international passenger news

[BaltACD]

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Prelimanary report of Greek head on collision/

Greece train crash: at least 40 killed and dozens injured in collision | Greece | The Guardian

Head on collision is as bad as it gets.  Total FAILURE within their system.

[blue streak 1]

Prelimanary report of Greek head on collision/

Greece train crash: at least 40 killed and dozens injured in collision | Greece | The Guardian

[blue streak 1]

Can understand why the persons living in the NW of Spain feeling very slighted,  Here we have Spain slowly working to have the Broad guage tracks reduced to standard guage to be compatible with Europe especially France, 

However, it appears that no effot to get at least 1 standard guage line into NW Spain is in the plans.  That alone does not allow for any thru train service to the standard & broad guage only cities.  As well no way for single train service to France which is desired by many residents on both side of the border ?

You would think Spain would have at least change the loading guage of one meter line's tunnels to allow standard guage trains.  As well, those renovations should have started when the standard guage decision was made.  How many tunnels involved with total number of feet / meters of tunnels ?

[BaltACD]

ORNHOO

And in the area of commuter trains, a design "oopsie" from Spain:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/spain-spends-%E2%82%AC258m-to-build-trains-too-big-for-its-tunnels/ar-AA17d0zZ

https://euroweeklynews.com/2023/02/10/update-cantabrian-president-demands-heads-of-big-shots-must-roll-over-new-trains-not-fitting-through-tunnels/

English/Metric conversion??????

[ORNHOO]

And in the area of commuter trains, a design "oopsie" from Spain:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/spain-spends-%E2%82%AC258m-to-build-trains-too-big-for-its-tunnels/ar-AA17d0zZ

https://euroweeklynews.com/2023/02/10/update-cantabrian-president-demands-heads-of-big-shots-must-roll-over-new-trains-not-fitting-through-tunnels/

 

[Overmod]

charlie hebdo

True.  I'm not going to guess at what the OP intended his phrase to mean when the words are clear enough. 

I at least was thinking about utilizing high-speed ROWs for much of the 'new' service -- I was not aware there was significant "M&E" freight on most of those lines, although both the French and the British tried running dedicated trains 'overnight'.

Even for those lines with mixed passenger and heavier freight, my understanding was that European freight generally operated faster and more directly than North American, and that the long-distance sleeper service could be 'one-speed' run with relatively slower freight traffic during the period that sleepers would be inhabited (cf. the California Zephyr).  

I am of the opinion that a great many 'prospective' multicountry long-distance trains actually intended to compete with or 'stand in for' air traffic would involve careful overnight timing along the lines of trains like the Century, departing reasonably after a 'business day' with arrival at the start of the next.  What becomes 

[charlie hebdo]

BaltACD

 

 

Overmod

 

charlie hebdo

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EU pushing multi country trains especially overnight.

To say "especially overnight" is not an accurate summary of new services. 

I think what he means is that the most valuable 'multicountry' trains will be those that take advantage of sleepers to permit longer overnight runs, when other traffic on the lines concerned would be at a relative minimum.

 

 

Thought EU countries run most of their freight at night, so as not to delay passengers.

 

True.  I'm not going to guess at what the OP intended his phrase to mean when the words are clear enough. 

[BaltACD]

Overmod

 

charlie hebdo

blue streak 1

EU pushing multi country trains especially overnight.

To say "especially overnight" is not an accurate summary of new services. 

I think what he means is that the most valuable 'multicountry' trains will be those that take advantage of sleepers to permit longer overnight runs, when other traffic on the lines concerned would be at a relative minimum.

Thought EU countries run most of their freight at night, so as not to delay passengers.

[Overmod]

charlie hebdo

blue streak 1

EU pushing multi country trains especially overnight.

To say "especially overnight" is not an accurate summary of new services.

I think what he means is that the most valuable 'multicountry' trains will be those that take advantage of sleepers to permit longer overnight runs, when other traffic on the lines concerned would be at a relative minimum.

[blue streak 1]

UK  HSR progress on its longest tunnnel.

Two of HS2's longest tunnels at halfway point (msn.com)

[charlie hebdo]

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EU pushing muti country trains especially overnight.

EC announces 10 cross-border passenger rail pilot projects - International Railway Journal (railjournal.com)

 

To say "especially overnight" is not an accurate summary of new services.

[blue streak 1]

EU pushing muti country trains especially overnight.

EC announces 10 cross-border passenger rail pilot projects - International Railway Journal (railjournal.com)

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Sydney . Au making large terminal underground.

Inside Sydney’s $63 Billion Super Train Hub (msn.com)

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China announces total new rail mileage in 2022 .  Also 2000 + Km HSR  and plans 2500 + Km HSR in 2023 .

China opens 4100km of new railway - International Railway Journal (railjournal.com)

[Ulrich]

Interesting indeed. The last paragraph of that article refers to the VIA rail Renaissance cars which are used throughout Eastern Canada.

 

[Ulrich]

Opps wrong thread.. 

[54light15]

Interesting news:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/28/pan-european-sleeper-train-to-sweep-britons-to-berlin-from-may-2023 

[Lithonia Operator]

Thanks, OM.

[Overmod]

Lithonia Operator

they apparently eliminated only one of the train-changes. But there was also a tone of "they got this done." So I'm confused. Are they going to eliminate the other change with this technology?

As I understand it, there is no technological reason why the GPX equipment could not continue over the Zentralbahn route to Luzern; in fact I see very little reason why it could not be modified to operate over the BLS 'international route' it crosses.  I think only the economic participation of the Zentralbahn to operate this equipment rather than its own 'panoramic' equipment is the reason for the train change at Interlaken.  I would suspect this is related to the very substantial unit cost of the GPX equipment, with none of the expensive bits being necessary for the ZB portion of travel.

[Lithonia Operator]

I just sorta skimmed the article, but they apparently eliminated only one of the train-changes. But there was also a tone of "they got this done." So I'm confused. Are they going to eliminate the other change with this technology?

[Overmod]

Lithonia Operator

Train changes gauges on the fly! https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/golden-pass-express-switzerland/index.html

The gauge change itself isn't the spectacular part -- as they n ote in the article, the Spanish have been doing this automatic gauge exchange for decades with Talgos -- it's those double independent truck frames.  But the REALLY interesting thing that train does is pop up to high-level platform height on those special trucks when it happens to be in such a station, but retain low-floor boarding at other times.  If the trains weren't so eye-wateringly expensive, that would by itself solve one of the most irritating problems with this type of railcar service...

Now we can watch for the hydrogen/battery version!

 

[MidlandMike]

daveklepper

Steve Sattler	11:15 AM (4 hours ago)
to bcc: me

 

 

 

The new modern network of trains in Singapore has now a new addition.

Every time the train passes close to a residential area or building - the windows on the train automatically cloud-over, and stop you from looking at the neighbors.

This is for privacy issues.

Steve

 

 

Can't the locals close their shades.  Where is this headed.  Perhaps autos will be required to have this.  Your car windows will cloud over so you can't gawk thru neighborhoods.

[Lithonia Operator]

Train changes gauges on the fly!

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/golden-pass-express-switzerland/index.html

[Overmod]

54light15

I love those old warbirds!

Perhaps it is time to dust off Eric's old thread about 'warbirds attacking trains'? 

[daveklepper]

Steve Sattler	11:15 AM (4 hours ago)
to bcc: me

 

 

 

The new modern network of trains in Singapore has now a new addition.

Every time the train passes close to a residential area or building - the windows on the train automatically cloud-over, and stop you from looking at the neighbors.

This is for privacy issues.

Steve

 

[charlie hebdo]

A great show.

[54light15]

Hmm...no! I would settle for a Tiger Moth or a Dehavilland Rapide. I saw several of both the last time I was in the U.K. At Goodwood Revival about 4 years ago there was a P-40, 2 P-51s, 2 Staggerwing Beechcrafts, 2 Spits, a Beech Travelair, a Stearman and the Bristol Blenheim that was used in the film, "Dunkirk." And the best one of all, a P-38 polished so much you could use the fuselage as a shaving mirror. I love those old warbirds! 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

54light15

Before covid, I would be in London twice a year and look forward to it again. I am sure as hell not going to fly within Europe, that's what trains are for. But I'm not against flying in a propellor plane. A Spitfire will do nicely. 

 

Would you be satisfied with a Viscount?

[54light15]

Before covid, I would be in London twice a year and look forward to it again. I am sure as hell not going to fly within Europe, that's what trains are for. But I'm not against flying in a propellor plane. A Spitfire will do nicely. 

[Overmod]

Delicate ecosystem, disrupted by bridge construction, but enormous preparation work for the tunnel staging?

Given the financing, this was something that could have been built at the time of the North River Tunnels.  If I recall correctly, the Transbay Tunnel was designed this way.  This ain't a feat of mega-engineering or even necessary mega-logistics.

I was chuckling at the "explanation" why a bored tunnel at 140' peak depth was infeasible for rail traffic.  Oh dear, no adhesion over 2.5% grade?  No deep approach cuts...like the ones on the Oresund Bridge 'island'... to get to approach depth?

On the other hand, they say they're building this for the equivalent of 7.5B.  How much is the childish revised version of Gateway costing?