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Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

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Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#311

Post by fuzzy2 »

Svip wrote: post #83

> The train starts moving. The driver announces there are “issues around Bonn.” He does not specify what kind. No one asks. We have learned not to ask. This is one of those issues I keep mulling about; it seems train operators (and airliners for that matter) tend to avoid being technically specific about operation problems, and just say "problems" and - if they are kind - where the problem is. And I cannot decide whe…

At the station itself, on the other hand, you might as well play "delay bingo". Is it an earlier training running late that is now slowing down other trains? Is it yet another Stellwerksstörung? Or maybe it's urgent track repairs? It might also be an Oberleitungsschaden!

To be honest, I don't care about excuses. Yes, problems happen, but this is systemic. Does it help me if I know the train tracks are broken yet again? It does not. The reasons (excuses) they bring up ring hollow. I don't feel that drivers or station staff would appear stupid if they don't tell. They are victims, too.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#312

Post by hexbin010 »

hdgvhicv wrote: post #106
hexbin010 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When comparing to the UK you have to also factor in how absurdly expensive it is. Eg a monthly ticket to the nearest city ~25km away is 292 EUR (nowhere near London. A city with not very high wages either). And the train is just 2.5 carriages and full every day.

A typical season ticket into London is under 20p a mile. Outside of London it’s far more expensive (35p a mile is common), because the railway has not had the investment London has over decades. Platform lengthening (of possible) is not cheap, requires buying new land in crowded towns and cities. Modern train stock isn’t cheap either 25km each way is 680 miles a month.

Most people will commute ~19 days a month, given vacations and sickness.

From my example, that's ~794 miles (corrected) a month, £255, £0.32/mile. Not as expensive as some other routes but still can be as as high as 12% of your take-home wage given the low salaries in that city.

Moving onto London... /under/ 20p a mile? Which route is that??

Just some random examples I picked:

Alton to Waterloo: £529, 1786 miles, £0.29/mile.

Guildford to Waterloo: £453/mo - 1140 miles a month, £0.39/mile.

Gravesend to London Bridge: £436/mo, 836 miles a month, £0.52/mile.

Brentwood to Liverpool St: £336/mo, 706 miles a month, £0.47/mile.

St Albans to Thameslink: £440/mo, 756 miles a month, £0.58/mile.

(Mileages from https://www.scotrail.co.uk/carbon-calculator )

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#313

Post by sva_ »

pjmlp wrote: post #215
bcye wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Splitting trains is a quite common thing in Germany (though more long distance) and communicated in the official app. If third party apps don't show that information that's on their part. Usually it's also said after departure inside the train by the conductor, though maybe just on long distance trains.

Yes, although quite often they forget not everyone speaks German. I once had a bit of Schadenfrunde while travelling in Netherlands, having the conductor telling us to switch trains in Dutch, and all my German fellow travellers wondering what it was all about.

How dare they speak their own language in their own country on a regional train

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#314

Post by huhkerrf »

Freak_NL wrote: post #301
xenocratus wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We took that train, realised when we got to the other end of the line that we hadn't gotten where we expected, then turned back to the place where it separates. Waited for the next advertised train to airport (it's signalled on the electronic board as two separate entries; yes, it says "board whatever carriages for airport, and the rest for ...", or at least I assume it did, as it was in German of course; but again,…

American Express I get. No one uses that in Europe. Visa and Mastercard debit cards are what everyone uses and they work in all German ticket machines. You weren't trying to use a credit card where you? What language do you expect the Germans to use?

I don't think the person expected the Germans to use a different language, only was saying that they weren't entirely sure what it said.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#315

Post by mcv »

Svip wrote: post #83

> The train starts moving. The driver announces there are “issues around Bonn.” He does not specify what kind. No one asks. We have learned not to ask. This is one of those issues I keep mulling about; it seems train operators (and airliners for that matter) tend to avoid being technically specific about operation problems, and just say "problems" and - if they are kind - where the problem is. And I cannot decide whe…

I think they look stupider by not saying anything. They look stupid by all of these constant delays, cancellations, and the occasional utterly surreal self-inflicted problem like in the article. That's what makes them look stupid.

Just explain what's wrong. Arm passengers with the best info you can give them. And figure out a way to let people disembark close to where they need to be.

DB has become a complete joke. I've had to travel to and through Germany several times these past couple of years, and almost always there's a problem.

I once paid 80 euro for a taxi from Essen to Dusseldorf because they cancelled the train that would connect to the last ICE to Amsterdam. When I got to Dusseldorf on time, the ICE arrived at a different platform than announced. I only noticed that because some people were suddenly leaving the platform. I warned a few people who still hadn't noticed it. I bet a lot of people still managed to miss that train after all the trouble making it to Dusseldorf.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#316

Post by raphman »

JeremyTheo wrote: post #231
kioleanu wrote: post #210

As I live around the area where this happened and I am well aware of how DB is on this route, this story sounds extremely sketchy - why would the train change lines to the other side of the Rhine and not stop at any of the 17 (!!!) stops along the way to Neuwied? Especially with people in it? The problem was a broken relay, no trains were able to run for a few hours through Bonn. The official statement said that the…

I know how sketchy it sounds, and it was even documented in DB Navigator. But DB makes this information inaccessible a couple of days later in the app, so there is no way to „proof“ it except asking DB itself.

Just to be sure: your blog post mentions 24.12.2024 - did you mean 2025?

Is this the right connection?:

https://bahn.expert/details/NX%2028521/j/20251224-a0049123-9...

The RE5 seems to be operated by National Express, not Deutsche Bahn, right? (but DB InfraGo is most probably responsible for the routing)

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#317

Post by svara »

em-bee wrote: post #302
svara wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a big, systemically failing organization running way beyond its capacity. Failures rippling through and compounding in a tightly coupled rail network. If they weren't able to announce the train would stop at one station, why do you think they'll be able to do that at another? I'm pretty sure train conductors aren't allowed to just stop somewhere unscheduled for good reasons, there's always a train behind and in…

train conductors are not controlling the train. that is done from a central (regional) control center that manages all trains of the region. only there someone decides where trains go or stop

Yes that was my point.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#318

Post by petesergeant »

etothepii wrote: post #234
modo_mario wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Because English has become the lingua franca for Europe. I suspect that now UK has left EU it will be much easier to accept this.

Personally I worry about the Maltese/Irish supremacy that will arise as a result.

More seriously, I suspect that

> Since the exit of the United Kingdom from the EU in 2020, the government of France has encouraged greater use of French as a working language

will hasten the move to English in official proceedings. Almost 44% of the population understand it already, and it’s unclear why the teens of the EU who already speak near-perfect English would want to learn French other than for recreation.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#319

Post by apexalpha »

I once took the train from Berlin to Netherlands.

Just after Hannover but before Dusseldorf and such the train stopped: fire next to the tracks. Honestly, not DB fault this time.

Luckily DB trains have a restaurant/cafe in them. I went to get some food but the man behind the counter told me it was closed.

I asked him how since he was the seller, he stood there, there was power and internet. What's the problem?

Well, he said. And I shit you not: my shift is up. I have worked 8 hours. I am done.

And he was serious. Never mind that he was stuck on the train, just like us. Never mind that the replacement obviously wasn't there yet since they were stuck waiting on the next platform.

Nope. He works 8 hours. 8 hours done. He done. A thousand thirsty and hungry (and annoyed) on his train. He has food, drinks and time. But he just didn't give a shit.

He just stood there, for 2 hours, waiting to get off.

To Dutch people German civil servants are like NPCs following a very narrow script. It's baffling.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#320

Post by croes »

abigail95 wrote: post #102
croes wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you want to waste the time of an ambulance and emergency doctor just to be able to get off a train, which could mean that emergency services are lacking elsewhere?

Why is my time less valuable than an ambulance or doctor? You have to make a lot of assumptions and normative judgements for that to be true, which I reject. Morally DB (through the driver) is the one lying and saying things like "cannot stop". They don't want to stop - that's different. They've already broken the social contract, I'm free to do the same.

EMS on duty vs you on a train, doesn't take a lot of assumptions to guess whos wasted time risks more lives. And it's not don't want to stop, it's not allowed to stop. Do you think it's the driver's decision when and where to stop. Unless in case of emergency there s strict rules they have to follow.

One simple rule for everybody is: Never ever waste the time of EMS.

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