murphaph Posted October 27, 2022 Author Share Posted October 27, 2022 4 minutes ago, Sven-E said: Thanks for all the pictures from my original country. You mention the passport control at the Danish border. This came about during the mass immigration wave a few years ago. There were lots of screams when Sweden and Denmark wanted to introduce passport control and thus violate the Schengen rules. I was actually surprised about the passport control at the Danish border as I thought the passport control was only at the Swedish border. Interestingly there is no check when you go from Sweden to Denmark. You're welcome Sven. I was quite surprised too because the last time I went to Sweden it was by car routing Berlin-Rostock-(ferry)-Gedser-Copenhagen-(Oresund Bridge)-Malmö and that time there were no passport checks entering Denmark at Gedser ferry port (the police did look at the car and wave us through) but we were stopped and passport checked entering Sweden after the bridge tool booths. I was actually expecting passport checks entering Sweden again on the train but there were none. I also visited Denmark last year also taking the Rostock-Gedser ferry and there were no passport checks then either. A few more pics from Stockholm on our return via Arlanda. We took the Arlanda express which gets up to 200km/h and has you at the airport in 18 minutes. Non-stop service from Stockholm Central. Not cheap though, 299 SEK for 2 adults. Stockholm Central: This looks like a station but it appears to be the carriage valet station just outside Stockholm Central: A couple more blurry shots taken at speed on the Arlanda Express: And for completeness a few snaps from my home airport station, Berlin-Brandenburg: The buffer stops signify the end of the line for the S-Bahn. The regional and intercity tracks run through the station and trains arrive and depart in both directions. I am not sure if the S-Bahn can be extended without additional tunnelling and I don't know if there is anywhere sensible it could go to from here to be honest. A locally built 481 unit from AD Tranz (taken over by Bombardier before the units were delivered) bound for Spandau on the other side of the city. We would also pass through Spandau on the way home but on a regional train. A regional express to Berlin Hbf. We would not board this but wait for a direct RB14 that took us all the way home without changing. Unfortunately at some stage in the coming years our direct airport connection is due to be lost as the Bahn reorganises regional routes in and around Berlin. This train takes half an hour or so to reach its destination and stops twice on the way. Not quite the Arlanda Express but it only costs about a tenth the price So, that concludes the lesson 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broithe Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 You'll have seen the €49 monthly Deutschlandticket coming shortly? Get the camera charged up. We're waiting... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgeconna Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 Fab Trips. Beats Athenry. Off next week and was looking at taking me Dad for a trip from Cork to Galway and back up the WRC, the length of time to do it is nuts. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Dangerous Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 1 hour ago, Broithe said: You'll have seen the €49 monthly Deutschlandticket coming shortly? Get the camera charged up. We're waiting... Who are you talking to? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broithe Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 1 minute ago, DJ Dangerous said: Who are you talking to? I assume that she's still making the odd post, to cover up what she did to him... It's only the pictures we want, anyway... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spudfan Posted November 6, 2022 Share Posted November 6, 2022 Funding deal clears the way for Germany’s €49 monthly ticket | News | Railway Gazette International Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphaph Posted November 6, 2022 Author Share Posted November 6, 2022 I will not be getting one as I don't need to commute anywhere daily. For the odd time I need to go into Berlin it isn't really worth it for me. Great boost for people who do commute. For comparison a monthly ticket for Berlin ABC which would be something like the short hop zone around Dublin is currently €90 and is only valid locally. The new ticket is valid nationwide on local and regional transport. It'll be good for Brandenburg and other areas surrounding big cities as it will encourage day trips out of Berlin and other cities into the surrounding regions. Only downside is it's subscription only and non-transferable. The current Berlin tickets are available spontaneously or as subscriptions and are transferable, even the cheaper subscription options. But that's a small complaint really given the benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphaph Posted April 29, 2023 Author Share Posted April 29, 2023 (edited) The long awaited €49 or "Deutschland Ticket" goes live on Monday. As expected it's a subscription model but it can be subscribed to and more importantly cancelled digitally from many of the numerous tariff area apps and websites. If you plan a couple of weeks in Germany then even as a tourist it makes sense to subscribe and cancel before the 10th of the month. I can see myself occasionally buying one if there's a series of trips planned in a month. The clear winners are medium and longer distance commuters though. A person in the next town out from here is no longer in the Berlin ABC zonal area and pays about 1400 a year for their ticket. That will now be a lot less. https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-new-49-monthly-travel-pass-explained/a-65421776 Edited April 29, 2023 by murphaph 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphaph Posted August 8, 2023 Author Share Posted August 8, 2023 A couple of impressions from Hungary, which we are currently visiting. We took the sleeper from Berlin to Budapest Nyugati via Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Journey time of just under 14 hours. Still plenty of jointed track in southern Poland which made sleeping a bit difficult. Two long shunting stops in Bohumin and Breclav allowed for some more solid sleep. We departed Berlin in a train made up of Hungarian, Austrian and Polish coaches and arrived in Budapest with the Hungarian, Czech and different Polish coaches (ones which came from Warsaw and joined our train in Bohumin). Allegedly this route is the most complicated sleeper route in the world with all the cities served. This is Nyugati (west) station. From here we took a taxi to the grim Deli (south) station and from there took an ex German built rake of interregional coaches to lake Balaton which took roughly two hours. The stretch along the lake's western shore is single track so there was some waiting for oncoming trains to pass... The Danube was also in flood following all the recent heavy rains further upstream: 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabhal Luimnigh Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 Looks fascinating, enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leslie10646 Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 On 29/4/2023 at 9:13 AM, murphaph said: The long awaited €49 or "Deutschland Ticket" goes live on Monday. As expected it's a subscription model but it can be subscribed to and more importantly cancelled digitally from many of the numerous tariff area apps and websites. If you plan a couple of weeks in Germany then even as a tourist it makes sense to subscribe and cancel before the 10th of the month. I can see myself occasionally buying one if there's a series of trips planned in a month. The clear winners are medium and longer distance commuters though. A person in the next town out from here is no longer in the Berlin ABC zonal area and pays about 1400 a year for their ticket. That will now be a lot less. https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-new-49-monthly-travel-pass-explained/a-65421776 Hi Murph. As I made my way through Germany on my First Class Innterrail Pass, the trains didn't seem too full, but in places DB simply don't provide enough stock. A single unit in the Black Forest area had about double the number of passengers to seats and trains by Lake Constanz were also jammed. Meanwhile, the Uk has been cutting up perfectly good EMUS! Enjoy Hungary - how's your Hungarian - a unique langauge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphaph Posted August 8, 2023 Author Share Posted August 8, 2023 I have about a dozen words Leslie. My wife can speak it well enough though so she does all the talking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leslie10646 Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 6 minutes ago, murphaph said: I have about a dozen words Leslie. My wife can speak it well enough though so she does all the talking It would have been handy to have known her in 1973 (my first visit) and 1975 when I ended up under house arrest - it's a long story ..... I hope that you enjoyed your Ham and Eggs this morning for breakfast - sensible people the Hungarians - know what a decent breakfast should be. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphaph Posted August 9, 2023 Author Share Posted August 9, 2023 Couple more snaps taken today: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphaph Posted August 11, 2023 Author Share Posted August 11, 2023 And a few more from Zalabér-Batyk Station kind of in the middle of nowhere but my wife's Hungarian side of the family are from this area so we occasionally visit. I usually drop down to see if anything is doing. Until 2007 this was a branch station providing interchange to the 6km short branch to the south east, which was closed due to austerity measures. Allegedly it will be reopened some day. For a pretty dead station in the middle of nowhere you can still get to both Budapest and Ljubljana direct from here, but most trains are local or regional. Freight trains often stop here to let passenger ones pass. There's an abandoned loading ramp which looks like it may have seen beet tipped from it at some stage! The parking area is clearly made of recycled sleepers laid face down to create a flat surface. And a few from a much more tourist oriented Balatonarács, taken in the evening sun... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphaph Posted August 12, 2023 Author Share Posted August 12, 2023 A couple of short videos from the above two locations... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphaph Posted October 7, 2023 Author Share Posted October 7, 2023 Headed down to the local railway restoration society in Ketzin an der Havel tody for their open day. Lots of badly vandalised coaches and wagons awaiting restoration. A local private (predominantly freight) railway HVLE loaned a Traxx P160 DE + driver for cab rides for the whole day, which was quite a gesture as these locomotives can generate significant income in that time. The former station at Ketzin lost its passenger service in 1966 already, though freight (primarily sugar beet on its way to the factory in the town) continued to use the tracks intil 1997. Interestingly beet trains still occasionally stable here as it provides a rare bit of "parking space" in the area. The branch is still connected and most of it still belongs to DB (previously DR), only the last couple of km belongs to the restoration society. Here a couple of snaps. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leslie10646 Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 On 12/8/2023 at 8:01 AM, murphaph said: A couple of short videos from the above two locations... I've got one of those in a box upstairs! Never run, needless to say! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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