Catch them before they're gone

[NCT]

Managed to sample a few Konstals in Warsaw. Lots of closures on the tram network at the moment so there are lots of spare vehicles knocking about. Seems the Konstals only come out to play during weekday peak times.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Is there anything to be aware of in Austria at the moment?

Do the older electric locos 1042/1142/1044/1144 see any passenger use?

 

[nwales58]

Rheineck-Walzenhausen, just occurred to me, the existing car will be retired in the next year or so (then the line shuts for modernisation to full automated). Can't see it in this thread so far

 

[Richard Scott]

Do the older electric locos 1042/1142/1044/1144 see any passenger use?

Still plenty of 1144 workings around the country. 1142/1144s quite common around Linz, I believe.

 

[DanielB]

Rheineck-Walzenhausen, just occurred to me, the existing car will be retired in the next year or so (then the line shuts for modernisation to full automated). Can't see it in this thread so far

Correct, I've indeed read next year will be the last year the current train is in operation.
Nearby the Alstätten Stadt to Gais line is still under threat, should passenger numbers not improve then it may be closed as of 2035 due to the rolling stock reaching end of life. In 2025 it's behind the target at the moment...

 

[Robski]

Polish EP09 locomotives are slowly being withdrawn due to poor reliability and the growing need for expensive major overhauls, 5 of the 46 are already withdrawn with more to be pulled from service by December. Complete withdrawal is expected in the next two to three years.

 

[JonasB]

The M29 trams in Gothenburg will soon be gone. Built in the late 60s and early 70s they have been a part of Gothenburg's streets for many decades. But next year they will leave the fleet as more M34s are delivered.


Photo: Bahnfrend, CC-BY-SA

 

[A S Leib]

A farewell tour for Dutch ICRs will be on 27 September.

https://www.lok-report.de/news/euro...ande-abschied-von-den-wagen-des-typs-icr.html

NS International, NMBS, Train World and the SNE don't want to let this moment go unnoticed. Therefore they are organising a festive farewell trip on Saturday 27 September 2025 with these iconic wagons: a train comprised of two TRAXX-locomotives, five second and two first class coaches will ride on a route from Amsterdam to Schaarbeek and back, past places which ICR wagons have often and rarely been.

 

[jpl]

Today is the last day for VR's Class Dr16 diesels in Finland. Two locomotives will haul the night train 276 from Kolari to Oulu where an electric loco takes over to Helsinki and that's the end of it.

However, an open access freight operator ArcticRail has bought two Dr16's from VR and continues to use them.

 

[AdamWW]

A farewell tour for Dutch ICRs will be on 27 September.

https://www.lok-report.de/news/euro...ande-abschied-von-den-wagen-des-typs-icr.html

Does that leave sleeper trains as the only loco hauled passengers services in the Netherlands?

(Or is the Intercity Berlin still loco hauled? I have a vague recollection of it going over to ICE's in the absence of the ICE-L Talgo stock).

 

[43096]

Does that leave sleeper trains as the only loco hauled passengers services in the Netherlands?

(Or is the Intercity Berlin still loco hauled? I have a vague recollection of it going over to ICE's in the absence of the ICE-L Talgo stock).

The Berlin service is still hauled for now, but is also in the catch-while-you-can category as it goes over to ICE3neo sets by the end of October. I assume the intent is still to have ICE-L sets on the Berlin sets at some point, though.

 

[superalbs]

Polish EP09 locomotives are slowly being withdrawn due to poor reliability and the growing need for expensive major overhauls, 5 of the 46 are already withdrawn with more to be pulled from service by December. Complete withdrawal is expected in the next two to three years.

Apparently all booked work is to be removed by December. Is this true?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Sep 2025 ==

Does that leave sleeper trains as the only loco hauled passengers services in the Netherlands?

(Or is the Intercity Berlin still loco hauled? I have a vague recollection of it going over to ICE's in the absence of the ICE-L Talgo stock).

It's hauled at the moment for a few months, before going over to ICE 3neo units. Then it is eventually planned to go over to Talgo junk, when (if?) they get approval.

 

[Amalie]

Does that leave sleeper trains as the only loco hauled passengers services in the Netherlands?

The Eurocity from Rotterdam to Brussels is operated by locomotives and carriages.

It's hauled at the moment for a few months, before going over to ICE 3neo units. Then it is eventually planned to go over to Talgo junk, when (if?) they get approval.

The Talgo might be junk, but Adam may be pleased to learn that the ICE-L is indeed loco hauled.

 

[43096]

It's hauled at the moment for a few months, before going over to ICE 3neo units. Then it is eventually planned to go over to Talgo junk, when (if?) they get approval.

Weeks, not months.

The cutover plan to ICE3neo - with thanks to BeneluxRailGen on groups.io - is:
142-143 on September 24-25
140-141 on October 14-15
148-241 on October 15
144-145 on October 16-17
240-149 on October 18
146-243 & 242-147 on November 1

 

[AdamWW]

The Eurocity from Rotterdam to Brussels is operated by locomotives and carriages.

Ohhh yes. I'd completely forgotten about that.

 

[Robski]

Apparently all booked work is to be removed by December. Is this true?

AFAIK they will have some booked work to/from Bohumín on international trains due to clearance issues. 36 locos should still be in service from December.

 

[superalbs]

The Eurocity from Rotterdam to Brussels is operated by locomotives and carriages.


The Talgo might be junk, but Adam may be pleased to learn that the ICE-L is indeed loco hauled.

It'll certainly be nice to have loco-hauled work continue, it's just a shame the stock is missing so many wheels.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Sep 2025 ==

AFAIK they will have some booked work to/from Bohumín on international trains due to clearance issues. 36 locos should still be in service from December.

Oh good. That's nice. Thanks.

 

[43094]

DR16 locos 2819 + 2821 at Kemi this evening, on the service from Kolari - based on the above then possibly the last journey in service for the class with VR?

 

[68011]

In Finland, VR's Class Dr16 diesels are on their way out. Currently only seen on night trains between Oulu and Kolari - usage on freight has ceased earlier. It's been said VR no longer does heavy maintenance for the remaining six locomotives (at least beyond daily servicing). When they run out the night trains will be hauled probably by Dv12 diesels which are way older.

More and more Sr2 locomotives (Lok 2000 family) are being put into cold storage and dismantled for spare parts to support the remaining fleet. At time of writing about 32 out of 46 are still in service.

Also, new Sm7 EMUs built by Stadler will be introduced in 2026-2028 replacing all old Sm2 EMUs.

I know 3201-3206, 3208, 3209 & 3211 are all out of traffic so that leaves 5 others if 14 are now out of traffic, do you know the identities of the others please?

 

[43094]

2819 + 2821 at Oulu after working in from Kolari.

The departure to Kolari tomorrow morning is allocated 2xDR19.

 

[LUYMun]

Crew and stock shortages has meant that loco-hauled stock from spot hire companies (Train Charter Services BV and TRI Train Rental GmbH) are currently running some services in the Rhine-Ruhr region of Germany on behalf of National Express and Eurobahn, which replaced the rail replacement buses.

Hired stock include Class 101, 110 and 111 locos hauling mainly BNRZ coaches. These run on routes RE13 (Venlo-Monchengladbach/Wuppertal/Hamm) until December 2025, RB37 (Neuss-Krefeld) until December 2027, and RE11 (Dusseldorf-Oberhausen) until 31 October 2025.

They follow the same (scaled-back) timetable as MU's would and have no extra charge, so you can travel with the Deutschlandticket on them.

Video which I got this information from and goes into a bit more detail:

 

[43094]

Confirmed 2xDR19 on the Kolari service this morning, 2832 + 2831.

Photo at Kolari after arrival.

 

[nwales58]

Selketalbahn, the long branch of the Harz Schmalspurbhn running over to Gernrode and Quedlinbug, I’ve seen in the news, shuts in December for 5 years due to the building of a flood protection scheme. As HSB has severe financial troubles local tourist businesses fear that it will be buses for ever.

 

[HS2isgood]

Spanish Class 252 locomotives, now only hauling the València - Alacant section of the València - Cartagena IC and a weekend València - Barcelona IC via Tarragona

 

[The exile]

Selketalbahn, the long branch of the Harz Schmalspurbhn running over to Gernrode and Quedlinbug, I’ve seen in the news, shuts in December for 5 years due to the building of a flood protection scheme. As HSB has severe financial troubles local tourist businesses fear that it will be buses for ever.

That’s a sad thought. It’s over 30 years now since I visited the HSB (so haven’t exactly done much to help its finances) but I much preferred the Selketal and its branches (more workaday). I suppose it also means that from December the only place to witness parallel steam departures I. Germany will be Bertsdorf on the lines out of Zittau.

 

[Julian G]

It'll certainly be nice to have loco-hauled work continue, it's just a shame the stock is missing so many wheels.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Sep 2025 ==


Oh good. That's nice. Thanks.

From another forum

EP09 planned to work
TLK23109 _”Smok Wawelski” 05:09 Lublin-Kraków
TLK32109 ”Smok Wawelski” 18:20 Kraków-Lublin

 

[Fragezeichnen]

That’s a sad thought. It’s over 30 years now since I visited the HSB (so haven’t exactly done much to help its finances) but I much preferred the Selketal and its branches (more workaday). I suppose it also means that from December the only place to witness parallel steam departures I. Germany will be Bertsdorf on the lines out of Zittau.

They have been struggling along for years with gradually deteriorating track and rolling stock and finances and now finally the cracks cannot be papered over any more. The branch to Harzgerode is already shut with no funding for repairs, even though it's officially described as under maintenance.

Theoretically the network except for the Brocken branch is public transport, but in reality the local population uses quicker, cheaper, more frequent buses and the HSB has the occasional railcar mostly carrying fresh air, and a token loco hauled service filled with enthusiasts enjoying heavily subsidised steam.

A complicating factor is that the network is spread across three states. So Thüringen funds a frequent hybrid tram service from the Southern Terminus to the most northerly significant settlement in their state, and Sachsen-Anhalt needs to link to the Brocken but it's in no one's interest in particular to fund "the big empty bit in the middle".

Recently there is a lot of discussion locally about what the future of the HSB is, since it's clear that struggling along with endless rescue packages isn't sustainable. The HSB management has also had criticism for lack of innovation and wasting money(€15 million spent on brand new workshops which turned out to be useless for anything except storage). At one of the end of the scale you could abandon everything except Nordhausen - Ilfeld and Wernigerode - Brocken, runs trams in south and diesels with occasional steam in the north. At the other end would be investment in increasing line speeds, new rolling stock(ideally battery combined with partial electrification) and frequent services to turn into to actually useful public transport, with occasional steam specials. Either way the days of year round steam daily steam on the whole network are probably numbered.

 

[superalbs]

From another forum

EP09 planned to work
TLK23109 _”Smok Wawelski” 05:09 Lublin-Kraków
TLK32109 ”Smok Wawelski” 18:20 Kraków-Lublin

When?

 

[Julian G]

When?

25/26 timetable

 

[superalbs]

25/26 timetable

Oh brilliant, that will be a fine addition!