Search results

I don’t disagree, of course you are right. It is just that from London, journey time to most of the destinations you mention will be extremely long. I never argued against Frankfurt as the train destination. I just think it needs to stop in Cologne too to fill it.

The administrative court of Cologne has quashed the regulator‘s decision regarding Italo access rights. In German https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/deutsche-bahn-netzagentur-klage-trassen-100.html Appeals probably to follow… EDIT: it seems to be an interim measure.

First of all, it isn’t hardline, but very sensible. A „made in Switzerland“ requirement would simply make every procurement much more expensive. Second, it would be prohibited under the EU association treaties anyway.

Easiest would be a Frecciarossa variant, since variations of it will soon be approved in all 4 countries. The TGV M will be approved in Italy and I don’t see approval in Germany and Switzerland as a problem for a 4-voltage variant, they are not difficult countries for certification. As for the...

The Swiss do have an issue though by having very tough accessibility laws (one reason for the Giruno and its layout). I do believe they have an exception though when it is technically not feasible, such as on tilting trains. Here might be a second case.

I am sure they could, but I am not sure that they would take the risk to do what would be a very expensive development for an already quite saturated market. The Giruno itself did not find any buyers apart from SBB, but in that case, nothing really similar was available at the time. Here, there...

4+4 compartments are atrocious and those railways that still used compartments for a longer time than elsewhere mostly went to 3+3. Which of course makes the seating differential to open-plan very significant. I beliebe SNCF even had a trial for 4+4 couchette-style compartments. Not...

SBB have announced that they will buy 21 High-Speed trains with an option for 20 more. Link in German: https://www.bahnonline.ch/91473/sbb-kauft-neue-hochgeschwindigkeitszuege/ A previous plan to lease them has been discarded. From what I gather from previous reporting, these sets will be...

For high-Speed trains that discounts the initial, enormous investment. There is no doubt that the initial French LGV paid their cost and probably also could pay (via track-access charges) their further improvement, but I have my doubts that the newer once, some of them like LGV Rhin-Rhone not...

These trains are now reported to start by summer 2027: https://www.deutschebahn.com/de/presse/pressestart_zentrales_uebersicht/Ab-Sommer-2027-neue-Direktverbindungen-von-Muenchen-ueber-Innsbruck-nach-Mailand-und-Rom-starten-14044616

Certainly a UK specific rule. The new Nightjet sets have beds like that too.

Indeed, this specific one is NIMBY. There are quite a lot more of them in Germany, of course.

We have had this discussion before. Of course it was a factor in the 1990s and 2000s, but in the last 15 years the main factor was the fundamental principle of German governments "no debt" (or as little as possible). That was when money would have been cheap; they recently changed policy, but of...

It was built so that trains from Austria via Buchs to Zurich don't need to change direction in Sargans (which, due to the station layout, is complicated) and is still used for this.

While it can be used as a loop, that is not its purpose of course.

I certainly would not risk that either.

Indeed, I misunderstood. I agree with you on this of course! 1789634063 Now that is an interesting thought, run via Strasbourg. The second set then goes on to Basel.:D (Provided that a "sterile" train split-and-join can be agreed, of course).

I don't believe so. A very significant proportion of people living in Zurich will hop on a train to go to Zurich Airport too. I think you underestimate how taking a train to go somewhere - anywhere - is engrained in Swiss psychology like nowhere else. Zurich people will also happily go to Basel...

Unfortunately, when it comes to French (and Spanish) rail, experience has taught me to be cynical (which is a great pity, because I really love both countries!). Exactly this.

Apart from the connecting traffic, which was already pointed out, a E* 320 set has a *tad* more capacity than an A320 or A321. 4 trains a day is a *lot* of seats, even acknowledging that a portion will leave the train in Brussels. 1789458203 Basel is actually (slightly) faster than Geneva.