The couchette car is a railroad car conveying basic non-private sleeping accommodation. A railroad car (or, more briefly, car, not to be confused with railcar), also known as an item of rolling stock, is a vehicle on a railroad (or railway) that is not a locomotive — one that provides another purpose than purely haulage, although some types of car are powered. ... For other uses, see Sleep (disambiguation). ...

The interior of typical European couchette compartment, with the beds folded down to the night-time configuration.

The car is divided into a number of compartments (typically 8 or 9) accessed from the side corridor of the car, which in daytime are configured with a bench seat along each long side of the compartment. At an appropriate time in the journey, the attendant who travels in the car (or by agreement the passengers booked in the compartment) converts the compartment into its night-time configuration with two (1st class) or three (2nd class) bunks on each long side of the compartment, creating a total of four bunks in first class and six in second class. Typically, in the 2nd class the seat serves as the lowest bunk, and the back of the seat is turned into a horizontal position and serves as the middle bunk. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

The attendant provides a sheet, blanket, and pillow for each passenger. Unlike in sleeping cars, couchette compartments are not segregated by sex, and it is normal not to undress except for removing footwear. The interior of a Pullman car on the Chicago and Alton Railroad circa 1900. ...

One compartment at the end of the car is reserved for the use of the attendant (who possibly supervises two adjacent cars), who will sell (if not included in the fare) hot and cold drinks and continental breakfasts in the morning. In western Europe the attendant will take charge of passenger's tickets and passports at the start of the journey, returning them before arrival at the destination, thus ensuring that passengers are not disturbed by ticket and passport inspections. In the former eastern bloc countries this is not done, and it is normal for passengers to be awakened before and after each border by each country's border police and rail inspectors. Toilets and washrooms are located at the ends of the car. Breakfast is a meal, often light, usually taken in the morning. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... A map of the Eastern Bloc 1948-1989. ... For other uses, see Toilet (disambiguation). ...

N.B. Couchette cars have never been operated in Britain - it was normal practice for British passengers to join long-distance overnight trains at Calais, Boulogne, Oostende or Hoek van Holland after crossing the English Channel or North Sea by ferry. There has been a substantial decline in the number of long-distance overnight train services since the mid 1990s, caused by the increase in the number of high-speed daytime services, and competition from low-cost airlines. Calais (Kales in Dutch) is a town in northern France, located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the département of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Ostend (Dutch: Oostende, French: Ostende) is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. ... Ferry terminal on the Nieuwe Waterweg Hoek van Holland (literally Corner of Holland, but known in English as the Hook or Hook of Holland) is a town in South Holland in the Netherlands. ... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: , the sleeve) is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, circa 1945. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... French-designed Eurostar and Thalys TGVs side-by-side in the Paris-Gare du Nord. ... Boeing 737-200 of low-cost Irish airline Ryanair A low-cost carrier (also known as a no-frills or discount carrier) is an airline that offers low fares but eliminates most traditional passenger services. ...

See also

• Auto Train
• CityNightLine
• Sleeping car

Auto Train is a scheduled public rail transportation service for both passengers and their personal transportation vehicles operated by Amtrak between Lorton, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.) and Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. ... CityNightLine (timetable and platform sign abbreviation: CNL) is a Swiss night train service well known for its service and comfort. ... The interior of a Pullman car on the Chicago and Alton Railroad circa 1900. ...

References

• The American Railroad Passenger Car by John H. White, Jr. Two Volumes (1978) by Johns Hopkins University Press.
• ISBN 0-8018-2743-4 (pbk.: set: alk. paper)
• ISBN 0-8018-2722-1 (pbk.: v.1: alk. paper)
• ISBN 0-8018-2747-7 (pbk.: v.2: alk. paper)