Love the two berths and the ones with extra comfort. Nice to see you back on the train, any up and coming videos because i love them ,many thanks for the update. 👍🙂
My only gripe is that I really wish they finally added some sort of communal lounge car for passengers with tables and some sort of food service. Would be a nice place to hang out, especially if you’re in one of those mini suites. Other than that I’m SO EXCITED!
@Mike Mainer then those can (and should) reserve a room. It's funny how you're going around the whole comment section bitching and whining like an "adult" about something that is really practical. You also know that it isn't just people being stuffed into it right? You reserve them, if you are less mobile or older you can simply choose to reserve a room, if you just want to hop in, sleep and hop out for a not so expensive price you could go and sleep in a mini-suite. So your "arguments" (whinings) pretty much fall in deaf ears, not that you would ever even ride with these trains, so it shouldn't even concern you in the first place
The new coaches look great! I especially like the mini suites. A great idea for solo travellers on a budget. They remind me of some of the train compartments in Japan. Not to my personal taste, but I think they're great. I can't wait to ride these new cars!
@Mike Mainer An adult human being wouldn't whine about things like this and also not judge things at first sight. They're apparently comfortable and spacious enough. The train is literally made for getting in, sleeping and getting out and for that you don't really need more than such a minisuite
Expensive??? I would say prices are pretty reasonable when you factor in the cost of a hotel which would be the alternative. Overnight on a Nightjet for me any time as opposed to hotel and train.
That Mini suite is genius! Would’ve loved it to have a slightly bigger window but otherwise awesome. I’m small so I could like happily live in that for a like 48hour train ride from like Finland to Portugal or something 😂
Bad idea. One-night travel is good but two or three nights would be unbearable. In pre-covid&wartime minisuite idea was declined in one relevant country. 8h, 27h and 60h travels for myself.
To everybody complaining about the minisuites as if there aren't any other options: This just in, people - not everything in the world is made for you personally! (Or for me personally!)
@@neilelkins2009 yeah, maybe it says more about the safety in the rail system (or lack thereof) more than anything. It was probably easier and cheaper to just change the configuration of the carriages around than fix the real issues.
I like the choice of bunks that move along the direction of travel in the standard two berth . On a round the world trip (by surface all the way), I experience this on a Thai sleeper train and found the movement was much more conducive to sleep than a sleeper where the bunk is across the carriage and at 90 degrees to the direction of travel. With this normal arrangement I find the first night on any trip is always disturbed...
I personally don't have much of a problem sleeping sideways. What I don't like is feeling the folding mechanism on the middle berth, that's why I always choose the upper of the lower berth. I can imagine that sleeping lengthways would be better. Also on a whole different note, your round the world trip was using ground transportation only. Did that mean you also used cargo ships or cruises to cross the oceans? It's a trip I'd love to make in a few years when I've saved up enough money.
I think the Minisuite idea will catch on for the expense minded traveler who seeks the privacy of a single, without having to pay for a whole cabin price. This will probably support an economy for the providers.
Thank you for bringing us these wonderful new innovations in train travel and encouraging taking the train. I started to read your website years ago because I like trains. But in these environmentally-conscious times, it's even more important to take the train, and I'm thrilled that train companies are stepping up their service. Thank you for communicating that so people know that trains are getting better and better. I remember how sad I was just a few years ago when overnight trains started going away. And now it seems like, not only are they back, but there are more than ever before.
Thank you. I was there during the same presentation but didn't see you. There will also be a low floor car with wheelchair-accessible compartment and toilet as well as space for luggage and bicycles. Regarding passengers with big luggage there was some concern that it wouldn't fit in the small luggage boxes between the mini cabins. I asked the people of ÖBB about this at InnoTrans and received the answer that the mattress of the lower berth can be lifted up to put luggage underneath, also one or two mini cabins per car will remain unreserved and can be used by the staff to store luggage. Passengers with skis or other bulk luggage are advised to board in the low floor car and store their things there, apparently the staff will help locking it away? We will know later about details. At the end without entrance doors each sleeping and couchette car has a grey cupboard but that is only for staff to store bedsheets and other supplies, so can't be used for passenger suitcases.
I regret not looking for the open locker (I was told there was one). I know it’ll take ‘cabin size’ bags but if it isn’t deep enough for backpacks I think it’ll be an issue as so many international travellers are (a) target market for minisuites and (b) have a backpack.
@@seat61 just looking at how open the bottom of the beds look and that there is the cross mini window its probably just large enough for carry on size or a backpack but not both and not even a lot of the big backpacking bags. otherwise its all got to be stored somewhere else by staff
An interesting new design. Certainly a step up in Couchette design, though with some possible downsides too. The standard couchette compartment looks very nice. I like the rounded edges of the seats, which look like they will be much more comfortable in day mode. The center console for the upper births looks fantastic, though I could easily see the cordless charging pads being mistaken for cupholders in the night and vice versa. It's also a little bit of a shame that the same console design wasn't replicated for the lower births, replaced instead with what looks like a little seat. The biggest potential issue I see is the loss of extra storage space above the corridor, a potential major complaint for passengers who travel with lots of luggage or oversized bags. It also took me a minute to notice that rather than being perfectly parallel, the births are actually arranged in a slight V formation, so the end nearest the window is narrower than at the door, a novel approach and rather visually attractive, but I struggle to see the point in it as it would be tricky to replicate the reverse of that on the other side to form a W of compartments down the car. Aside from the above-corridor storage loss, my biggest issue is with the digital readout thermostat; unless that's made of some NASA grade electronics I guarantee you that won't be up to the strain of long-term rail service and there will be serious problems with thermostat failures within months of these cars entering service. By far the most interesting aspect was the "minisuites", which I can only presume weren't called "capsules" as marketing felt that name wouldn't go down well with the European market despite the obvious inspiration from the famous Japanese micro hotels. Initial impressions from me are a mix of extremes; on the one hand, they seem to offer a good solution to the issue of single traveler private accommodation, having more privacy than an open bunk. On the other hand, despite the assurance that one can sit up and work at the tray table, the first word that springs to mind, and looking at the comments I'm not the only one, is Claustrophobia. Being crammed into such a tiny space in the middle of the night looks like it would be terrifying, little better than a coffin. No way one could change clothes in such a tight space. If each birth could have been even 1 inch wider, that may have been more comfortable. Also, why is there no solid partition between the minisuites on the window end of the births? What is the point of the semi-flexible screen over a solid wall? I do like the lockers beneath the steps, that's a clever touch. One last question I have is :Why haven't American style "roomettes" caught on in Europe? It seems like a perfect middle ground between the 4-birth couchette and these "minisuite" pods while still giving enough space for 2 grown adults to move around. The design has proven immensely popular on Amtrak and VIA Rail has even picked up the idea and run with it. I don't think it's a matter of loading gauge as the Continental loading gauge is plenty for a roomette style layout.
great observations there ! Right now, my biggest fear with train travel is the luggage storage. (and luggage theft since my father got his bag stolen in a Thalys and we had to change our front door locks in a hurry). The semi-flexible scree between the minisuitescapsules is used for couples travelling together but who don't want to book a luxurious cabin (we'll see about the price when these enter service) and would like to say goodnight before extinguishing the lights :) And yea, totally spot on about these electronic control devices. They don't look very sturdy. Same for sensors in bathrooms : everybody is so scared of virus and bacteria now, but it's better to have a functioning faucet, soap dispenser and some disposable tissues, rather than a defect bathroom.
You really think many Americans would be willing to share a room with 4-5 strangers? Especially with at least a third of the population still terrified of covid? I doubt many Europeans would do it these days.
Very good video (as usual from Mr Smith) with examples of innovative design. I am not used to twinettes having a seat where OBB has placed it, and the berths are longitudinal. Mostly in developed countries, they've tended to be transverse. On an older couchette last year, we had a good trip, but on a different route in a deluxe (not Excelsior) sleeping car, most of the toilets including ours did not work. OBB had not had the cars properly serviced at an outstation. The contracted staff on board struggled with so many compartments having inoperable toilets. OBB needs to ensure that trains are properly attended to when they're away from Vienna.
@Mike Mainer You don't have to travel in it. For women travelling alone who are afraid of being raped in a multiple compartment (there have been several cases in intercity night trains in France), this is clearly an improvement. And even without going that far, you have to compare things that are comparable: it's unfair to compare a train to a hotel because a train is a means of transport in which space is necessarily limited. The right comparison is to compare trains with planes. And clearly, between having to spend a night in a seat so small that I need a shoehorn to get in and a minisuit, it's easy to know which one I'd choose
Thank You very much dear Mark Smith for Your impressive and helpful video ! Well done 👍✅ Dare I say more : Your reputation precedes You ! Have a nice , prosperous and not a boring evening ! Your loyal admirer , Vl'ado Orlandich.
It's funny that some of the comments cry about the claustrophobic holes - I hope in the reality the situation will not be that horrible + I need to note, that the 6 bed couchets do not provide more space... Also, I want to complain about this terrible trend with putting the seats in to one shared room instead the old coupe solution. As in the past it was possible to earn some privacy, regulate the light and filter out a little bit the sound. But this new set up just provides an awful experience for all the budget travelers-.-
Why? Those cubby hole things are hardly premium any thing except clown world. Amtrak Viewliners have almost the same passenger capacity and don't treat people like lad animals. The Budd Slumbercoaches of the 50's and 60's had higher capacity and didn't require spending the night with strangers or sleeping in a sardine can.
Man I really hope these coaches get into service before summer so when I'll go on a school trip to Paris I'll get the chance to try it out. ÖBB has night trains that go in Paris right ?
It will be interesting to see what type of North American variant Siemens proposes for Amtrak. I'm a big fan of the CAF Viewliner II design but given how long it took to build those, I'm not sure whether we'll see any more Viewliners so I hope we get something equally nice for whatever the next generation ends up being!
Why don't the railroads offer flat beds in open saloon like the first class and business cubicles on planes? I wish I could get a better view of the new Nightjet coach seating. Can't tell much from this quick view behind glass.
At the start of the video I spotted the max speed sticker on one of the cars: 230kph. That’s bonkers! What routes are they going to ride at that speed? Copenhagen to Spain in one night? 😂
In some older videos I spotted the overnight trains run on ICE tracks in Germany. Not the 300km/h routes, but dedicated tracks alongside conventional routes, overtaking numerous regional trains and whizzing through stations along the way.
I think cleaning of the mini cabins is quite a challenge. If this can't be done properly, it will become a bedbug paradise. I think I prefer the sleeper...
Nice compartment designs, but OBB Nightjets lack diningf/bar car. Some of their routes are 12 to 14 hours long. Too much time to be confined to one small space - even the deluxe suites.
@@archiesnownose2117 WTF! In which country? I used night trains between Germany and Austria. There were single compartments for one person and double compartments for 2 persons (in the 1st class). The double compartment had a given price per person but that price was significant lower than the price for a single compartment. And it didn't mattter which gender a person had. This is more than ten years ago when Swiss company City Night Line operated those trains but I'm convinced that is hasn't changed significantly.
In the press conference they said they will first use them on their (Germany-)Austria-Italy routes. Eventually they will roll them out on their other lines (i.e. Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Czechia, Poland, France, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia and soon also Spain)
I recently rode the nightjet between Hamburg and Zurich and it wasn't much fun. Uncomfortable, no wifi, hot. Are all the trains being replaced? When do they go into full service?
Would it be possible to have a backpack with you in the Minisuite? I think when the backpack is too big to fit in the luggage box. There look to be space at the window.
From 2:07 the folding divider between two adjacent minicabins can be seen. This can be opened if two people are travelling together and want to have a chat before sleep. At that place you can probably also put a small piece of luggage. I guess it is best to pack wisely so everything you need (like toothbrush, charger etc) is in your small backpack while you can have the big suitcase locked away elsewhere. We will see how this works out in practice. As a passenger who sleeps best in privacy but doesn't want to pay high fares I appreciate the new offer!
@@uncinarynin I think the best would be to have the stuff in the backpack in smaller pieces that can be taken out and put in the locker. Then the backpack with little content left can be put in the minisuite. Bigger luggage as skis or bicycle can be put in the baggage space in one of the seat waggons.
Are these individual cars or fixed trainsets? It seems like there's a lot of movement these days towards buying fixed sets, and it seems to me it reduces the operational flexibility.
They will be used in fixed compositions. In practice, the flexibility doesn't seem to be worth the additional complexity. If they need more capacity, they will couple two sets together.
The design is certainly beautiful, but there is no way someone with a slight physical problem - hernia by example - could enter these cramped compartments. Besides even the luxury cabins seem not to have been designed by someone who enjoys train travel, the seating does not look comfortable and one cannot enjoy the view from the window.
I'm not claustrophobic and those minisuites look pretty decent but damn I'm scared they might be a little too small. I'm 203cm (6 foot 8) and this kinda looks like it's not even 2 meters. In a couchette style cabin you can at least stick your knees out a little even though those beds were 190cm. In this mini tube I'm scared i just can't fit no matter how i position myself because there are walls on both sides. I would love to try it out though
I am gonna take one of the nightjets in ten days from Vienna to Milan in a couchette and then from Rome to Vienna also in a couchette. Any chance I am having a new generation couchette?
looks like nice overall. is that 2 types of seats in the seated area one with a higher back? are they locked to the 7 car sets if so what does this mean for capacity of each of the routes they will operate on. some services getting 1 set but other ones might need an entirely second set? then what about the ones that have just 2 cars currently mixed in with a bunch of other services?
You can add separate cars to one of these 7-car trainsets. The Italian routes are a portion for Milan and for Rome from both Munich & Vienna, so two sets which swap portions.
You gotten your wish as it seems the new brand for Amtrak is very similar to Nightjet which includes the rolling stock which this type they are buying.
I personally think Amtrak should *really* look at making their long-distance coach cars 100% lie-flat and adding showers in the coach bathrooms. If you want to sell Americans on rail, offering modern first-class airline comfort (amfleets are at the "first class" standard of several decades ago) at less than the price of an economy airline ticket is the way to go. But yes, if this layout would allow them to lower the *insane* roomette prices (how this decreases the total space required per person I can't really tell), that would be a big win to have here in the United States. And in general, we really should just import European trains since nobody makes good ones here anymore.
@@chasemartin4450 North America has no real passenger train manufacturers anymore right? The last one that sprang to mind was Bombardier (Canada) which has been bought by the French Alstom and Budd went bust multiple decades after selling their stuff to Bombardier.
The mini suites really are an amazing invention for solo travellers.
the minsuites are such an excellent idea
I don't really like sharing a cabin with strangers so to me those minisuites look great!
i like the minisuites,there´s Privacy when you sleep and they are like capsule beds which is cool.
Love the two berths and the ones with extra comfort. Nice to see you back on the train, any up and coming videos because i love them ,many thanks for the update. 👍🙂
Love sleeping trains and this has options for all tastes and budgets, well thought! Thanks for sharing!
I can't wait to try one of those minisuites. I get that they will be polarizing but I love they are trying a new idea.
My only gripe is that I really wish they finally added some sort of communal lounge car for passengers with tables and some sort of food service. Would be a nice place to hang out, especially if you’re in one of those mini suites. Other than that I’m SO EXCITED!
This lounch cars are a waste of money for the railwaycompanies, the will only be used for a short time before the passangers will go to sleep.
It's good to see some operators are still committed to and investing in sleeper trains..... Looking at you, Renfe!
I always found this idea of a “hotel on wheels” fascinating and I am glad that it makes its comeback.
We finally get to "see" you!!! I really enjoy your videos thank you so much!!
Really like the idea of minisuite. I’ll say it’s a copy of the Japanese capsule hotel but with mobility! Can’t wait to try them on
Look well smart, excellent build quality. Any idea when they will be in service?
They look fantastic, really smart and comfortable. The mini suites are a fantastic idea to make overnight trains more affordable and accessible.
Capsule pods seem like a game changer
@Mike Mainer then those can (and should) reserve a room. It's funny how you're going around the whole comment section bitching and whining like an "adult" about something that is really practical. You also know that it isn't just people being stuffed into it right?
You reserve them, if you are less mobile or older you can simply choose to reserve a room, if you just want to hop in, sleep and hop out for a not so expensive price you could go and sleep in a mini-suite. So your "arguments" (whinings) pretty much fall in deaf ears, not that you would ever even ride with these trains, so it shouldn't even concern you in the first place
The new coaches look great! I especially like the mini suites. A great idea for solo travellers on a budget. They remind me of some of the train compartments in Japan. Not to my personal taste, but I think they're great. I can't wait to ride these new cars!
The USA needs trains like this.
Minisuites looks good, it makes me want to try out night trains !
Very nice new cars! Thanks for sharing!
Nice. Can't wait for these cars ready for operation
I can't wait to see those in service. Very nice looking coaches. 😎
Minisuites remind me of the capsule hotels you see in places like Japan. I'd be game to try one.
@Mike Mainer An adult human being wouldn't whine about things like this and also not judge things at first sight. They're apparently comfortable and spacious enough. The train is literally made for getting in, sleeping and getting out and for that you don't really need more than such a minisuite
@Mike Mainer much better than being sleeping with 5 strangers.
Dang, these look slick as hecc! A shame NightJets tend to be so expensive; this is such a major improvement in almost every way.
Expensive??? I would say prices are pretty reasonable when you factor in the cost of a hotel which would be the alternative. Overnight on a Nightjet for me any time as opposed to hotel and train.
@@keithparker2206 for me it’s night train vs flying out in the morning/in during the evening…
@@keithparker2206 they are expensive..
Looks amazing. I love overnight travel (by train or ferry).
I love that all sleeper compartments have their own toilets and shower.
@Mike Mainer those are couchettes.
Thank you. Really impressed with the design of those 1/2 compartments. Not too sure about the minisuites, though they might grow on me.
The seating car is a real throwback to the 60's, 70's Hungarian coaches
Nice
Very nice! I do wonder if and when we can get those nobi nobi cheap beds you see in Japan. Those would be great for the ultra-budget traveller.
That Mini suite is genius! Would’ve loved it to have a slightly bigger window but otherwise awesome. I’m small so I could like happily live in that for a like 48hour train ride from like Finland to Portugal or something 😂
I'm presuming you are also young and fit. Getting up into that top 'capsule' looks like one for the contortionist.
@@buzzukfiftythree Getting in is easy, it's getting out that's a problem.
Bad idea. One-night travel is good but two or three nights would be unbearable. In pre-covid&wartime minisuite idea was declined in one relevant country. 8h, 27h and 60h travels for myself.
Imagine this adapted into the Venture platform for North America.
Good point.
To everybody complaining about the minisuites as if there aren't any other options: This just in, people - not everything in the world is made for you personally! (Or for me personally!)
Interesting that the sleeping compartment beds are parallel with the windows. Wasn't that forbidden in the UK for crash safety reasons?
I've heard that, but I've seen Japanese sleeper sets with a similar layout - wonder how comes the difference(?)
Most Amtrak berths are parallel with the windows. It allows for longer berths.
@@fetchstixRHD maybe we just expect trains to collide in Britain?
🚞☕🚂
@@neilelkins2009 yeah, maybe it says more about the safety in the rail system (or lack thereof) more than anything. It was probably easier and cheaper to just change the configuration of the carriages around than fix the real issues.
The mini suites, claustrophobic. I wunder, is there some sort of age restriction? One may not be older than say,40? For climbing in and out
I like the choice of bunks that move along the direction of travel in the standard two berth . On a round the world trip (by surface all the way), I experience this on a Thai sleeper train and found the movement was much more conducive to sleep than a sleeper where the bunk is across the carriage and at 90 degrees to the direction of travel. With this normal arrangement I find the first night on any trip is always disturbed...
I personally don't have much of a problem sleeping sideways. What I don't like is feeling the folding mechanism on the middle berth, that's why I always choose the upper of the lower berth. I can imagine that sleeping lengthways would be better.
Also on a whole different note, your round the world trip was using ground transportation only. Did that mean you also used cargo ships or cruises to cross the oceans? It's a trip I'd love to make in a few years when I've saved up enough money.
I'd love to read about your round-the-world trip. Are the details posted somewhere?
I think the Minisuite idea will catch on for the expense minded traveler who seeks the privacy of a single, without having to pay for a whole cabin price. This will probably support an economy for the providers.
Very nice train, this is the fiiucher of the railway 👍
Thank you for bringing us these wonderful new innovations in train travel and encouraging taking the train. I started to read your website years ago because I like trains. But in these environmentally-conscious times, it's even more important to take the train, and I'm thrilled that train companies are stepping up their service. Thank you for communicating that so people know that trains are getting better and better. I remember how sad I was just a few years ago when overnight trains started going away. And now it seems like, not only are they back, but there are more than ever before.
Wow. What a great product.
Great video !!! Greetings from Germany. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !!!
massive improvement over the old DB cars in use now, cant wait to try them out!
I trust the requirement to share sleeper cabins with complete strangers is now a thing of the past.
Thank you. I was there during the same presentation but didn't see you.
There will also be a low floor car with wheelchair-accessible compartment and toilet as well as space for luggage and bicycles.
Regarding passengers with big luggage there was some concern that it wouldn't fit in the small luggage boxes between the mini cabins.
I asked the people of ÖBB about this at InnoTrans and received the answer that the mattress of the lower berth can be lifted up to put luggage underneath, also one or two mini cabins per car will remain unreserved and can be used by the staff to store luggage. Passengers with skis or other bulk luggage are advised to board in the low floor car and store their things there, apparently the staff will help locking it away? We will know later about details.
At the end without entrance doors each sleeping and couchette car has a grey cupboard but that is only for staff to store bedsheets and other supplies, so can't be used for passenger suitcases.
I regret not looking for the open locker (I was told there was one). I know it’ll take ‘cabin size’ bags but if it isn’t deep enough for backpacks I think it’ll be an issue as so many international travellers are (a) target market for minisuites and (b) have a backpack.
@@seat61 just looking at how open the bottom of the beds look and that there is the cross mini window its probably just large enough for carry on size or a backpack but not both and not even a lot of the big backpacking bags. otherwise its all got to be stored somewhere else by staff
An interesting new design. Certainly a step up in Couchette design, though with some possible downsides too.
The standard couchette compartment looks very nice. I like the rounded edges of the seats, which look like they will be much more comfortable in day mode. The center console for the upper births looks fantastic, though I could easily see the cordless charging pads being mistaken for cupholders in the night and vice versa. It's also a little bit of a shame that the same console design wasn't replicated for the lower births, replaced instead with what looks like a little seat. The biggest potential issue I see is the loss of extra storage space above the corridor, a potential major complaint for passengers who travel with lots of luggage or oversized bags. It also took me a minute to notice that rather than being perfectly parallel, the births are actually arranged in a slight V formation, so the end nearest the window is narrower than at the door, a novel approach and rather visually attractive, but I struggle to see the point in it as it would be tricky to replicate the reverse of that on the other side to form a W of compartments down the car. Aside from the above-corridor storage loss, my biggest issue is with the digital readout thermostat; unless that's made of some NASA grade electronics I guarantee you that won't be up to the strain of long-term rail service and there will be serious problems with thermostat failures within months of these cars entering service.
By far the most interesting aspect was the "minisuites", which I can only presume weren't called "capsules" as marketing felt that name wouldn't go down well with the European market despite the obvious inspiration from the famous Japanese micro hotels. Initial impressions from me are a mix of extremes; on the one hand, they seem to offer a good solution to the issue of single traveler private accommodation, having more privacy than an open bunk. On the other hand, despite the assurance that one can sit up and work at the tray table, the first word that springs to mind, and looking at the comments I'm not the only one, is Claustrophobia. Being crammed into such a tiny space in the middle of the night looks like it would be terrifying, little better than a coffin. No way one could change clothes in such a tight space. If each birth could have been even 1 inch wider, that may have been more comfortable. Also, why is there no solid partition between the minisuites on the window end of the births? What is the point of the semi-flexible screen over a solid wall? I do like the lockers beneath the steps, that's a clever touch.
One last question I have is :Why haven't American style "roomettes" caught on in Europe? It seems like a perfect middle ground between the 4-birth couchette and these "minisuite" pods while still giving enough space for 2 grown adults to move around. The design has proven immensely popular on Amtrak and VIA Rail has even picked up the idea and run with it. I don't think it's a matter of loading gauge as the Continental loading gauge is plenty for a roomette style layout.
great observations there ! Right now, my biggest fear with train travel is the luggage storage. (and luggage theft since my father got his bag stolen in a Thalys and we had to change our front door locks in a hurry).
The semi-flexible scree between the minisuitescapsules is used for couples travelling together but who don't want to book a luxurious cabin (we'll see about the price when these enter service) and would like to say goodnight before extinguishing the lights :)
And yea, totally spot on about these electronic control devices. They don't look very sturdy. Same for sensors in bathrooms : everybody is so scared of virus and bacteria now, but it's better to have a functioning faucet, soap dispenser and some disposable tissues, rather than a defect bathroom.
Very very beautiful 👍
Cool..wish we had those here in Murica.
You really think many Americans would be willing to share a room with 4-5 strangers? Especially with at least a third of the population still terrified of covid? I doubt many Europeans would do it these days.
Why must you use the term Murica. That is so toolish.
@@emilkarpo I meant the high quality train-sets..Amtrak is way behind
Absolutely fantastic
I realize these are night trains, but what is the view from the windows like? Can you actually sit and see anything from the berth/sofa?
I didn't see this as an issue. They seemed big enough - much bigger than UK sleeper windows, for a start.
The modern travellers is not supposed any more to watch the scenery. You have to lie at your stomach and do some yoga to see anything
The people complaining about the capsules have never been kept up all night on a train but some random person snoring.
@Mike Mainer One of the things that couldn't easily be tried in the train shown. We will see.
@Mike Mainer Well, it certainly won't be worse than before.
素晴らしい新型寝台列車ですね。
この列車で素敵なナイトクルージングが出来る欧州の方々が心底羨ましい。こちら日本では新型寝台列車の投入など夢のまた夢ですから😭
I love the Orient Express. What a lovely overnight train.
Now, we have something really innovative.
Innovation doesn't necessarily mean improvement.
Very good video (as usual from Mr Smith) with examples of innovative design. I am not used to twinettes having a seat where OBB has placed it, and the berths are longitudinal. Mostly in developed countries, they've tended to be transverse.
On an older couchette last year, we had a good trip, but on a different route in a deluxe (not Excelsior) sleeping car, most of the toilets including ours did not work. OBB had not had the cars properly serviced at an outstation. The contracted staff on board struggled with so many compartments having inoperable toilets. OBB needs to ensure that trains are properly attended to when they're away from Vienna.
It looks great. Previous week i rode from Brussels to Vienna with the older trains and they are not very comfortable. These trains looks better.
Aint no way Amtrak is picking these up for long distance travel, alas, a man can dream.
This is what SNCF needs to buy asap.
i will travel in this . one day
so it’s like introducing a capsule hotel on a train
Technically, yeah. Interesting concept no doubt.
@Mike Mainer You don't have to travel in it. For women travelling alone who are afraid of being raped in a multiple compartment (there have been several cases in intercity night trains in France), this is clearly an improvement. And even without going that far, you have to compare things that are comparable: it's unfair to compare a train to a hotel because a train is a means of transport in which space is necessarily limited. The right comparison is to compare trains with planes. And clearly, between having to spend a night in a seat so small that I need a shoehorn to get in and a minisuit, it's easy to know which one I'd choose
The mini suites are a good idea, but Ihope that they will be functional as well. I want a good isolation against sounds, especially snoring people.
No.. this is a terrible idea.
I would never ever buy a ticket for such shit.
Thank You very much dear Mark Smith for Your impressive and helpful video ! Well done 👍✅ Dare I say more : Your reputation precedes You ! Have a nice , prosperous and not a boring evening !
Your loyal admirer , Vl'ado Orlandich.
It's funny that some of the comments cry about the claustrophobic holes - I hope in the reality the situation will not be that horrible + I need to note, that the 6 bed couchets do not provide more space...
Also, I want to complain about this terrible trend with putting the seats in to one shared room instead the old coupe solution. As in the past it was possible to earn some privacy, regulate the light and filter out a little bit the sound. But this new set up just provides an awful experience for all the budget travelers-.-
Amtrak should look at this. Premium sleepers.
And they'd probably still charge $1000 for it 🥲🥲
Why? Those cubby hole things are hardly premium any thing except clown world. Amtrak Viewliners have almost the same passenger capacity and don't treat people like lad animals. The Budd Slumbercoaches of the 50's and 60's had higher capacity and didn't require spending the night with strangers or sleeping in a sardine can.
What a wonderful Train!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Man I really hope these coaches get into service before summer so when I'll go on a school trip to Paris I'll get the chance to try it out. ÖBB has night trains that go in Paris right ?
Yes, but these new ones won't be riding to Paris. Aren't even planned for homologations in France.
It will be interesting to see what type of North American variant Siemens proposes for Amtrak. I'm a big fan of the CAF Viewliner II design but given how long it took to build those, I'm not sure whether we'll see any more Viewliners so I hope we get something equally nice for whatever the next generation ends up being!
I hope VIA Rail and Amtrak will look into purchasing these new, thoughfully deisgned l, Nightjets for their Long Distance fleet replacement.
The idea of this is so exciting it literally keeps me awake at night
This is beautiful my friend. Love to try this train.
Fantastic! Now that ÖBB is moving premium, there is room under for cheaper solutions too.
I rather like these. Purely set up for sleeping, which totally suits the NightJet model. You're not going to do any days, just nights.
Looks like the regular sleeping compartments are all en suite, with a shower handle as part of the sink...did I see that correctly...?
They look similar to the rail coaches that Siemens builds in the US.
Because the Siemens coaches in the US are based off of the European design???
Why don't the railroads offer flat beds in open saloon like the first class and business cubicles on planes? I wish I could get a better view of the new Nightjet coach seating. Can't tell much from this quick view behind glass.
Here you can see what will be the fastest train in the world 600 kilometers per hour. th-cam.com/video/8Gm5tMtJ-Mw/w-d-xo.html
The latest edition of Chinese high speed train does offer something like that, airplane fishbone seatings...
Some do, such as the Leo Express between Prague and Kosice.
At the start of the video I spotted the max speed sticker on one of the cars: 230kph. That’s bonkers! What routes are they going to ride at that speed? Copenhagen to Spain in one night? 😂
Wien Hamburg maybe
In some older videos I spotted the overnight trains run on ICE tracks in Germany. Not the 300km/h routes, but dedicated tracks alongside conventional routes, overtaking numerous regional trains and whizzing through stations along the way.
Vienna to Rome
The windows unfortunately do not look openable, but please tell me they are!
They aren’t, like the majority of the Nightjet fleet.
they don't want you to smoke inside of your capsule :P
You seriously still think about openable windows in 21th century?
@@markoobid2005 I honestly don’t know why they stopped with openable windows, especially on night trains. They enhance the experience soo much
@@anteeklund4159 no, they don't. Trains have air conditioning which is an essential part of modern travelling. That's why.
I think cleaning of the mini cabins is quite a challenge. If this can't be done properly, it will become a bedbug paradise. I think I prefer the sleeper...
Which routes are they being introduced on first?
They will start to operate on the routes from Germany and Austria to Italy
This is the best channel for train lovers
I can imagine some people being 'wedged' in those mini-suites!
Nice compartment designs, but OBB Nightjets lack diningf/bar car. Some of their routes are 12 to 14 hours long. Too much time to be confined to one small space - even the deluxe suites.
Wow looking good ! !! :):):)
The extra comfort compartment is really great. I hope the the price is not far beyond a flight ticket... Then, it'll be my favorite.
@@archiesnownose2117 WTF! In which country? I used night trains between Germany and Austria. There were single compartments for one person and double compartments for 2 persons (in the 1st class). The double compartment had a given price per person but that price was significant lower than the price for a single compartment. And it didn't mattter which gender a person had. This is more than ten years ago when Swiss company City Night Line operated those trains but I'm convinced that is hasn't changed significantly.
Capsule hotel style mini-suites. About darn time….
So on which route this fancy train will be in operation?
Seven or eight European states. From Rome to Hamburg, and from Paris to Warsaw (and more than twenty cities in-between)
In the press conference they said they will first use them on their (Germany-)Austria-Italy routes. Eventually they will roll them out on their other lines (i.e. Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Czechia, Poland, France, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia and soon also Spain)
I have a dumb question. Can I reserve a lower bunk in a couchette or is it first come-first served?
To my knowledge, you can specify a seating preference
You can reserve where you want today, i don´t think ÖBB is about to change that
Nice video 👍. Greetings from Sri Lanka.
I recently rode the nightjet between Hamburg and Zurich and it wasn't much fun. Uncomfortable, no wifi, hot. Are all the trains being replaced? When do they go into full service?
Would it be possible to have a backpack with you in the Minisuite? I think when the backpack is too big to fit in the luggage box. There look to be space at the window.
From 2:07 the folding divider between two adjacent minicabins can be seen. This can be opened if two people are travelling together and want to have a chat before sleep. At that place you can probably also put a small piece of luggage. I guess it is best to pack wisely so everything you need (like toothbrush, charger etc) is in your small backpack while you can have the big suitcase locked away elsewhere. We will see how this works out in practice.
As a passenger who sleeps best in privacy but doesn't want to pay high fares I appreciate the new offer!
@@uncinarynin
I think the best would be to have the stuff in the backpack in smaller pieces that can be taken out and put in the locker. Then the backpack with little content left can be put in the minisuite. Bigger luggage as skis or bicycle can be put in the baggage space in one of the seat waggons.
but where do you put your suitcase in a mini-suite?
Lockers betwean the Capsule, where the later is.
Are these individual cars or fixed trainsets? It seems like there's a lot of movement these days towards buying fixed sets, and it seems to me it reduces the operational flexibility.
They will be used in fixed compositions. In practice, the flexibility doesn't seem to be worth the additional complexity. If they need more capacity, they will couple two sets together.
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Sadly the Finnish VR design hasn't been implemented with the ensuite shower for the standard sleeping cars.
Damn what a beauty
The design is certainly beautiful, but there is no way someone with a slight physical problem - hernia by example - could enter these cramped compartments. Besides even the luxury cabins seem not to have been designed by someone who enjoys train travel, the seating does not look comfortable and one cannot enjoy the view from the window.
Not many views when it’s dark outside
Was that a bidet you displayed in the lavatory?
Oh wow! With the standard you get an en-suite. Great job OBB. With Caledonian Sleeper, you do not get an en-suite with a classic room.
I'm not claustrophobic and those minisuites look pretty decent but damn I'm scared they might be a little too small. I'm 203cm (6 foot 8) and this kinda looks like it's not even 2 meters. In a couchette style cabin you can at least stick your knees out a little even though those beds were 190cm. In this mini tube I'm scared i just can't fit no matter how i position myself because there are walls on both sides. I would love to try it out though
I mean if you're 6"8 pretty much nothing is going to be designed for you
@@brandon_downes I think you understand my frustration then lol
Same feeling after seeing the video..I guess People who are even a bit obese would have a hard time fitting in..
@@DoctorTrainspotter yep. Not good too but at least it's kind of their fault they might not fit in. Can't really do much about it 😅
I am gonna take one of the nightjets in ten days from Vienna to Milan in a couchette and then from Rome to Vienna also in a couchette. Any chance I am having a new generation couchette?
Sadly not yet. The earliest is the end of the year. But my guess is early 2024 before OBB actually takes them into service
@@MrJimheeren Indeed I got the older interior. On the way to Milan I sat into a good group of Austrian ladies, with Schnaps and Grappa.
Do you like cab cars? Why/why not?
Great Video 👍👍👍
Greetings TiMu
looks like nice overall. is that 2 types of seats in the seated area one with a higher back? are they locked to the 7 car sets if so what does this mean for capacity of each of the routes they will operate on. some services getting 1 set but other ones might need an entirely second set? then what about the ones that have just 2 cars currently mixed in with a bunch of other services?
You can add separate cars to one of these 7-car trainsets. The Italian routes are a portion for Milan and for Rome from both Munich & Vienna, so two sets which swap portions.
This is the Railjet for the night :)
I hope these are eventually used in the USA for long distance Amtrak trains.
You gotten your wish as it seems the new brand for Amtrak is very similar to Nightjet which includes the rolling stock which this type they are buying.
I personally think Amtrak should *really* look at making their long-distance coach cars 100% lie-flat and adding showers in the coach bathrooms. If you want to sell Americans on rail, offering modern first-class airline comfort (amfleets are at the "first class" standard of several decades ago) at less than the price of an economy airline ticket is the way to go.
But yes, if this layout would allow them to lower the *insane* roomette prices (how this decreases the total space required per person I can't really tell), that would be a big win to have here in the United States.
And in general, we really should just import European trains since nobody makes good ones here anymore.
@@chasemartin4450 North America has no real passenger train manufacturers anymore right? The last one that sprang to mind was Bombardier (Canada) which has been bought by the French Alstom and Budd went bust multiple decades after selling their stuff to Bombardier.