Rail Forums in other countries

[Triddle]

Are there forums in other countries similar to Rail UK Forums?

Have had a quick look around, but everything I've found so far hasn't been as comprehensive or regularly used as these forums (eg lots of modeling and train number collecting, not much on questions about timetabling, general infrastructure, fares etc.

So, does anyone know of any extant non-UK general rail forums?

Edited to add links of active forums as provided by other posters below

Global

• Global Transit & Infrastructure Central https://discord.gg/NhJ7uJEW
• SkyscraperCity, Railways https://www.skyscrapercity.com/forums/railways.812/ and Subways https://www.skyscrapercity.com/forums/subways-and-urban-transport.130/ forums

Asia / Australasia

• AU: https://railpage.com.au/f.htm
• HK: https://www.hkitalk.net/HKiTalk2/
• IN: https://www.irfca.org/ (need to register)
• JP: https://www.railforum.jp/ (need to register, fee?)
• JP: https://jnsforum.com/community/
• JP: Various from 5ch:
  • https://mevius.5ch.ne/train/ - general railway discussion
  • https://mevius.5ch.net/rail/- threads on specific lines and trains
  • https://mao.5ch.net/jnr/ - railway history and nostalgia
  • 'https://kizuna.5ch.net/ice/ - non-japanese railways
  • https://kizuna.5ch.net/gage/ - model railways

Europe

• General Europe (Eurail/Interail): https://community.eurail.com/
• AT: https://schienenweg.at/
• BA (Bosnia): http://forum.vozovi.com/index.php
• BE (in Dutch): https://www.hgbtf.net/
• CH (in German): https://www.bahnforum.ch/
• CZ: https://www.k-report.net/
• DE: https://www.bahninfo-forum.de/
• DE: https://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/
• DE: https://www.ice-treff.de
• DK: https://www.jernbanen.dk/forum1/
• ES: https://www.forotrenes.com/foro/index.php
• FI: http://vaunut.org/keskustelut/index.php
• FR: https://www.cheminots.net/67-infos-amp-d%C3%A9bats/
• GR: https://amnizia.org/
• HR (Croatia): https://www.zeljeznice.net/forum/index.php
• IE: http://www.railusers.ie/forum/
• IT: http://www.forum.ferrovie.it/
• IT: http://www.ilmondodeitreni.it/mioforum/
• LU: https://rail.lu/index.php/raillu-forum-recent
• NL: community.ns.nl
• NL: ovinnederland.nl
• NL: www.somda.nl
• NO: https://jernbane.net/phorum/
• PL: https://www.forumkolejowe.pl
• PL: http://www.infokolej.pl
• PT: http://board.portugalferroviario.net/ (registration to view most of site)
• PT: https://www.transportes-xxi.net/forum/ (registration to view most of site)
• RS (Serbia): https://www.zeleznice.in.rs/forum/
• RU: http://scbist.com/
• RU: https://forum.railwayz.info
• SE: https://postvagnen.com
• SI (Slovenia): http://www.vlaki.info/forum/index.php
• SK (Slovakia): https://zeleznicne.info/kforum.php

USA

• Amtrak Unlimited https://www.amtraktrains.com/
• railroad.net
• Trainorders (need to register?)
• New York City area
  • nyctransitforums.com
  • subchat.com

 

[Bletchleyite]

I haven't used it much but I think Drehscheibe Online is a German equivalent?

There's also a lot of stuff on Faceache.

 

[FormerBritInMe]

For the USA there is Amtrak Unlimited primarily dealing with the national passenger carrier but with other sub forums for various interests such as freight, Canada, international, etc.

 

[67thave]

For the USA there is Amtrak Unlimited primarily dealing with the national passenger carrier but with other sub forums for various interests such as freight, Canada, international, etc.

There's also railroad.net and Trainorders (the last of which requires a subscription for full access).
The New York City area has nyctransitforums.com and subchat.com, though the latter seems to have lost all of its vast archive of posts after being down for a few weeks recently.

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

ovinnederland.nl for the Netherlands

 

[Triddle]

This is great - thanks. Am going to collect the links in the first post to make it easier for future readers to get the stuff.

 

[daodao]

The Irish Railway News site at https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/irnirishrailwaynews/ is still on line, but essentially moribund, with very few recent postings.

 

[Flying Snail]

The Irish Railway News site at https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/irnirishrailwaynews/ is still on line, but essentially moribund, with very few recent postings.

The formerly huge general Irish forums, https://www.boards.ie has a transport and rail section but it was never a particularly great part of that site with far too many idiots posting garbage and awful moderators. It did have enough informed posters at one time to get some fact-based conversations if you could ignore the trolls but most of them got tired of the crap and they gradually drifted away.

Following the site setting itself on fire by ditching their former software and installing a barely functional replacement it has never recovered, most niche sections are now more tumbleweed than troll these days.

 

[Beebman]

Italy: http://www.forum.ferrovie.it/
Belgium (in Dutch): https://www.hgbtf.net/
Austria: https://schienenweg.at/
Switzerland (in German): https://www.bahnforum.ch/
Japan: https://www.railforum.jp/ (I think you need to register to use it, assuming you can read Japanese!)

 

[OldandRambling]

For anyone interested in Indian railways, IRFCA is a site with a huge depth of knowledge. You have to register first to use the site, but it is free. https://www.irfca.org/

 

[rangersac]

Australia: Railpage: https://railpage.com.au/f.htm

 

[AlexNL]

Another one for the Netherlands: www.somda.nl.

It's very much focused on spotters (the name is an abbreviation for, translated, 'spots and diagrams database') but there's quite some general discussion as well.

 

[surrey]

Here are some other railway forums for various different countries linked here below:

Bosnia: http://forum.vozovi.com/index.php

Croatia: https://www.zeljeznice.net/forum/index.php

Ireland: http://www.railusers.ie/forum/

Poland: https://www.forumkolejowe.pl

Poland: http://www.infokolej.pl

Russia: http://scbist.com/#

Russia: https://forum.railwayz.info

Serbia: https://www.zeleznice.in.rs/forum/

Slovakia: https://zeleznicne.info/kforum.php

Slovenia: http://www.vlaki.info/forum/index.php

Most of these forums are much smaller than this UK Rail Forums with much less posts and much less members but they are still very useful for finding out about those countries railways.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Sweden: https://postvagnen.com/sjk-forum/

 

[dutchflyer]

Yes, the Scandinavians are missing-there must also be DK and NO ones.
For DE/germany there is also the little brother, mostly aimed at fares and ticketing-and traveller complaints: ice-treff.de
Of those ´from the continent' DSO is by far the best and far-reaching-questions about tickets/international travel get answers very detailed in minutes or just a few hours.
For general all-europe: community.eurail.com- mostly questions from pass-users unused and baffled to it all, not really discussions

 

[jamesontheroad]

Denmark: https://www.jernbanen.dk/forum/

Norway: https://jernbane.net/phorum/

 

[Giugiaro]

AFAIK the most active rail forum in Portugal is Portugal Ferroviário, with its own rolling stock inventory and web and printed magazine.

Japan Rail Forum seems to have a fee in order to register. It's like becoming part of an online railway club and the fee keeps foreigners away.
Alternatively, there's the Japan N Scale Forum. Despite being versed in model rail, it is far more accessible and English based.

On a global scale, we have a Discord server called Global Transit & Infrastructure Central. It started off as RM Transit Youtube Channel's official Discord server but has grown to become its own thing.

 

[JonasB]

Denmark: https://www.jernbanen.dk/forum/

That is an outdated link to their old forum, the current one is found at https://www.jernbanen.dk/forum1/

 

[SouthEastBuses]

For Italy, there's also http://www.ilmondodeitreni.it/mioforum/

 

[MarcVD]

Surprised that nobody mentioned the extensive railway sections of Skyscrapercity...

 

[Triddle]

Surprised that nobody mentioned the extensive railway sections of Skyscrapercity...

Care to elaborate? No idea what Skyscrapercity is ... Thanks

 

[Beebman]

I've found one for Hong Kong in Chinese (presumably Cantonese which is spoken there):

https://www.hkitalk.net/HKiTalk2/

It covers all forms of transport with bus first and then rail (and it's very slow to load).

 

[contrex]

Has anyone mentioned the French Web des Cheminots? I've been a member for 20 years.

Infos & Débats

www.cheminots.net

 

[Feuillesmortes]

Thank you for providing these.

It seems a shame that some forums are dying off. Are Facebook and Discord good alternatives in terms of searchability of previous threads?

 

[rf_ioliver]

Finland: http://vaunut.org/keskustelut/index.php

 

[Beebman]

Spain: https://www.forotrenes.com/foro/index.php
Luxembourg: https://rail.lu/index.php/raillu-forum-recent

 

[Feuillesmortes]

DSO is by far the best

is this DREHSCHEIBE-Online?

 

[the sniper]

Surprised that nobody mentioned the extensive railway sections of Skyscrapercity...

Particularly good for infrastructure developments. For example, it's been by far the best English language place to keep up with the likes of the redevelopment of the Serbian network.

 

[MarcVD]

Care to elaborate? No idea what Skyscrapercity is ... Thanks

It is an internet forum dedicated to all kind of infrastructure developments and all aspects of urban life.
www.skyscrapercity.com
It has general and per country sections. Per country sections usually in local language.
Just give it a look. It's gigantic.

 

[Triddle]

It is an internet forum dedicated to all kind of infrastructure developments and all aspects of urban life.
www.skyscrapercity.com
It has general and per country sections. Per country sections usually in local language.
Just give it a look. It's gigantic.

Thanks, added to list.

Seems like the suggestions are slowing down now so seems like a good time to say thanks for the suggestions (I think I've managed to catch them all and add them to the list at the top).