Travel management platform TravelPerk is to partner with Midnight Trains, a French rail start-up that is working to launch overnight
services from Paris to cities across Europe.
Dubbing its concept a “hotel on wheels”, Midnight Trains
plans to provide private bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, as well as a bar and restaurant, on board overnight trains to
destinations including Milan, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin and Copenhagen
from its base in Paris. The company says its trains will cover distances of
between 800 and 1,500km and offer an alternative to short-haul flights within
Europe, claiming trains on those routes can deliver fewer CO2 emissions than
commercial aircraft.
The company is hoping to launch its first services, to
either Spain or Italy, in 2024 before expanding its network to four new lines
by 2030, depending on its purchase of rolling stock and regulatory approval.
Through the partnership with TravelPerk, business travellers
will have access to Midnight Trains’ inventory when it becomes available within
the TravelPerk platform.
Avi Meir, co-founder and CEO of TravelPerk, said: “The
meetings that matter happen in person. And as businesses get back on the road,
they’re looking more than ever for sustainable ways to connect in person with
their employees, customers and wider networks.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Midnight Trains on
our common mission to help companies build a responsible travel strategy.
Midnight Trains have created a unique proposition combining accessible luxury,
sustainability and convenience and we’re excited to have them on board.”
Romain Payet, co-founder of Midnight Trains, added: “We are
thrilled to be partnering with TravelPerk. We both share the same passion for
travel and we both believe the journey is as important as the destination.
TravelPerk is already a leader in the sustainability space so it was a natural
choice for us to partner with them to help travellers have greener options and
support companies in their journey to achieve net zero carbon emissions by
2030.”