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Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

chronotrains.com

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Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#211

Post by likeabatterycar »

thatcat wrote: post #172
likeabatterycar wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A ton of new destinations? wow what an amazing improvement! Is it possible that was just inevitable network effect and had nothing to do with intentional investments in R/D? No, not possible at all. Intentional investments in R&D led to more fuel-efficient and long-range aircraft technology such as the B787 and A350 which allowed new point-to-point routes between cities that were never before possible, abandoning t…

Oh yes, the common US route of Auckland to NYC. Not having to stop when you make that flight must save a bit of time for 10s if not 100s of people.

Your sarcasm is offset by your lack of knowledge and ignorance of facts.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#212

Post by FredPret »

sdenton4 wrote: post #161
pembrook wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a false conspiracy narrative that belongs on Reddit in the r/fuckcars filter bubble. Sure, the automotive industry stood to benefit from the decline of rail travel in the US. But they didn’t really need to do anything for that to happen on its own. Reality is far less interesting than that. Turns out when you have tons of fertile land, even pre-industrialization your population tends to spread out a bit (the…

Here's the source. There were actual-court cases which found that oil and car manufacturers conspired to monopolize and convert local public transit to buses from rail. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_consp... "Between 1938 and 1950, National City Lines and its subsidiaries, American City Lines and Pacific City Lines—with investment from GM, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California (through a…

Local public transit in the US is a very different beast to getting across the country.

Manhattan may have high population density, and the public transit that goes with it; but building passenger rail thousands of miles to the other side of a sparsely populated continent just doesn’t add up in the same way.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#213

Post by awiesenhofer »

magicalhippo wrote: post #99
spinningarrow wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that a recent thing? I’ve taken trains several times of the last few years and always had an overwhelmingly positive experience.

It's gotten quite a lot worse in the past few years. In 2023 one quarter of all trains were delayed or cancelled. The gov't hasn't allocated enough for maintenance for several decades, and we're paying the price now. The National Audit Office recently released[1] a scalding report about it. [1]: https://www.riksrevisjonen.no/rapporter-mappe/no-2023-2024/s...

> The gov't hasn't allocated enough for maintenance for several decades, and we're paying the price now.

Ah yes, the german approach.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#214

Post by ant6n »

JBlue42 wrote: post #194
ant6n wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The state railways have large exited night trains as a form of transport, due to economics, although it’s a much more sustainable form of transportation compared to aviation. Since Europe has a liberalized market in the rail sector, some startups are trying to fill the gap. European sleeper operates a night train on the route Brussel-Amsterdam-Berlin-Prague, using old rented rolling stock. I’m involved with Luna Rail…

Curious about the issues you're having with rolling stock. Given Germany's industrial prowess, I would've thought that that wouldn't be an issue to manufacture, either for domestic use or export.

For startups, building up the financing for buying rolling stock is very difficult. There’s currently very little available on the rental market.

It’s difficult to just do a startup on general in this space (it’s sustainable mobility, but involves hardware, an old industry, old tech).

The state railways can afford rolling stock, but it’s extensive and takes a long time. They are not too innovative either, so may not solve the economics issues with new approaches, because they are too conservative.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#215

Post by thatcat »

mh- wrote: post #177
thatcat wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The proof is in the profits that result from a favorable and otherwise illogical set of choices. Who even cares about the details? The oil and related industries are notoriously corrupt, introducing lead into gas knowing the toxic effects among other policy choices aimed at reducing alternatives to cars such as: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_consp... Where's the logical argument against high…

[flagged]

You think asking someone else to do the research to prove a conspiracy for you is intellectually honest? Do we really need to get caught up in the details of how health insurance is a conspiracy to know that it is a conspiracy? Do conspiracies need to be coordinated to be successful or can they be informal, unspoken, and implied culturally so as to conceal their existence? Isn't worrying about those specific details actually a distraction? There is already proof that there are better systems by their existence world wide. Why don't you do the research to explain why the richest country in the world doesn't have a high speed train system and write a paper on it? Publish it on Arxiv, include physical reasons that it is not possible.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#216

Post by hibikir »

The data needs refreshing: The time from my hometown in Spain to Madrid is almost 2 hours shorter than it claims, as a new line has opened.

Ti might also be missing how new companies have recently caused speedups in other routes by skipping stations altogether: A stop on a high velocity train can be over 20 minutes if it has to go from full speed to zero and back again

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#217

Post by bpye »

Beijinger wrote: post #139
tzury wrote: post #80

About 20 years ago, I visited most of Europe’s major cities over the course of a two-month trip, traveling primarily by night train. Each overnight ride saved me the cost of a hostel or guesthouse, and I’d arrive in a new city each morning feeling refreshed because of the train’s sleeping accommodations. There used to be a similar service between Toronto and Montreal (both directions), where the train would pause for…

"I’d arrive in a new city each morning feeling refreshed because of the train’s sleeping accommodations." Aeh, where were you travelling? Many countries did not have sleeper trains. Don't get me wrong. I did the same, travelling at night in trains, and it saved me a night in a hotel. But I did not arrive well rested, I arrived train wrecked.

I spent a couple weeks travelling by train across Europe a few years ago on an Interrail pass. I found sleeper cabins were generally pretty comfortable, though you do have to pay extra for them.

If you were just sleeping in a seat then yes I can believe you felt awful the next day.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#218

Post by bpye »

sazor wrote: post #198
GuB-42 wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It still exists: https://www.interrail.eu/ You don't have to be younger than 26 to buy one, not anymore, but it is cheaper if you are. If you are a EU citizen, it gets you free, unlimited travel by train in most European countries. If you are not a EU citizen, there is the Eurail pass that is similar. But that's the theory. In practice there are important limitations: - You can't use it in your home country, except f…

Not citizen but resident of EU country. Last summer Spain’s Renfe offered huge discount for a pass for people under 31. Only for paper version though which is slightly less convenient but worth it anyway. I guess other eu countries could have similar seasonal discounts.

And to nit pick, it's not just the EU, for example the UK is still included post Brexit.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#219

Post by bpye »

ben_w wrote: post #192
Beijinger wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. It was called Interrail. You had to have an EU Passport to buy this ticket. And be below 26 years of age. I think it still exits.

It's still around, I used it in 2016 aged 32. I've not heard of any age requirements. https://www.interrail.eu/en

There is a cheaper ticket for 12-27.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#220

Post by bpye »

thatcat wrote: post #134
lotsoweiners wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not sure about that. I’d imagine that trains are going to have the worst of both worlds. They will take a long time (closer to amount of time to drive to destination). They also will have costs approaching that of a flight. To me a train trip makes sense if you enjoy trains and feel that the travel itself is part of the reward.

Maintenance cost and fuel costs are considerably lower for trains, why would they cost the same amount?

Lower emissions as well, which, I would hope we all care about.
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