Julien MarchalOct 28, 2025
All this talk about a direct London-Barcelona train, but I am wondering why there’s no Amsterdam-Barcelona (easier to set up given no border/customs control with Schengen)! Should be feasible in 10hrs as a direct connection! I‘d definitely do it - would be one heck of a journey and train ride! Could even be 9.5-9hrs if less stops are planned.
Imagine it 🚄
Amsterdam - Brussels - Aeroport Paris CDG - Lyon Saint-Exupéry - Montpellier-Sud-de-France - Perpignan - Barcelona
@jon
Show threadJon WorthOct 28, 2025
@julienmarchal You need an opearator. Who would?
Show threadJulien MarchalOct 29, 2025
@jon yes, indeed! It would have to be an operator with access to/owning train sets that can run in Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain. If I’m not mistaken, both ICE3neo (DB) and ETR1000 (Trenitalia/Iryo) train sets as well as coming TGV M (SNCF and some others) are capable of that and also able to run at the speeds relevant for the tracks given… I would rule out SNCF as I do not see them offering that, same for DB. This leaves me with Trenitalia / Iryo offering it. Wdyt?
Show threadJon WorthOct 29, 2025
@julienmarchal I'd bank on Trenitalia doing it eventually. The issue is there are simply too many routes where they'd be the only likely entrant, and they can't do it all!
Show threadJulien Marchal
@jon absolutely! Trenitalia however seems to have the right mindset to do these routes and offerings (unlike SNCF) and they do have amazing train sets at hand with the ETR1000 that’s also able to operate in most/all European markets. I’d bet on them as well! 9-10hrs train ride is definitely not something absurd at all. Paris-Berlin is 9hrs and that train is packed. The (planned) Berlin/Munich-Milano & Rome/Napoli train will be 10-12hrs and Trenitalia is okay with it using ETR1000!
Oct 29, 2025 at 9:56amWeb
Show threadJon WorthOct 29, 2025
@julienmarchal The only issue is the manufacture of those trains is quite slow. Trenitalia's fleet of them is only growing by about 10 trains a year...
Show threadJulien MarchalOct 29, 2025
@jon true! Shortage of trains is a true bottleneck, sadly. Any ideas why they receive only 10 trains a year? Is it because they didn’t order more per year or is the manufacturing that slow for them? ICEs (but also TGVs) get build at a significantly higher rate, if I’m not mistaken!
Show threadJon WorthOct 29, 2025
@julienmarchal There's only one production line. And for now no one else has ordered this design.
Show threadJulien MarchalOct 29, 2025
@jon sad! Cause the trains are really nice!! (From what I could tell as a passenger!)