true :) I traveled alone a lot too, there's a always a nice grandma who would be willing to watch your stuff while you use the restroom, but there are some trains that go through a lot of cities at night and there is a stop literally every hour and ppl getting on and off the train all the time. it's hard to make 'friends' on these trains and you really really need to watch your bags.
There are trains though that young men use to go to and from their military service, and these I wouldn't want to take, esp alone. 30 shirtless men in one train car...