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 ?
@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
@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?
Oliver Blanthorn
Stefan Lindbohm
Cycling on Rails
Aslak Raanes