Dominic StuckiLarvik station, 19:30. The trains cross here, clockface timetable approved! ✅
With that, my rail experience in Norway sadly already ends for this time.
#OperationOslo
Larvik, a lovely little town, a regional centre with a few shops and restaurants, looks marvellous, all lit in Christmas lights.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Morning from sleepy Larvik station. It's 06:30, time for the ferry! ⛴️
The terminal is 2.5 km away and there is no public transport. I was reliably informed that this is gonna change, but we need a bit of patience. There is a taxi waiting at the station, but I'm opting for a little early morning walk.
#OperationOslo
The terminal is 2.5 km away and there is no public transport. I was reliably informed that this is gonna change, but we need a bit of patience. There is a taxi waiting at the station, but I'm opting for a little early morning walk.
#OperationOslo
The walk leads along the main road, under the railway bridge, through a quiet residential street and along the footpath next to the port access road.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
The Color Line terminal comes into view. The walk from the main station took exactly 35 minutes, according to Google it's 2.5 km.
Color Line tells you that you need to check in until 1 hour prior to departure, but sources told me that 45 minutes is more than enough. 😉
#OperationOslo
Color Line tells you that you need to check in until 1 hour prior to departure, but sources told me that 45 minutes is more than enough. 😉
#OperationOslo
It's a standard modern terminal. I get my boarding pass in no time at the counter and can then proceed through the glass doors to the waiting area. After about 5 minutes, at 07:20, boarding starts.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Boarding the Super Speed ferry, together with about 50 other foot passengers. Departure is planned for 08:00.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Departure from Larvik, 15 minutes early at 7:45. The Super Speed 2 offers a luggage storage room (very handy for foot passengers as me), a restaurant, a café and seating areas, for some of which you'll have to pay separately which was definitely not necessary today. There was more than enough space in the café. The sky turned from black to grey outside, as we crossed the sea.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Arrival at Hirtshals at 11:45. Wow, this faint yellow sphere in the sky, I haven't seen it for a long time! ☀️
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Smooth disembarking at about 11:50. From the about 50 foot passengers having boarded with me, only three left the boat by foot. No customs dogs, no passport controls, that's how I like Europe.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
A long, slightly worn down foot bridge leads to the station and the town of Hirtshals. I'm the only one to go this way. No wonder, the train has left only minutes after the ship's arrival, the next one is in one hour.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
The foot bridge ends at a small path leading towards the station.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
I thought I could spend the hour in the waiting room of the station and - with a bit of luck - even get a coffee from a vending machine. Well, that was way too optimistic. Welcome to Denmark 🇩🇰 with its rather ascetic railway infrastructure. Hirtshals is a good example: No roof, no vending machine, no waiting room. The former station building is rented out to a company. At least there is a small supermarket nearby, without a coffee machine although...
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Luckily, you can nearly always count on inefficient railway operations. As I guessed, the train from Hjørring arrived already at 12:10 for the 12:50 departure. So at least I can wait in the warm train. Despite the sign at the station entrance promising a LINT, it's a Desiro in the blue livery of Nordjyske Jernbaner.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Sum up: Larvik–Hirtshals isn't the best ferry for rail travellers. On the 🇧🇻 Norwegian side, the future bus connection will improve things greatly. On the 🇩🇰 Danish side, the terminal is perfectly located. But the uncoordinated timetable on the railway side and the non-existing station infrastructure make it rather unattractive. If the trains would run half-hourly (as they do in most other hours, but not around noon when the ferry arrives), the experience would be much better!
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
The train brings me to Hjørring and would continue to Aalborg. I'll get off there to get something to eat and some more fresh air.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
The ferry already left again when we depart Hirtshals. Through the rural Danish landscape, it's a 30 minute hop to Hjørring. We stop quite often and the train gets surprisingly full. Another argument for half hourly services.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Hjørring station later in the afternoon. A Lint from Hirtshals, a Desiro from Aalborg and another Desiro from Skagen meet for Nordjyske Jernbaner's takt node. The line is apparently operated on ETCS L2 without signals, even though it's only a small branch line!
A lot of people queue in front of the doors of my train to Aalborg. This will get crowded... 😬
#OperationOslo
A lot of people queue in front of the doors of my train to Aalborg. This will get crowded... 😬
#OperationOslo
Aalborg station. Finally a civilised station with a roof and a shop! The model railway is a plus. 🙂
The train was crowded indeed, even though it was in the middle of the afternoon. NJ should think of running double units and split them in Hjørring to Hirtshals and Skagen.
Anyway, my next train is a DSB ICL service and it's worked by everybody's favourite here, the insanely comfortable IC3 or class MF. 🥰
#OperationOslo
The train was crowded indeed, even though it was in the middle of the afternoon. NJ should think of running double units and split them in Hjørring to Hirtshals and Skagen.
Anyway, my next train is a DSB ICL service and it's worked by everybody's favourite here, the insanely comfortable IC3 or class MF. 🥰
#OperationOslo
Thanks to my staff travel tickets, this is my first ride in first class on a DSB IC3. The seats are very similar in standard class, so there's normally no need to buy a first class ticket here. But there's complimentary snacks and self-service tea/coffee in first. Only the Kanelsnegle you have to bring yourself. 😉
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Arrival at Fredericia, the city which was built in the wrong location railway-wise. 😉
The train couples to another unit here while I alight. Luckily, I'm not using the local service to Odense, which would be one of these horrible Ansaldo units.
#OperationOslo
The train couples to another unit here while I alight. Luckily, I'm not using the local service to Odense, which would be one of these horrible Ansaldo units.
#OperationOslo
The electric rubber noses (god, we rail people have a really strange vocabulary!) class ER apparently get a new red livery. Could this mean they're staying a bit longer than the diesel ones?
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
I first planned to stay in Denmark a day longer, but due to work-related circumstances, I scrapped this plan, Midtjyske Jernbaner has to wait. Instead, I'm boarding another IC3 towards Germany.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
More IC3 cosiness and then a short cross plattform connection to the RE 7 in Flensburg. Including a short chat with @niklas_net travelling in the opposite direction - thanks for saying hello! 🙂
Germany, third country for today. 🇧🇻 🇩🇰 🇩🇪
#OperationOslo
Germany, third country for today. 🇧🇻 🇩🇰 🇩🇪
#OperationOslo
Rendsburg, terminus for today. The RE continues to Hamburg without me. I've only seen Rendsburg from above so far, it's about time to see it from ground level. 😉
Good Night!
#OperationOslo
Good Night!
#OperationOslo
Good Morning from beautifully quiet Rendsburg. I slept like a stone and ate way too much from the excellent breakfast buffet, which I'll regret soon. Off for the last leg of #OperationOslo.
Not only the railway line, also the city has a very interesting layout here. I'll have to look this up later. All in all, Rendsburg is a lovely place for the overnight stop to Scandinavia. Way cheaper and quieter than Hamburg or København and more Hotels than Flensburg. I need to come back with more time to explore the old town and the Schwebefähre.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Schiffsbegrüssungsanlage*.
Peak Germany. 🇩🇪 😅
#OperationOslo
* Translates to something like "ship welcoming installation"
The lovely but a bit neglected Rendsburg station. But it seems that some kind of renewal is carried out.
Oh, and yes, that's a train up in the air there.
#OperationOslo
Oh, and yes, that's a train up in the air there.
#OperationOslo
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.
#OperationOslo
Now I'm regretting having no stomach capacity left for a second breakfast. Well, I can at least get something to drink.
#OperationOslo
The third rail is a very clear sign that we're approaching Hamburg. After the usual stops on the Verbindungsbahn just before the main station, we collect the mandatory delay to enter Hamburg Hbf. This could be such a beautiful station, but it's operated in a really "ugly" way.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
From the balcony on the northern part of the train shed, you have a fantastic view over the tracks. Four platform tracks for the Berlin line, four platform tracks for the Hannover line and two platform tracks for the southbound S-Bahn share the limited space in the train shed. But are the two through tracks without platform really necessary or could this space be used to widen the narrow existing platforms?
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
My ICE to Zürich is – surprise – delayed. Officially due to a problem with the rolling stock, but probably also because an ICE in the opposite direction stopped on our track roughly around our planned departure time.
Finally, it arrived with about +15.
#OperationOslo
Finally, it arrived with about +15.
#OperationOslo
Ok, we left with +18 minutes. The daily DB delay lottery is on again. 🔥
Officially, the ride to Zürich takes 8hrs32 with a planned arrival at 20:00. What do you think: What will be my delay on arrival at Zürich?
#OperationOslo
Officially, the ride to Zürich takes 8hrs32 with a planned arrival at 20:00. What do you think: What will be my delay on arrival at Zürich?
#OperationOslo
Bang on time at 20:00
<= 30 Minutes delayed
<= 60 Minutes delayed
> 60 Minutes delayed
Poll ended at .
@mikey179 @kupfers
Ok, due to popular demand. 😉⤵️
📊 What are the main reasons for the delay, if there will be any:
#OperationOslo
Riedbahn
Terminating short at Basel Bad
Other usual operational DB problems
SBB messing up and blaming DB
Poll ended at .
Frankfurt Hbf, 16:07, sunset. In Oslo, it would be dark for at least half an hour already now. Taking the opportunity to get a bit of fresh air during the impressively short 6 minute turnaround. Departure 16:13, 13 minutes delayed. Riedbahn next.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Yes, that's my ICE77 at Basel SBB and it's not terminating here! Departure towards Zürich on time at 19:06! 🤯
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Zürich HB, 20:00 and 5 seconds, +2°C, 1400km south of Oslo. Arrival bang on time.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
Exactly 50 hours and 21 minutes after leaving Oslo on the RE11 on Thursday evening and nearly 7 days since I left Zürich. #OperationOslo terminates here. The trip was, unlike DB's forecast said, indeed possible!
The 11% among you who believed in DB, which did an outstanding job today, proved to be right.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
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.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
As fun as this was - it can't be the future. We need more connections to and in Scandinavia, better and more international trains, through ticketing and passenger rights, better punctuality and more competition on the night train market instead of one company charging astronomical prices. Then, this journey could be done in less than 24 hours with changing trains only once. Then it would be rail, not ferries, «connecting Europe for a sustainable future».
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
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.
#OperationOslo
#OperationOslo
I, for myself, discovered the beauty of the dark Scandinavian winter on this trip. Arriving in Switzerland feels totally wrong, like I've traveled to spring way too early. Until now, I never considered going North in winter - but now, I wish that I could just start #OperationOslo again tomorrow. ❄️⛄️
With that, thank you for reading, sharing and commenting along my trip, good night and soon Merry Christmas!
#OperationOslo out.
LionelB@dominicstucki
Wonderful. Very enjoyable and interesting. I look forward to your next epic journey!
Wonderful. Very enjoyable and interesting. I look forward to your next epic journey!
@lionelb
Thanks! Less than two weeks to go! 😉 🇫🇷
Thanks! Less than two weeks to go! 😉 🇫🇷
The annoying thing about France and Spain is that lines radiate out from the capital.
Sebastian Wilken@dominicstucki I also like the darkness. It suits the season. And snow, of course.
But I equally love the light in summer. There's a time for everything.
@sebwilken
Oh, absolutely! Was in Norway, Sweden and Finland this summer and the light was almost other-worldly! 🥰
Oh, absolutely! Was in Norway, Sweden and Finland this summer and the light was almost other-worldly! 🥰
Martin Hoffmann@dominicstucki Meanwhile, from the requirements for DB’s next ICE generation: “Verwendungsgebiet Deutschland sowie Basel SBB.”
@partim
A shame. But, well, under the current conditions, it's not that I can't understand DB Fernverkehr... 😬
A shame. But, well, under the current conditions, it's not that I can't understand DB Fernverkehr... 😬
@dominicstucki I think it is a massive mistake. If Trenitalia play their cards right, they can dominate the international high-speed market while everyone else has barely enough rolling stock to serve their current cross-border routes.
Jonas Boström@dominicstucki We really need that, but luckily it will get better. And once the Fehmarn Belt-tunnel opens, connections between Scandinavia and the continent will improve a lot.
@Jonas_Bostrom
Totally! Hamburg–København in 2.5 hours will be a total game changer. I reckon there will be enough demand for a train every hour then, maybe even every 30 minutes. And with that amount of trains, you can start building really interesting timetable concepts.
Totally! Hamburg–København in 2.5 hours will be a total game changer. I reckon there will be enough demand for a train every hour then, maybe even every 30 minutes. And with that amount of trains, you can start building really interesting timetable concepts.
@dominicstucki There really needs to be hourly trains by then. And not just Hamburg-Copenhagen trains, but also trains that continue to other cities. There has been talks about direct train from Copenhagen to Prague, Amsterdam and Berlin, and from Hamburg to Stockholm and Oslo. I'd love to see that!
Kjetil Kilhavn@dominicstucki If you start in Switzerland you're halfway to the north of mainland Norway when you are in Oslo. Looking forward to reading about the rest of the trip by train and ferry...
@kjetil_kilhavn
I did Narvik–Montpellier by train and ferry this summer, that was a lot of fun!
I did Narvik–Montpellier by train and ferry this summer, that was a lot of fun!
vilibald@dominicstucki It is totally doable and we (as in our family) love it. Been to Faroe Islands, Kaliningrad and other places like this, no flying is the only rule of the game. We've seen and been to places we would otherwise never consider.
Kjetil Rydland@dominicstucki And imagine going even further north to Bodø, just 20 hours and 1000 km more...