PLANS have been unveiled for a new set of sleeper services in western Europe, potentially including night trains between Edinburgh and Paris.

Open access operator Midnight Trains is highlighting increasing public interest in greener forms of travel, and intends to compete with short-haul flights.

As well as Edinburgh, its trains could run between Paris and 11 other destinations on the continent including Rome, Copenhagen and Berlin.

The service will be familiar to passengers on Caledonian Sleeper, because it will offer ‘hotel-style’ rooms rather than the traditional cabins.

Trains could start running in 2024, although it is not clear how the more restrictive British loading gauge will be allowed for. Midnight would either need a special fleet for its services to Scotland, or build all its trains to the smaller gauge.