new map for you all: "how big can trains be?" across europe using declared loading gauges from the ERA RINF. purple = big trains, red = small trains, green = somewhere in between.
https://compute.olie.science/expo/?data=loading_gauge/2026-03-18#x=8.0973&y=48.8056&z=5.0605
thanks go to @kaat0 for helping with the data. all mistakes are my own :)
@bovine3dom Don’t show this to Swedish railnerds, they’re already arrogant enough about our large loading gauge :D
(And then we have like 25%-50% shorter platforms so I’m not even sure who we’re trying to fool.)
@[email protected] @[email protected] Though, ETCS + TGV M will increase passenger capacity for sure, kicking the can down the road a bit further. Is the 400m length a signalling constraint or only a platform length one ? Making longer trains would be another engineering solution to bypass the doubling of the line, and lengthening platforms can't be as expensive as doubling up lines ?
@cycling_on_rails i think technically it would be possible from OSM data where that existed 🤔
https://duckdb.org/docs/stable/core_extensions/spatial/functions#st_maximuminscribedcircle
Function Index Scalar Functions Function Summary DuckDB_PROJ_Compiled_Version Returns a text description of the PROJ library version that this instance of DuckDB was compiled against. DuckDB_Proj_Version Returns a text description of the PROJ library version that is being used by this instance of DuckDB. ST_Affine Applies an affine transformation to a geometry. ST_Area Compute the area of a geometry. ST_Area_Spheroid Returns the area of a geometry in meters, using an ellipsoidal model of the earth ST_AsGeoJSON Returns the geometry as a GeoJSON fragment ST_AsHEXWKB Returns the geometry as a HEXWKB string ST_AsSVG Convert the geometry into a SVG fragment or path…
@aslakr @cycling_on_rails @stefanlindbohm @kaat0 @Sobex
since you asked nicely - platform heights and lengths
https://compute.olie.science/expo/?data=platform_heights/2026-03-19
https://compute.olie.science/expo/?data=platform_lengths/2026-03-19
@aslakr @cycling_on_rails @stefanlindbohm @kaat0 @Sobex
@jon you might find higher resolution platform height/length maps useful for your work, just don't expect to see anything until you zoom in. and afaict the swiss haven't bothered to populate the right fields with data
exact figures shown on tap/hover
@stefanlindbohm did you see these ones? they're a more extreme version of what you're asking for.
---
out of interest this is the smallest platform i can find without cheating, 58°07'36.1"N 26°19'31.4"E, Palupera. ERA claims 30m but measuring the satellite image it looks more like 20m. pretty cool design for the shelter.
@bovine3dom Ah perfect, that proves exactly the point I wanted to make :D :D
(That Sweden is a country made for railbuses more or less)
@bovine3dom Yep, absolutely. But there are a good number of examples of connections that would make sense to run longer.
Night trains being a big one, they relatively often run even a little overlong trains (loco has to stop outside platforms or even some doors in smaller stations).
I think it would also make sense on the busiest routes where frequencies are decent to alleviate capacity with longer trains. We barely ever break 200 m lengths.
@partim This as well!! :)
@bovine3dom I did! I meant the other way around, i.e. larger hexes. Basically so that each city area gets a single hex rather than multiple scattered.
(I’m coming out of a bad cold with a very fuzzy head - saying things is still hard 😅 )
@bovine3dom Super cool! Would it be easy to do the platform length one with something like half the size of the grid? Seems like small line stops overpower the (fewer) main stations a bit?
@Sobex https://compute.olie.science/expo/?data=platform_lengths_hires/2026-03-19#x=6.1725&y=48.9538&z=13.6396
@wnd to whom does one report data errors in this stuff? the sncf is claiming to have a 4km long platform outside a gare des betteraves
https://data-interop.era.europa.eu/describe#http%3A%2F%2Fdata.europa.eu%2F949%2FfunctionalInfrastructure%2FplatformsEdges%2F3e524b4d216f26d87381a46fe97a8b96132a1728 (there are others at the same station)
Oliver Blanthorn
Stefan Lindbohm
Cycling on Rails
Dr. Sobek
Aslak Raanes
Martin Hoffmann
Will Deakin
Simon