partim

partim, 8 months ago to random

Let the madness begin! After much wailing and gnashing of teeth I have decided on a route to Italy that should be both interesting and new and add three countries to the tally.

partim, 3 months ago to random

“Change here for the bus and the ferry to England.” This announcement gets me every time.

Welcome to this early spring trip. In celebration of the Channel tunnel’s 30th anniversary, I shall be taking the boat tonight, because it was fifty euros cheaper and is way more fun.

partim, 8 months ago to random

Here’s a map! As there was a lot of waiting again today, a larger scale will work.

partim, 25 days ago to random

I could fly to Dublin in less than two hours (net). I could do the trip with fast trains and boats in a day.

Or I can stick to slow trains and take three days.

Either way, the journey starts here. And now.

partim, 7 months ago (edited 7 months ago) to random

Feels like the right weather to go on a boat trip. Some repositioning first, though.

partim, 1 month ago to random

Time for another train adventure. Heading south from Zittau into Czechia. But first we have to cross a wee bit of Poland – because they forgot to consider the railways when redrawing the borders after the war.

partim, 9 months ago to random

Want to break other people’s train apps? Why not start a place name with an apostrophe, a single letter, and a hyphen?

Now it is given as “S-Hertogenbosch”
“S Hertogenbosch”
… and “s-Hertogenbosch”

partim, 6 months ago to random

I’ll never get to use the Nürnberg—Erfurt high speed line. I am perfectly positioned in Nürnberg today … and the line is closed for engineering works.

Current plan: take the screaming monkey to Hof. I’m sure I’ll regret this.

partim, 3 months ago to random

“Interrail: the flat rate* for travelling Europe by rail.”

• Not actually a flat rate.

partim, 12 days ago to random

I wasn’t planning this, but because the neighbours are having a birthday party, the islands are insanely expensive, and I panicked and couldn’t think of anything better than Train World in Brussels, I might* now get to see Antwerp’s port from a train window.

• Might, because trouble is starting already on the high-speed line to Rotterdam which has been closed all day due to a signalling fault.

partim, 24 days ago to random

If you know the railway network in a region already covered by the #RailwayHistoryMap rather well, I’d be delighted if you would “well, actually” the hell out of it.

https://map.railwayhistory.org/

partim, 6 months ago to random

Day two of this weekend trip starts as expected. Eurobahn to Düsseldorf: cancelled. But I planned for that and am up early. While we all wait for National Express from Aachen, it unceremoniously drops off the departure board (announcements are only made for DB trains here) and is now shown way down as 75 minutes late. Let’s hope the S-Bahn works.

partim, 11 months ago to random

I’m very sorry, but this initiative to connect European capitals by high-speed rail is symbolpolitik of the worst kind. We don’t need capital-centric high-speed lines, we need a well-designed railway network that serves everyone. This includes high-speed express trains but also – especially – frequent, connected regional, urban, and rural service and a focus on ease of use.

partim, 10 months ago to random

“Läuft.” ICE 928 is twenty five minutes late already and they haven’t added the bonus stop at Frankfurt Hbf later on. 63 minutes transfer time in Köln. Place your bets.

partim, 8 months ago to random

Google thinks there are two busses a day from Chamonix up to the Italian border (from where there are ample busses down to Aosta). The website of the operator redirects to localhost. A website with more information has the schedule until June but points to Italian Arriva (of the ghastly logo) for the mandatory reservation. Their website has the route but won’t find any services on any day.

So I guess this won’t actually work?

partim, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

Which reminds me: Does anyone perchance know an online source for French topographical maps from the first half of the 20th century? I still need to add the secondary lines to the #RailwayHistoryMap but quite a few are already missing on the 1950s maps that IGN has.

Edited to add: In order to be able to trace the lines, the scale needs to be at least 1:100,000 but something like 1:50,000 or even better would be great.

partim, 5 months ago to random

Good morning from Team Yolo! Starting off well: bus to the train station cancelled necessitating a bit of running to get to the alternative bus in time.

I’m awake now.

partim, 4 months ago to random

We’re supposed to get one of the new ICNG trains down to Rotterdam for a four minute transfer to Brussels. But it is still on the wrong platform in Amsterdam Zuid, the magnetic brake shoes are repeatedly dropped, and, as departure time came rolling around, the signal went back to red.

Reportedly, NS had only four working ICNG yesterday. Let’s hope it’s not three now.

partim, 9 months ago to random

The Aachen to Maastricht trains did run for two days before now being cancelled from Heerlen again.

You better not need to go from Maastricht to Liège from December when those trains are to take over that line as well.

partim, 10 months ago to random

I’m confused. Why do trains have to skip Frankfurt Hbf if the damaged bridge is between Frankfurt Süd and Frankfurt Stadion?

(I’d attach an overview plan, but surprisingly enough, I don’t have one.)

partim, 2 months ago to random

Good morning from Hamm where the sun is rising, our train is now complete, and breakfast has been had.

partim, 7 months ago to random

Wait, wait, wait, this changes everything. Could I go to Longyearbyen in February without flying?

https://youtu.be/r7Kz19zvols?si=bSEAhzvYejhpMqSu

partim, 10 months ago to random

Seriously, DB?

partim, 4 months ago to random

Would someone please build a small-scale mail server that has all the things and just works? I’d do it myself but I was informed that I already have to many projects.

partim, 2 months ago to random

What’s going on with Allgo (Almere’s bus service)? The departure board has been showing “No departures in the new future”, lots of journeys cancelled, and my bus just passed by signed as “No service” while it is still wizzing along as an M3 service in the live tracking data.

Good thing I took an earlier bus. Now let’s hope the next one is actually going or I will miss my train.