Notices by Jon Worth (jon@gruene.social)

New #BullshitMeter this morning

Rather surprisingly I think this one might happen: Lisboa-Madrid will likely improve once the Elvas-Evora line opens

The story: https://www.dn.pt/edicao-impressa/lisboa-madrid-obriga-a-troca-de-comboio-mesmo-com-nova-linha-de-%C3%A9vora

@rysiek Any view on this? Same problem as the KD trains? https://kolejowyportal.pl/opolski-impuls-ma-problem-z-uruchomieniem/

So @emuricdo asked me to assess the chances Qbuzz will run trains Amsterdam-Paris - background is here https://www.thelocal.com/20230613/amsterdam-paris-berlin-rail-link-likely-to-come-by-2027

I don't think it's impossible, but that timetable looks very tight! #BullshitMeter

And by popular demand, here's the #BullshitMeter for today's story about Richard Branson - Virgin Trains wanting to buy a dozen trains to rival Eurostar by 2029

@eribosot Ah bollocks. Seems it now doesn't run :-/

@eribosot Google Maps is crap for rail. NEVER trust it. Sorry. Said out of bitter experience. Always use Deutsche Bahn's planner for European rail.

@eribosot There is. You just can't book it online 🤷♂️

@eribosot No. 1) Slovenian railways have improved a lot in recent years, 2) it's capital of culture and just 3km to run, and 3) test trains have run already.

I am starting a new little service - predominantly on LinkedIn as it's full of rail bullshit - but cross posted here

My "Bullshit Meter"

A quick reaction to a rail story, assessing whether it will happen or not

Here are a few examples...

Want me to assess a story? Send it over!

Happy Baltic 🇱🇹 🇱🇻 🇪🇪 rail timetable coordination day 🎉

From today onwards you can *finally* go from Vilnius via Rīga and Valga to Tallinn in a day (the reverse also works)

Getting stuck in Valga is no more

One of my #CrossBorderRail campaign priorities is fixed! 💪

@maartje It'd have good acceleration. What's not to like? 👍

Good morning from a rainy, windy Brussels

Off to the event to launch the new OUIGO cross border service this morning

Once I’ve cycled through the rain ☔️

OUIGO launch at Midi

Now at what feels like the 6th last rail speech from Gilkinet

In the messed up world of French railways this OUIGO makes sense

But it’s still stupid, and some of the rhetoric at the launch made me want to scream

And when I’m no longer cold and damp (from cycling in the rain earlier) I’ll post more about this train

The line that really rankled: OUIGO is the service that will persuade young people to take the train again

From the boss of OUIGO at the event

Sorry France but that’s because you’ve made your entire offer outside Paris too expensive and complex to use!

And I asked SNCB’s spokesperson why the train is compulsory reservation, and he looked confused. “It’s a partnership” he eventually said.

In other words: SNCF imposed this.

I explained it to him like this: imagine your grandmother falls ill and you need to get to Genk (other end of Belgium) right now to see her

SNCB would get you there

Imagine your grandmother were in Aulnoye (France, one of the stops on OUIGO) and there are no seats left - you’d be stuck, and wouldn’t be allowed to stand

We’re still at this way of thinking: national rail is a crucial public service of last resort

#CrossBorderRail is - at many borders - instead just a “nice to have”