In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
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Re: In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
#2Re: In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
#3Trains are pretty awesome, especially in small Europe. Flying always comes with security hassle. A train is just: get in/get out.
If Europe would just spent more money on infrastructure.
We have trains in Germany that can do 350km/h but I've yet to ride one that goes faster than 200, probably because the rails aren't what they're used to be.
Then we have the Germany Ticket. A 50€/month subscription to all regional trains (not the fast ones). Which removes the hassle of dealing with local subway and bus companies.
But the trains are often late, which sucks, especially if you want to ride in the evening.
If Europe could get on Japan's level, that would be a dream.
Re: In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
#4Worth noting that it's still a struggle because of competing interests. For instance in Germany the auto industry and its lobby is strong enough to succeed in keeping freeways toll free, whereas the German Railways infrastructure part was split out into a company called DB Netz. So when you buy a ticket the cost of using the railway infrastructure is included in the price. Also other things, but not relevant for this discussion.
So yes the railway is a lot better in Europe and the rest of the world than the US, but it's almost always a question of politics and interests of different groups. I also think it's poor framing to say people do it because of climate change - I do it because it's the best way to travel. During early corona time I went with a car on a typical 2-3 hour trip I usually take and it was just horrible in comparison. In the one case you can sit in comfortable seats, walk around, get something to drink an eat, and in the other you are usually stuck in a cramped seat, can't get out and can only take a break on a gas station or a similar place.
Re: In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
#5This illustrates that many times induced demand is a good thing as it shows that more people are having their needs met
Re: In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
#6Trains are pretty awesome, especially in small Europe. Flying always comes with security hassle. A train is just: get in/get out. If Europe would just spent more money on infrastructure. We have trains in Germany that can do 350km/h but I've yet to ride one that goes faster than 200, probably because the rails aren't what they're used to be. Then we have the Germany Ticket. A 50€/month subscription to all regional tr…
In my opinion the main "low hanging fruit" Europe has with trains are international birders, especially if they're trying to compete with flying.
Trains in Poland work great, trains in Germany work pretty well but every train I've taken between Poland and Germany has been delayed. The standard thing is that while you're in Poland they claim the delay is because of previous delays in Germany and while you're in Germany they blame delays from Poland.
If you're trying to do something more advanced like get across Germany to Belgium or France & eventually the UK the it gets quite annoying.
Re: In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
#7Re: In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
#8Trains are pretty awesome, especially in small Europe. Flying always comes with security hassle. A train is just: get in/get out. If Europe would just spent more money on infrastructure. We have trains in Germany that can do 350km/h but I've yet to ride one that goes faster than 200, probably because the rails aren't what they're used to be. Then we have the Germany Ticket. A 50€/month subscription to all regional tr…
No need to get to Japans level.
Just matching the Netherlands in punctuality and connections would be more than enough (using the word 'just' here does not do their rail network the justice it deserves).
Re: In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
#9Trains are pretty awesome, especially in small Europe. Flying always comes with security hassle. A train is just: get in/get out. If Europe would just spent more money on infrastructure. We have trains in Germany that can do 350km/h but I've yet to ride one that goes faster than 200, probably because the rails aren't what they're used to be. Then we have the Germany Ticket. A 50€/month subscription to all regional tr…
In my opinion the main "low hanging fruit" Europe has with trains are international birders, especially if they're trying to compete with flying. Trains in Poland work great, trains in Germany work pretty well but every train I've taken between Poland and Germany has been delayed. The standard thing is that while you're in Poland they claim the delay is because of previous delays in Germany and while you're in German…
>Germany and while you're in Germany they blame delays from Poland.
Both can be true at the same time.
Developing enough capacity to avoid non-blocking train systems and bunching is a difficult issue.
Re: In Europe, trains are full, and more are on the way
#10As a Belgian I am very envious of Japanese rail. While it does have its own problems (overcrowding during rush hour in the major metropolises), I really miss various Quality of Life conveniences like being able to pay the difference if you need to go to a further station than you originally planned.