | SNCF Voyageurs". www.sncf-voyageurs.com. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Historical train compositions 2025 - SNCF ICN". vagonWEB. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ^ Our INTERCITÉS destinations, SNCF, accessed 23 January 2026.
External links
Media related to Lunéa at Wikimedia Commons