The last European train that travels by sea

Nostalgia and history of train ferries

• Many commenters find the train-ferry combination a “delightful artefact” and lament its disappearance even if bridges/tunnels are faster and more efficient.
• Several reminisce about historic routes: Germany–Denmark and Denmark–Sweden links, Berlin–Malmö, and Cold War-era trains that crossed the Baltic or East Germany via ferries.
• Some warn against dismantling backup infrastructure, citing a Danish bridge collision that temporarily split the rail network and required improvised ferry-based rerouting.

Is this really the last sea-going train?

• Early in the thread, people point to the former Denmark–Germany ferry as a counterexample, but others note it stopped carrying trains in 2019.
• Commenters clarify the article already notes those closures and that the Sicilian service is now the last passenger train ferry; freight-only train ferries still exist (e.g., Rostock–Trelleborg).

Messina bridge: politics, engineering, and corruption concerns

• The planned “mega bridge” is described as geologically and seismically challenging: deep water, strong currents, earthquakes, and a record 3.3 km main suspension span with pylons ~400 m tall.
• Some argue a tunnel would be technically easier, but political hubris keeps the single-span bridge vision alive.
• Locals report the project has been used as a political football for decades:
  • Left-wing critics focus on environmental risks, but the current ferry operator is alleged to be a mafia-linked, highly polluting monopoly.
  • Right-wing proponents are accused of favoring an overblown, corruption‑prone design to siphon funds before eventual cancellation.
• Debate arises over whether Sicily’s economic importance justifies the cost; some see the bridge as a vital development investment, others as risky spending in a corrupt, mismanaged region.

Slow travel vs “anti-modernity”

• One strand of discussion objects to romanticizing a 20-hour trip as “lyrical beauty,” calling it out-of-touch with most people’s need for speed and time with family.
• Others counter that:
  • Night trains can be time-efficient (sleep while traveling, arrive early) and ecologically preferable to flying.
  • Not everyone wants maximum speed; some value the journey, scenery, and time offline.
• Tension surfaces between those who see slow travel praise as “anti-modern” and those who feel shamed for preferring high-speed rail.

Experiences on the Sicily night train

• Several riders share mixed experiences:
  • Magic moments: going to bed in northern Italy and waking up by the sea near Messina or Palermo; the sensory strangeness of being in a sleeper car that suddenly “rocks” on a ferry.
  • Practical issues: old rolling stock, rough ride, maintenance problems (including a mid‑night evacuation to another car), minimal or no catering, and delays.
  • Security concerns: one commenter reports being robbed twice between Rome and Messina, contrasting this with feeling safe in smaller Sicilian towns.
• Some note it can be faster to leave the train before the ferry and board a regular passenger ferry instead, then catch onward trains in Sicily.

Why carry the entire train on the ferry?

• Multiple commenters explain the logic:
  • Avoid waking passengers in the middle of the night to disembark with luggage, board a ferry, then reboard a new train.
  • Maintain a seamless overnight journey: Milan → Sicily with a single seat/berth and no intermediate handling of baggage.
  • For time‑sensitive passengers, one integrated crossing is faster than duplicating boarding and disembarking steps.
• Alternative ideas (separate trains on each side, pure passenger ferries) are criticized as adding hassle and delay, especially given the size of Sicily and long onward legs.

Big infrastructure projects and recurring patterns

• The Messina bridge is compared to other polarizing projects: HS2 in the UK, the Fehmarn Belt tunnel, Brenner Base Tunnel, and various troubled bridges/tram systems.
• Common themes: huge cost, environmental objections, local opposition to construction impacts, and national‑level mismanagement or delay—especially attributed to German and Italian rail infrastructure politics.
• Others point out counterexamples where controversial links (e.g., island bridges) later became widely appreciated for improving everyday life.

Ferries and “offline” travel more broadly

• A parallel thread celebrates long ferries and overland trips (Iceland, North Atlantic, walking routes like the Camino, US long-distance trains).
• Many describe them as rare opportunities to disconnect from the internet, read, talk to fellow travelers, and experience a slower, more intentional kind of travel that becomes part of the trip’s core memory.