Catch them before they're gone

[YorkshireBear]

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.

It's a shame but it's not a surprise it's a huge expansive network with not a right lot of traffic on much of it.

 

[The exile]

Either way the days of year round steam daily steam on the whole network are probably numbered.

Ironically, had it not been for a certain night in Berlin in November 1989, those days would have ended about 35 years ago.

 

[NCT]

Just left Ghent. A few sections of the tram network are closed for works, and presumably the low floor fleet is sufficient to cover the bits in operation so I didn't see any PCC cars out. Thankfully got some PCC action in Brussels this morning.

Hopefully the PCCs' days in Ghent haven't completely ended?

 

[MarcVD]

Hopefully the PCCs' days in Ghent haven't completely ended?

No more PCC trams in Ghent I’m afraid. There were some transferred to Antwerp but they stopped running there too.

 

[NCT]

No more PCC trams in Ghent I’m afraid. There were some transferred to Antwerp but they stopped running there too.

Ah that's a bummer! Good thing I had a ride or two on them in Antwerp just the other month!

 

[MarcVD]

Ah that's a bummer! Good thing I had a ride or two on them in Antwerp just the other month!

Original Antwerp PCC trams are disappearing rapidly too, and even more so in Brussels. Only the last series (7900, the 3 car formations) still has a guaranteed future.

 

[NCT]

Happy to report still plenty of KT4YUs and T4YUs operating in Zagreb.

 

[lbradshaw55]

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.

View attachment 187419
Photo: Bahnfrend, CC-BY-SA

Was in Gothenburg last Monday to catch some of these trams, since during my trip in August none were in operation due to a reduced timetable. There are a decent amount still around, especially during the afternoon peak. For anyone interested in catching them, I saw them on lines 1, 2, 3, 5 & 10, with them being most common on lines 3 & 10. If you wait at Brunnsparken you should get one within 5-10 minutes, as all lines except 8 pass through.

 

[DanielB]

Made a small trip on the AKN A1 from Hamburg-Eidelstedt today, which is still operated using their VTA diesel trains. However I noticed a lot of OHLE looking brand new along the line, so not sure how long the old 32-year-old diesel trains will remain in operation.

 

[JonasB]

Was in Gothenburg last Monday to catch some of these trams, since during my trip in August none were in operation due to a reduced timetable. There are a decent amount still around, especially during the afternoon peak. For anyone interested in catching them, I saw them on lines 1, 2, 3, 5 & 10, with them being most common on lines 3 & 10. If you wait at Brunnsparken you should get one within 5-10 minutes, as all lines except 8 pass through.

Thank you for the photos! As far as I know, all trams are used on all lines. Except the M34 that are only used on line 11 so far.

 

[43094]

I'm on the Selketalbahn today.

Having spoken to.the Guard, the line is closed for 4 weeks in November for track maintenance, but apparently after that, trains will resume (except for the branch to Harzgerode).

That's also reflected in the online timetables (which are shown to the start of March 2026), so perhaps a reprieve for the line?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Oct 2025 ==

Loco seen at Alexisbad.

 

[D6130]

Trenitalia D445 class diesel-electric locos - the last Italian diesel locos in main line passenger service. They've already gone from the Taranto-Reggio Calabria and Firenze-Siena-Chiusi/Grosseto lines and are still just about hanging in there on the Firenze-Pontassieve-Borgo San Lorenzo route....or were prior to the December timetable change. Any more recent reports?

From another forum....the following Firenze-Pontassieve-Borgo Monday to Friday services are booked for D445 and MD push-pull stock:

Ex-Borgo: 06 06, 06 32, 07 59, 16 46 and 17 46.

Ex-FI: 14 19, 15 55, 17 55, 18 55 and 19 55.

Covered by three diagrams. Loco normally at the Borgo end.

The 08 40 Siena-Firenze and 18 10 return are still theoretically diagrammed for D445 sets but, in practice - because the locos require maintenance more frequently than the stock - changeovers with Siena depot are normally done using done using mid-day light engine movements....often with two or three locos coupled together.

 

[route101]

I was in Budapest recently and was surprised to see Ikarus trollybuses on one route to Keleti Railway Station that runs past the shopping centre with the Tesco. I tried getting on one but they seemed to have stopped running after the evening peak or went out of service after running to the railway station.

 

[Tinginys]

If by any chance you're in Lithuania there is one train service that actually is worth trying as it will probably be gone very soon (some time mid or late next year most likely). Old Soviet passenger coach (yes, only one) refurbished in Latvia to a pretty good standard. I personally took it a few times over the last summer. It was nice. By far the best seats in any train in Lithuania and very similar to the refurbished Swedish X2000. I was hoping that there would be more coaches refurbished in the same way but it seems there won't be. And the future of the one currently in use is uncertain

Train vlogger Simon did a review on it

I did take some photos of course which are in the attachment

 

[AY1975]

I was trying to figure out where there is classic IC service in Germany.

Will there be any classic ICs left in Germany after the December timetable change?

 

[Jamesrob637]

Will there be any classic ICs left in Germany after the December timetable change?

Don't think so: there may not be any left even now.

 

[AY1975]

Don't think so: there may not be any left even now.

What about the Düsseldorf/Kassel-Gera ICs? Are they currently still IC1 stock, and if so are they due to become IC2s with the new timetable? Or are they already IC2s?

 

[popeter45]

won't Sylt Trains remain IC1's?, cant see what replaces them

 

[Richard Scott]

won't Sylt Trains remain IC1's?, cant see what replaces them

No, think they're ICE-L with 248s? Think that's from May 2026 so IC1 until then.

 

[43096]

What about the Düsseldorf/Kassel-Gera ICs? Are they currently still IC1 stock, and if so are they due to become IC2s with the new timetable? Or are they already IC2s?

Yes they are currently IC1 stock with Class 101 electric locos under the wires.

 

[YorkshireBear]

What about the Obstetdorf to Dortmund IC, IC2012/IC2013. Hoping to catch that in March so would be interested if it's still IC1 as vagonWEB still shows it as that now.

 

[Richard Scott]

What about the Obstetdorf to Dortmund IC, IC2012/IC2013. Hoping to catch that in March so would be interested if it's still IC1 as vagonWEB still shows it as that now.

Sure they're changing in May 2026 or even going altogether, can't remember which, if either!

 

[class387]

If by any chance you're in Lithuania there is one train service that actually is worth trying as it will probably be gone very soon (some time mid or late next year most likely). Old Soviet passenger coach (yes, only one) refurbished in Latvia to a pretty good standard. I personally took it a few times over the last summer. It was nice. By far the best seats in any train in Lithuania and very similar to the refurbished Swedish X2000. I was hoping that there would be more coaches refurbished in the same way but it seems there won't be. And the future of the one currently in use is uncertain

Train vlogger Simon did a review on it

I did take some photos of course which are in the attachment
View attachment 191173View attachment 191174
View attachment 191172View attachment 191175

Is it only the first class carriage that's ex-Soviet era? Do you know the origin of the other carriages?

 

[Richard Scott]

Is it only the first class carriage that's ex-Soviet era? Do you know the origin of the other carriages?

Sure they're all Soviet era, they were when I went last year.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

According to a viewer comment:

Some of this carriages was made in 2000s in Tver, and another part was built at KVZ in Ukraine; There is no carriages, that was built in Soviet Union

To which the video creator replied:

It’s a reference to the style of carriages that were popularized during Soviet times and spread across the entire former union – I’m well aware that many of them were built afterwards but continue to use a similar exterior and interior design, albeit a bit more modern. That context is however a bit long for a video title

 

[Tinginys]

Oh yes, it's not clear when or where exactly those coaches were made but they are certainly of the Soviet design and tech. Others have been refurbished too but it was done some time in the early to mid 2000s. I highly doubt however that any of them were actually manufactured in the 2000s. There's just no way. They're likely actually made pre 1990 or perhaps some time in the early to mid 90s.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Tver Carriage Works in Russia and KVSZ in Ukraine both still build carriages in the Soviet style with corrugated sides.

Tver:

The third class railcars with air conditioning systems were delivered to Egypt

The first 14 third-class passenger railcars equipped with air conditioning systems were delivered to Egypt on September 15, 2021. In total, according to the con

www.railway.supply

KVSZ:

KVSZ has already handed over 45 new passenger cars to UZ

Since the conclusion of the contract in June 2021, KVSZ has handed over 45 new passenger cars to Ukrzaliznitsa. In 2022, 25 wagons were produced. It is reported

www.railway.supply

 

[Tinginys]

Fair enough about Soviet style coaches still being in production, however I'm not aware of Lthuanian railways having bought any such carriages any time after 2000. There were some older ones that were refurbished in the early 2000s though. And of course the latest refurbishment of a single coach last year.

 

[43094]

A post today on the RDC Deutschland Facebook page states this Sunday (2 November) will be the last ever planned use of through traffic to Dagebull, off the DB service to Westerland, with the DMU hauling the IC coaches and a 4-wheeled wagon.

 

[Richard Scott]

A post today on the RDC Deutschland Facebook page states this Sunday (2 November) will be the last ever planned use of through traffic, off the DB service to Westerland, with the DMU hauling the IC coaches and a 4-wheeled wagon.

Assume that's on Dagebull branch?