'People don't want to fly': Covid-19 reawakens Europe's sleeper trains

Overnight services in Europe had seemingly hit the buffers but pandemic has revived demand

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For all their promise of romance and adventure, Europe's sleeper trains had appeared to have reached the end of the line.

Cripplingly expensive to run and forsaken by travellers for budget airlines, a decision by the German rail operator Deutsche Bahn to terminate the service connecting Paris to Berlin six years ago ushered in the closure of routes across the continent including almost all of France's network.