A European family train trek showed me the pros and cons of modern rail travel – here’s where we need to go next.
My epic Interrail adventure around Europe with three small boys in tow was an eye-opener on the creature comforts of train carriages.
We experienced everything from the plush spacious seats and panoramic windows of the Glacier Express to graffiti-covered carriages rattling along a branch line with barely a rock-hard seat to be found.
Thanks to the huge disparity in rolling stock between rail companies and countries, passengers never quite know what to expect when they board a train in 21st-century Europe.
Watching my whooping toddler whizz down a slide at an onboard playground inside a Swiss train got me thinking about just how much the passenger experience has changed over the 200 years since train travel started making tracks.
What’s changed since the early days of rail travel?
This September marks the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in northern England. This historic event was the first time hundreds of passengers had been transported by rail.
Looking back, it’s hard to imagine just how exciting those first train experiences must have been – and how uncomfortable they were for some.
For the first few years of the railways, third-class passengers weren’t even afforded the luxury of a roof over their heads. Instead, they were left at the mercy of the elements and smoke from the engine.
These ‘cattle class’ carriages were phased out across Europe by the 1950s, replaced by a two-tier system of standard and first class that still survives today.
Over the years, sleeper cars and onboard eating options have been introduced, meaning passengers can get fed and find a bed while they travel.
If you are looking to get a taste of just how much passenger rail travel has changed since its inception, many lines still run historic routes with authentic carriages and engines.
My family loves a heritage train ride and we’re lucky to live on the doorstep of the line that launched the very first package holiday in 1841, when Thomas Cook offered a day trip from Leicester to Loughborough.
Railway buffs can recreate that trip on the Great Central Railway, which runs steam and diesel trains throughout the year.
It’s a little glimpse into trains and times gone by, with seating in compartments, and waiting rooms, including one for ladies only, with open fires in the grate in the winter. Passengers even have to open the doors by leaning out of the window to use the outside handle.
Another place which really highlights just how much train travel has changed over the years is Wuppertal in Germany. Here, the Schwebebahn, the world’s oldest electric suspension railway, still runs the length of the town, following the line of the river below.
Stepping off a wooden platform into a carriage dangling below a single rail is quite the experience. It just goes to show that train travel hasn’t always been carriages being pulled along tracks on the ground – innovators have experimented with different systems along the way.
While historic experiences are interesting for a one-off trip, we now expect far more from our everyday rail journeys. The realities of modern train travel, however, can vary wildly depending on when and where you go.
What can passengers expect inside a modern train carriage?
Our Easter Interrail extravaganza covered the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France and the UK. We never quite knew what we would find when we boarded each train.
Even with an Interrail pass, there were some trains where seat reservation fees were compulsory, such as Eurostar and the Glacier Express in Switzerland, and it certainly seemed like we were getting what we paid for, with cleanliness, comfortable seats and attentive carriage attendants all enhancing our experience.
In countries where all our train travel was covered by the pass, standards varied massively. The Netherlands seemed pretty perfect to me when it came to looking after passengers, particularly when welcoming children aboard. Germany was a different story, with lots of graffiti at the station and on the trains themselves.
Some of the carriages we found ourselves in were rundown and we even missed a train at one point as it set off from one end of a platform while we were waiting at the other, unaware that we couldn’t board there.
Access to charging points and WiFi is still pretty hit-and-miss across the network, especially on smaller local trains.
But there are lots of modern-day innovations that make passengers’ journeys more comfortable.
We loved travelling in double-decker trains in France and the Netherlands, which accommodate more passengers without the need for extra carriages.
And of course, the family zones in Swiss intercity trains were a massive hit. What child wouldn’t love to discover a playground inside their train carriage to help make their journey whizz by? For older kids, there were board games inlaid in the tabletops to keep them occupied.
We spotted sections dedicated to transporting bikes safely and securely, with passengers having to book and pay for a cycle slot on board. The ability to bring your bike isn’t universal across the train system though, so you need to check out what’s allowed before heading to the station with your cycle.
What can passengers expect from their travel experience in future?
With a renewed interest in sleeper services across the continent, it makes sense that rail companies are looking to invest in innovative ways to make the overnight experience better for passengers.
I can’t say our overnight trip between the Netherlands and Innsbruck was particularly restful. Passengers and luggage were crammed together in small compartments where seats doubled up as bunks. So anything that brings the sleeper car into the 21st century would be welcome!
Last autumn, the Austrian arm of the Skoda Group unveiled its Sleep in Motion designs for onboard double-decker sleep cubicles, which would line both sides of a central corridor. Alstom, based in the UK, has also showcased DreamSuite plans, which include seats that can flip over into lie-flat beds, with privacy screening between them.
Another passenger priority is keeping bags safe during the journey, with a rise in thefts from trains in recent years. We travelled with a cable lock so we could secure our bags to the luggage shelf.
Through our experience, we found that what European trains need is a better organised system with built-in security measures. In Japanese bullet trains, for example, lockable racks are available for passengers to stow their bags. It’s all a far cry from the luggage car of the railway heyday when travellers could send their trunks and bags on ahead ready for collection at their destination.
For fans of slow and sustainable travel, enhancing the passenger experience onboard is up there with introducing cleaner train fuels like hydrogen or increasing the speed and reliability of services. Cleaner trains are great but people have to want to travel on them for rail to become a viable alternative.
Project manager at Norske tog Sille Svenkerud Førner summed it up best when Norway announced its investment in 17 new long-distance FLIRT NEX trains, featuring reclining seats, flexible sleeping compartments, a bistro, family options and ample luggage space.
In her words, “The train should not only be a transport stage but also an experience and a place where you like to be.”
