Prague to Humenne (Part 2)
I actually got round to finishing off part 2 of the “Night Train” video…
Skoda S190E
Skoda-109e
I was hoping to see this new loco before leaving Czech Republic; sadly it was not to be. However, I happily read that the first demo unit has been shown to the public and was exhibited at Innotrans 2008, held in Berlin. Whilst there have been arguments as to whether or not this was a huge waste of money, the fact that it was devloped and built by Skoda in Plzen demonstrates their tradition of building locos is still going strong and, hopefully, they will be able to compete with the German, French and other loco offerings. I wish them luck, seeing Skoda built locos going past the apartment in Prague every day for two years you develop a soft spot for them (especially the double decker City Elefants).
Night Train: Prague to Humenne
I have created part one of the video I took of the night train from Prague to Humenne R 225 ŠÍRAVA (it’s part one because I didn’t have any more time to complete the whole jounrey). At about 776 KM, the journey takes 11 hours, 55 mins; comfort is optional. However, it is an adventurous journey and if you take the journey during the summer, and get up early, you do get to see some of the best part of Slovakia. I have taken this train so many times I’ve lost count. So this video is dedicated to this journey
Madrid to Barcelona at 300 km/h
The high speed line between Madrid and Spain has started public operation. A distance of around 550 km, reaching speeds of 300 km/h, and taking around 2 hours 30 minutes, Spanish rail operator Renfe is the latest country (well, the second accoridng to my knowledge) that is using the German ICE 103 system to make the high speed journey.
- The Times
- BBC News
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The Telegraph - which interestingly always takes a swipe at UK rail. Ironic since it is has been a staunch conservative paper and it is the Tories, during the 80s, that ensured UK rail died off, and who also canceled the APT project, that ultimately gave the Italians (Fiat) a lot of the tilting technology for their Pendolino.
I found the video, below and in Spanish, detailing the first day of the journey.
Slovak Railways
This weekend I had to make a trip to Liptovsky Mikulas, central Slovakia, naturally, by rail. The trip is painfully slow (for the distance) - I will be adding a journey report at some point in the near future. The journey home was delayed by 30 mins, so it did afford me the time to take some photos. The light is rather challenging, however, the trains tend to be courteous enough to slow down through the station.
Of particular interest are the Class 131 locos that pull most freight trains that go through central Slovakia (at least from my observations). These are, essentially, two separate locos, with only one end with a driver’s cab, that have been stuck together to form a “single” unit loco. The line from Liptovsky Mikulas is on the way to Poprad, high in the Tatras (Carpathians), and the incline is sufficient enough to require a bank-engine when freight wagons are full. I saw two sets of these locos going through the station hauling a full set of coal wagons, the bank-engine being a set of Class 131s.
The Slovak photo album, including a few more ZSSK Class 131s, can be found on FotoPic
Railways in Eastern Europe
Long time no post.
The BBC has an article from their "From our own correspondent" series about the railways in Eastern Europe and how they are changing. Whilst this article is a transcript of the actual broadcast it is still worth downloading the podcast of the programme, in fact there are two articles in this particular programme that are railway related.
Regardless of what is being broadcast, I would recommend this podcast anyway.
Paris to Strasbourg
SNCF have published a cab view journey for the complete journey from Paris to Strasbourg.
Night Trains in Europe
Thinking of taking the night train? Ever thought about taking the night train? On many occasions, traveling to the Eastern part of Slovakia, I have taken the sleeper. Most of the time you can get some rest, and if you’re lucky the sleeping carriages are less than 30 years old. But the concept is a good one. The linked site covers a lot of the routes around Europe. If only Czech/Slovak railways invested in the rolling stock, then maybe it wouldn’t feel like being in a working museum. Germany and Netherlands are more like hotels on rails.
German Railways privatisation could be derailed
Spiegel (English edition) is writing that plans for German Railways to be privatised could be derailed (their joke) because of the fears that the federal states have over the plans.
German states this week have said they might stop Berlin’s plans to privatize the country’s national railway, Deutsche Bahn. They fear that giving the company too much power over its destiny could spell an end to rail services to less populous and rural areas. Newspaper commentators say they’re right.
Interactive Guide
According to Le Monde, rail travelers in Switzerland can borrow (for 6 Euros) an interactive audio guide as they take the train on one of two routes. From the (google) translated page, it would appear that the audio guide is GPS (or geolocalised) based, the practical upshot of which is to provide commentary at specific points along the route. There is also a guide to local amenities when you get off the train, which is also available in English. The trial should last three years, after which it could be extended to other SNCF routes.
