Part 6 · Exercise 1 — The return of the night train

THE RETURN OF THE NIGHT TRAIN For decades, the night trains that once criss-crossed Europe were quietly disappearing, their sleeping cars sold off or left to rust in sidings. ¹—ABCDEFG Now, however, the night train is making an unexpected comeback. The main reason is the growing concern about the environmental cost of flying. ²—ABCDEFG For them, a train that leaves one city in the evening and rolls into another at breakfast time is an attractive alternative to an early-morning flight. Rail operators have noticed the change of mood and are responding. Several have ordered brand-new sleeper carriages for routes that were abandoned years ago. ³—ABCDEFG At one end of the scale there are simple reclining seats; at the other, private compartments with their own washbasins and even showers. Running a night train, however, is not cheap. ⁴—ABCDEFG Tickets can therefore cost more than a budget flight, which puts some travellers off. Supporters reply that the price is not the whole story. ⁵—ABCDEFG On top of that, you arrive rested in the centre of the city rather than at an airport far outside it. What happens next will depend on whether passengers keep coming once the novelty has worn off. ⁶—ABCDEFG If they are right, the gentle rhythm of the rails may once again carry millions of Europeans through the night.