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
@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
Aslak Raanes
Dr. Sobek
Will Deakin