Show threadMarkOct 20

Not that much photos from yesterday. We hired a car and did some train photography on several railway lines around Debrecen. Those pictures will be shared later one via my Flickr.

But I would like to share the station of Tiszalök. The autumn colors and the flowers in front of the station really makes for a picturesque scene.

Show threadMarkOct 20

Today we are going from Debrecen to Kosice. That involves two trains: the IC Tokaj to Miskolc (652). At Miskolc-Tiszai we have a transfer on the IC 186 Hérnad.

As toothed earlier: this is a 2 minute transfer and I am really doubting if it is gonna work. Currently the 652 has already an 8 minute delay. The 186 still need to depart. Let’s see.

Show threadMarkOct 20
So. On the IC 652 Tokaj. We departed with +3 minutes delay. The IC 186 currently has 8 minutes delay. So far, so good?
Show threadMarkOct 20
We are heading to Tokaj, the name giver of this Intercity service. Near the village a rather solitary hilltop comes into view: the Kopasz-Hegy (512 m).
Show threadMarkOct 20
The transition from the flat agriculture landscape in south Hungary to the more mountainous landscape in the north is very well visible from this train.
Show threadMarkOct 20

So. We missed the 186 at Miskolc. When we pulled into the station, the 186 departed. #CrossBorderRail

Two hours to spend here 😀.

Show threadMarkOct 20
Of course the IC 188 has a delay of 20 minutes… 🤪 (unrelated pic of ticket hall) #CrossBorderRail
Show threadMarkOct 20
Departed with around 20 minutes delay. The IC 188 fulfills the purpose of a regional train north of Miskolc towards the border near Hidasnémeti. No reservation required but the train is rather full with regional passengers.
Show threadMarkOct 20
Locomotive change in Hidasnémeti. From a Vectron to a ZSSK 362 series locomotive. Which is a bit weird as the  Vectron has SK in his package. #CrossBorderRail
Show threadMarkOct 20
Very little number of passengers crossed the border. #CrossBorderRail
Show threadMarkOct 20
Currently in Kosice in a restaurant. A drawing of Lenin hangs casually on the wall. On the left Gottwald, the first president of Czechoslovakia. The one in the middle I do not recognize.
Show threadMarkOct 20
Meanwhile at the unused tram line in the city center of #Kosice: a tram suddenly appeared.
Show threadMarkOct 21
Communist era housing blocks. #Kosice
Show threadMarkOct 21
And trams… #Kosice
Show threadMarkOct 22
Currently travelling from Košice to Poprad-Tatry for a day visit to the Tatra’s. The views from this Express Train are rather nice (window is a bit dirty).
Show threadMarkOct 22

The EX trains Košice - Bratislava do not require reservations when on Interrail second class. But some carriages are reservation compulsory.

We are travelling in a modernized carriage. #ZSSK

Show threadMarkOct 22
Does someone know if the Pendolino SuperCity trains are still running to Košice? Couldn’t find it in the timetables but maybe I am overlooking it. #ZSSK
Show threadMarkOct 22
Poprad-Tatry. Not sure what to think of this design. Last photo is the part of the Tatra Railway.
Show threadMarkOct 22
Up to the High Tatra’s with this bit retro looking Stadler unit.
Show threadMarkOct 22
Some autumn impressions from Tatranská Lomnica.
Show threadMarkOct 22
The #ZSSK runs a relatively small narrow-gauge network in the Tatra mountains. It uses Stadler trains for it: built in 2000 but recently refurbished.
Show threadMarkOct 22
The Tatra Railway runs through relatively lot of forest, so there aren’t that much panoramic views. At the end near Štrbské Pleso there are some views in the direction of Poprad.
Show threadMarkOct 22
In Štrbské Pleso we find a rather famous building. Especially famous for the people who know Molchat Doma.
Show threadMarkOct 22
Also in Štrbské Pleso: the final part of the Tatra Railway to Štrba. A (new) Stadler cog wheel train brings the people down to the valley and the railway station on the main line between Bratislava and Košice.
Show threadMarkOct 22
Oh and for @jon: an Eiffel Tower in Štrbské Pleso. No idea if it is a temporary one 🤪.
Show threadMarkOct 23
Ah they use #unix here in #Kosice
Show threadMarkOct 23

Today starts the journey back to The Netherlands. With the EC (or IC? MÁV and ZSSK do not agree) 185 Hornád back to Budapest.

This #CrossBorderRail service does not attract that much passengers. After the border in Hungary it will probably become busier as the train runs as a kind of Interregio until Miskolc.

Show threadMarkOct 23
BTW: I am happy that this service runs. Slovakia feels already bit isolated from the rail European rail network. With the exception of Bratislava there are not that much cross border rail services with other countries. #CrossBorderRail
Show threadMarkOct 23
After a (landscape wise) not really spectular ride towards Budapest and spending an afternoon in the rainy city, we boarded the EuroNight (40)476 towards Berlin. According to the signs we are going to Berlin Hbf, but actually we go via Berlin Lichtenberg and Gesundbrunnen.
Show threadMarkOct 23
It is my first time using the night train service by the MÁV and so far it is a decent experience. The sleeping carriage is decent and relatively spacious for three people (I travel with two friends). The steward is also friendly (all regular MÁV people seem to be rather grumpy 😀).
Show threadMarkOct 23
The 476 departs from Budapest Nyugati with carriages for Praha and Warszawa. But we will recombine with the NightJet 456 from Graz to Berlin in Břeclav. The Polish carriages run under train 406.
Show threadMarkOct 23
The steward already warned us about possible German controls at the border, which we will cross around 5:00 😪.
Show threadMarkOct 24
No border checks! And after some rough shunting around midnight in Breclav I had a pretty decent sleep! And breakfast was also good. Good experience with the EuroNight service from  this time. We arrived in Berlin Lichtenberg with around 30 minutes delay.
Show threadMarkOct 24
With a S-Bahn I transferred to Berlin Ostbahnhof to catch the IC 146 to Amersfoort 🇳🇱.
Show threadMarkOct 24
IC 146 is at this moment in time on of the few services left running with the  IC1 carriages on the Amsterdam - Berlin service. At start of November every IC on this service should run with an ICE train.
Show threadMarkOct 24
And due to some “technical failure” at one of the carriages that “required inspection”: we halted for 22 minutes at Rathenow station. Here is a random clip of the RB 51 departing towards Brandenburg.
Show threadMarkOct 24
Defectes Stellwerk between Osnabrück and Rheine 🥲.
Show threadMarkOct 24

The IC 146 is gonna wait at Osnabrück. Emmerich-Arnhem is closed due to (never ending) engineering works, so that is also not an option.

But luckily SEV has been installed with two busses between Osnabrück and Rheine 😂.

Show threadMarkOct 24
Suddenly without any further announcement we departed from Osnabrück into the direction of Rheine.
Show threadMarkOct 25
Was a bit tired yesterday to finish up this thread: but eventually we arrived with around 62 minutes delay in Amersfoort and later on I could catch a regular  intercity to Rotterdam.
Show threadMark

Some conclusions about this travel in Hungary and Slovakia. It always struck me that public spaces are relatively clean compared to Western cities. Yes, things are quite often old or run down, but vandalism or trash in public is something you don’t see that often.

I wonder why that is the case. Difference in discipline? It is not something for every country in the former Eastern Block as Romania has a lot of vandalism and public trash etc.

Oct 25 at 8:21amWeb
Show threadMarkOct 25

A bit of negative experience was in Hungary with the people. In the cities (Budapest, Debrecen) people are friendly, but in the rural villages in the northeast and east of Hungary, getting friendly contact proved to be difficult. Maybe because they are not used to foreigners. Couldn’t say the MÁV people were also very friendly on most of the trains. The big language barrier is probably also not helping.

Maybe things are better in the south like the popular Balaton area?

Show threadMarkOct 25
We also can’t deny the fact that the government in Hungary isn’t very nice. The Fidesz government has put up a lot of propaganda posters against the EU. And at the same time you can spot posters glorifying the (Fidesz-related) media or tax reductions for families. We can only hope things will get better in next year election.
Show threadMarkOct 25
To finish: a bonus picture of a NOHAB at Budapest Nyugati. No idea which train it pulled, but it was nice to see one in the wild.
Show threadfedops 💙💛Oct 25

@coreice a single-owner Nohab still running is pretty rad. 👍

Nice trip, thank you for taking us along!