@dominicstucki@urbanists.social
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

dominicstucki

@dominicstucki@urbanists.social

Traffic planner, public transport specialist, rail nerd. Concepts and network design at #SBB. Zürich, Switzerland.
Find all my rail travel threads archived under 'Pinned'.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

«An advanced city is not one where the poor own a car, but one where the rich use public transport.»
— Enrique Peñalosa

I guess, you can fairly assume your city has reached this point, when furniture shops choose the tram to advertise a CHF 525 wooden chair.

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Hello from Lindau-Insel 🇩🇪 and welcome to the popular game «Cheapest way to Switzerland». Today: Lindau 🇩🇪 – St.Margrethen 🇨🇭 via Bregenz 🇦🇹.
Place your bets! 🎰🎰🎰

🇩🇪🖥️ DB ticket machine: EUR 24.00 (Bodensee day pass)
🇩🇪📱 DB app: EUR 10.10 (Normalpreis Europa)
🇨🇭📱 SBB app: CHF 8.00 (OTV-VVV combi ticket)
🇦🇹 🖥️ ÖBB ticket machine: EUR 5.80 (VVV single ticket)
🇦🇹📱 ÖBB app: EUR 5.80 (VVV single ticket)

dominicstucki, to random German
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Hi! Es ist wieder einmal an der Zeit, über Fahrpläne zu reden. 🗓️
Für einmal aber nicht über das verkehrliche Angebot, sondern über ihre grafische Darstellung. 🎨

Thread. 🧵⬇️

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

So, das ist mein neuer «Fahrplan für Zürich». Wird er jemals in den Haltestellenkästen der Stadt hängen? Vermutlich nicht, weil die Automatisierung schwieriger ist und das Format nicht zu den hochformatigen Aushangkästen passt. Hängt er aber in meiner Wohnung und erfreut mich jedes Mal, wenn ich zur Tür raus gehe: Ja. 😊

Ende des Threads.

Haltestellenaushänge der Linien 7, 8 und 31 im neuen Design hängen neben der Wohnungstür an der Wand. Die Blätter sind mit Magneten an zwei vertikal verlaufende Stahlseilen befestigt. Die Kombination der Fahrpläne macht so natürlich keinen Sinn, es handelt sich nicht um "meine" Linien vor der Tür.
Haltestellenaushänge der Linien 7, 8 und 31 im neuen Design hängen neben der Wohnungstür an der Wand. Die Blätter sind mit Magneten an zwei vertikal verlaufende Stahlseilen befestigt. Die Kombination der Fahrpläne macht so natürlich keinen Sinn, es handelt sich nicht um "meine" Linien vor der Tür.
Haltestellenaushänge der Linie 8 im neuen Design hängt neben der Wohnungstür an der Wand. Die Blätter sind mit Magneten an zwei vertikal verlaufende Stahlseilen befestigt.

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Railfans and railway professionals of Mastodon:
If you want to learn fascinating stuff about overhead line equipment and traction current ⚡ - a field of the railway system I don't know much about - do follow @25kV and make sure not to miss his excellent threads he's gradually bringing to Mastodon: 👇
https://mas.to/@25kV/110962276174171304

dominicstucki, to Portugal
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

I travelled from 🇵🇹 #Portugal to 🇫🇮 #Finland by train.

Join me for the second part, where I cross Spain with slow trains only, chase nez cassé locomotives in southern France and ride some sleepy branch lines in northern Italy.
#TrainAcrossEurope

image/jpeg
image/jpeg
image/jpeg

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

On Wednesday, I took the – line. I got the impression, that this could be a great route for passengers from Belgium to Switzerland, the German Rhine valley and Strasbourg. But it isn't quite, yet.
I think, we have a little 🚨 problem here. Let me explain my thoughts.
⬇️🧵Thread 🧵⬇️

View out of the window from the Bruxelles-Luxembourg Intercity. There are wide fields, a forest in the distance, a little pond in the foreground, all under a cloudy but bright sky.

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Zürich HB 🇨🇭, 07:39.
My train will leave at 07:49, which is in 10 minutes, and it's only at the 24th position of the departure board!

That's what public transport should look like! 🚄🚄🚄

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Feierabend! Finally.
IC5 1533, Chopfab New England IPA.

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Morning.
04:30. The alarm clock rings and the DB app greets me with a friendly push: «Trip not possible».
Ha! Challenge accepted!

Screenshot of my Zürich—Hamburg connection in the DB app. - Trip not possible - Stop cancelled - Delay - Train running without coach 8
Clock at the tram stop shows 05:30

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

is, by the way, at least half a work trip. I'll be attending an international railway meeting in Oslo on Wednesday and Thursday. As I refuse to fly, I had to find a way which allows me to participate in some online meetings on Monday and Tuesday and to be in Oslo on time on Wednesday. Hence, it won't be a crazy route as usual, but I'll still do a bunch of lines I haven't been on so far.

Laptop with an SBB lock screen on a ICE table

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Bloody dismal weather. 😬
How good to sit in a warm train with a big cup of tea.

A disposable cup of tea, a bag with pastry in it and my notebook on the table.

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Kanelbulle and a hot coffee from the vending machine in the warm, quiet train while we ride through snowy forests, across windswept fields and along frozen lakes in the strange winter afternoon twilight. ❄️☃️ Perfect! 😊
Greetings to my colleagues probably queueing at an airport now. 😁

A snow and ice covered lake, in the background a snowy forest.

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Well, that was rather obvious, wasn't it?
Now I'm regretting having no stomach capacity left for a second breakfast. Well, I can at least get something to drink.

The ČD dining car.
Table in the ČD dining car with the characterictic table lamps.
View from the dining car to the high level bridge.

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Across the high level bridge.

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

This last week has shown, that doing a business trip to the badly connected very North of Europe is possible by train and ferry. Is it something for everyone? Maybe not - but it's also not something only for nerds. If you like travelling, if you can work remote and if you're willing to invest some of your own time and money (or working for a company that covers all costs), then this is a wonderful way to see new things, widen your horizon and travel comfortably and sustainably.

Laptop in a ICE 4 train
Laptop on a ferry
Cabin on the Stena Line ferry

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

The discussions in Oslo and elsewhere show that better international rail connections in Europe aren't just an unrealistic dream of rail nerds. It is doable, but what we need is a strong support for international rail travel on European and national level, in the society and among policy makers - a real shift of priorities.

dominicstucki, to random German
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Ja, es ist nur ein langweiliger zweiter Wahlgang. Aber bitte, liebe Mit-Zürcher:innen, nutzt das graue Wochenende, fischt das Couvert aus dem Poststapel, schreibt Tiana Moser auf den Zettel und spaziert zum nächsten Briefkasten.

Ihr wählt nicht grünliberal? Ich sonst auch nicht, aber die Alternative ist ein rechtsbürgerlicher SVPler, nominiert von einem seltsamen rechts-neoliberalen Boys Club und findet seine Geschäfte wichtiger als öffentliche Debatten für die Wählenden.

Also, allez-hop! 😊

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Attention, c'est parti! 🇨🇵
#FranceFérié

Dining car of an ICN trainset in Zürich's underground station
Departure board, announcing the IC5 09:04 to Genève-Aéroport.

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

The owner of the ice cream stand, however, seems not very interested in selling her products and is minding her own business.

image/jpeg

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

We're four passengers towards Spain. A couple who needs to get to Barcelona and us with destination Puigcerdá, just across the border.
We decide to wait and see what happens.
And surprisingly, but just as I secretly hoped, an anonymous white minivan appears at the train's planned departure time. The driver searches the station for other lost travellers and then drives us across the border to Puigcerdá.

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Professional and less professional passenger information at Latour-de-Carol. At least, I know now, that the only possibility to buy a ticket for the Renfe train is on the train itself — no problem.
That the train cancellations on the Train Jaune are only communicated by an A4 note but not in the online timetable is, however, outrageous. Imagine travelling here three hours from Toulouse just to see this sheet of paper. 🤬

image/jpeg
image/jpeg
image/png

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Arrival in Le Puy-en-Velay with its impressive skyline. As in many small town stations in France, the station was recently moderniesed. The station building got a fresh layer of paint and all platforms were raised to 55cm.

Our train with two A-TER
The freshly painted station building
Old building with a strange tower

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

🔊 «Pour votré securité et votre confort, la région Occitanie et la SNCF vous invitent à nettoyer les vitres vous-même.»
You want to see something through train windows on this purely touristic line? Clean them yourself!

dominicstucki, to random
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Do you know that feeling, when something which is progressing gradually for years suddenly reaches a tipping point?
In Zurich 🇨🇭, this is currently happening with trams - the trusty old Tram 2000 is becoming increasingly rare. They are being replaced by «Flexity» on more and more lines.
During the last weeks, it has changed from occasional «Oh, look, a new one! 😐» to «Oh, look, an old one! 🥰» for me.

dominicstucki,
@dominicstucki@urbanists.social avatar

Bonus: A picture from my favourite line, where T2000 are still going strong.
🟨

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • JUstTest
  • mdbf
  • ngwrru68w68
  • modclub
  • magazineikmin
  • thenastyranch
  • rosin
  • khanakhh
  • InstantRegret
  • Youngstown
  • slotface
  • Durango
  • kavyap
  • DreamBathrooms
  • megavids
  • GTA5RPClips
  • ethstaker
  • normalnudes
  • tester
  • osvaldo12
  • everett
  • cubers
  • tacticalgear
  • anitta
  • provamag3
  • Leos
  • cisconetworking
  • lostlight
  • All magazines
    •