>>2049942
>Not really. The demand is very seasonal.
Can you really know the actual demand with the actual system being like
>no proper network outside eastern Europe just some specific lines
>various different operators
>no unified platform for checking prices and availability
>no unified class system (ie berth, room, room with toilet, etc)
>booking is very finicky even on the better working sites
>they sell out fast on popular dates instead of forming the trains according to demand
etc.

I find it almost a miracle that there are any sleeper trains left at all because they are so impractical to look up and book. Wirh flying I just go on some website like Skyscanner and from there I can choose a dozen sites from which to book or right on the airline website.

I'd love for night trains to be as easy to book as plane fare. And for trains to just get more cars hooked up if there's demand, you could like leave booking open until one or two weeks before departure and then just adjust train length accordingly.

If Europe were serious about this they could form a multi-national sleeper train company that establishes an entire network between most if not all major cities and regions, with standardized classes like say only two classes: individual "pod" berths and 2-person rooms. With just those two classes it makes ordering train cars much simpler, and also forming the trains ad-hoc according to demand. Yeah sure it'd have to be subsidis somewhat, but it would help reduce airport and road congested, favor European industry and create jobs in railways, so overall it'd seem like a good investment. But alas, the EU could never do something cool like that.