Europe’s Battered Airlines Face Threat From Night-Train Alliance

European governments agreed to expand night-train services linking the continent’s major cities, creating another headache for airlines fighting to recover from an unprecedented slump in air travel.

Ministers from France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland unveiled a plan Tuesday to boost rail traffic between cities including Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Milan to curb rising carbon emissions. The Trans-Europe Express 2.0 initiative will be established in late 2021 and allow travelers to journey across multiple national borders without changing trains, a direct challenge to aviation.