Jon WorthOct 2, 2023

Welcome to #CrossBorderRail Autumn 2023 Day 17, 2 Oct, Hranice na Morave - Horni Lidec - Trenčín - Bratislava - Wolfsthal – Wien

Today I’m crossing these borders
Strelná 🇨🇿 - Strelenka 🇸🇰
Vlárský prusmyk 🇨🇿 - Horné Srnie 🇸🇰
Berg NÖ 🇦🇹 - Bratislava-Petržalka 🇸🇰

Map of today’s route
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-political-tour-autumn-2023_933893#8/48.920/17.562

Today’s Live Blog
https://crossborderrail.trainsforeurope.eu/live-blog-autumn-2023-day-17/

#CrossBorderRail Political Tour Autumn 2023 - uMap

uMap lets you create maps with OpenStreetMap layers in a minute and embed them in your site.

Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023
Here’s today’s intro video from a sunny Hranice https://urbanists.video/w/tDxYajhghxocZRReieeiT9
#CrossBorderRail Autumn 2023 Day 17 Intro

PeerTube
Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023
Hranice has this funky looking bike parking tower at the station. But you have to pay to park there, and the rules how to use it are complicated. And Hranice has few cyclists… So unsurprisingly it’s rather empty!
Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023

#CrossBorderRail Autumn 2023 Train 61
EC 121
08:26 Hranice na Morave - Horni Lidec 09:27
Ceske Drahy / ZSSK

Distance: 64km
Average speed: 63km/h

Train type: Škoda class 361 and Eurocity carriages
⚡️
🚲: ✅ (but high steps)
🦽: ✅ (possible with staff help, a lift, and ordered in advance - thanks @pony for explaining!)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🤔 (high steps, but ok once inside)
🧽: 🙂

Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023

The timetable Strelenka - Púchov 🇸🇰🤦‍♂️

What the hell happened here? Did ZSSK employ SNCF timetable consultants? #CrossBorderRail

Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023
My EuroCity is delayed due to building works - both electrification upgrades and Vsetín station being rebuilt. I can forgive delays for reasons like this 😊
Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023

Strelná

Border station, Czech side

The problem? No trains to Slovakia 🤦‍♂️

All the trains from Czechia to here… go back to Czechia. The trains to Slovakia are EuroCity trains that don’t stop

#CrossBorderRail fail

Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023
Brumov. Not to be confused with Broumov where I was a few days ago.
Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023
There’s no passenger train for me. But there is freight.
Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023

Svatý Štěpán

Daily trains: zero as far as I’m aware. Once in a while a weekend special to the border

Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023
Thanks EU. Funds the rebuilding of the #CrossBorderRail line Vlárský prusmyk 🇨🇿 - Horné Srnie 🇸🇰 and there are no daily passenger trains
Show threadAndrej Shadura
@jon, apparently DOZ means signalling (literally: remotely controlled track management), so probably they didn't actually rebuild the line, or didn't finance it all from the EU money.
Oct 2, 2023 at 10:44amWeb
Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023
@andrew_shadura the new platforms are probably EU money
Show thread🌺 Cat PöñíçkøvāOct 2, 2023
@jon @andrew_shadura you put your face over much of the more detailed description :), but it seems to be explaining it was more or less heavy maintenance, including some track work
Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023
@pony @andrew_shadura
Show thread🌺 Cat PöñíçkøvāOct 2, 2023
@jon @andrew_shadura no mention of platforms, those were probably a separate thing at some point (it's not expensive), but indeed a lot of track work included
Show threadDavid JašaOct 2, 2023

@jon Looks like usual Czech "maintenance condensed enough to be able to milk EU funds at 85 %". Given the name, I wouldn't be suprised if there were no obligation to run some specified level of service over the following 5 years.

OTOH without such an investment (centralized traffic control, subgrade & track renewal, turnout points heating), the line wouldn't allow any sort of economic operation. @pony @andrew_shadura

Show threadJon WorthOct 2, 2023
@djasa @pony @andrew_shadura this sort of thing is common. Easy to get EU to fund infrastructure, knowing the Commission won’t then care about absent service.
Show threadDavid JašaOct 2, 2023

@jon @pony @andrew_shadura the problem here is also that the line doesn't cover pretty much any meaningful regional demand.

Arriva used to run long-distance service through this crossing (Praha-Nitra) but they axed it "temporarily" in late 2019 citing lack of rolling stock when they started getting contracts, then something airborne arrived and they didn't reopen it since.

Show thread🌺 Cat PöñíçkøvāOct 2, 2023
@djasa @jon @andrew_shadura there's very low chance they were doing it for any other reason than trying to look as a credible train operator (look, we run some trains) in order to bid for those contracts