A Chequer-Board of Nights and Days

In its heyday, le Train Bleu, or the Blue Train, was the ultimate in night rail travel. It carried wealthy passengers between Calais and the Riviera from 1922 to 1938. It inspired a ballet and a mystery novel by Agatha Christie. Even after it was nationalised and made part of France's SNCF state railways, it continued to operate as a luxury sleeper express service to the south of France.

Its dark-blue sleeping cars became a symbol of a certain style of rail travel that included restaurant cars with proper chefs and piano players. Over the years, the Blue Train lost most of its allure in the face of competition from new high-speed trains and shuttle airline services. But unlike the Orient Express - that had long disappeared and turned into an expensive tourist attraction - it continued to provide nightly services to the Riviera from Paris.

Those days are over. As of last weekend, SNCF stopped operating sleeping car services not only on the old Blue Train but also on the other remaining night trains because they had simply become too expensive and economically unviable.

From now on, night rail travellers will have to make do with a modest couchette. It may all make economic sense but it is sadly another sign of the times.