this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2024
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The first direct high-speed train service between both cities will be running from December, according to Deutsche Bahn. It will offer a journey without transfers, with stops in Frankfurt, Strasbourg and Karlsruhe.

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[–] [email protected] 47 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

8 hours in theory. Let's not forget it has to cross a large part of Germany. I'm sure Deutsche Bahn will work its magic and suddenly it's 16 hours with four unplanned stops and five hours of uncertainty as to whether you will ever arrive at all.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 days ago (1 children)

There's also the very muddled announcement that to make it you'll need to change trains at some small town.

Or, they just decide to not stop at your station, so you get to hop off past your station and ride a train back the way you came.

All that said, it's still a miracle from God compared to the crap we have in the US.

[–] not_that_guy05 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Tell me about it. I was checking to see if was faster to go by train to the inland empire from Orange county. It takes the train longer than it would take me to go in car and be in traffic the whole way. I shit you not on this. I was like how? What fuckin traffic does a train have to be 2 behind a car in traffic?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 days ago (3 children)

The Amtrak system in the US shares rail, and is low priority, than freight trains. Basically, passenger rail has always been a side business for the train companies the US. It is subsidized and used as a bribe by the federal government to even try to keep a passenger rail service alive.

That means our trains are often kept as slow speeds to stay behind freight trains, and will be stopped to wait for freight trains if some is off schedule. The routes are also mostly only rated for 60mph speeds, so even at full speed you're barely keeping up with cars on the highway, and then you add in stops at every podunk town that slows it down even more.

Until the US invests in a separate passenger rail network that can support consistent speed and schedules, it will remain on par with similarly under developed nations for rail service.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

similarly under[-]developed nations for rail service.

Canada would like to say Soory, partially because we've legislated it as meaningless and also because it's the least-expensive response to this allegation.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

From what I understand, freight trains in the US are also paid in terms of tonnage per train. This incentivises slapping on as many carts with product as possible, even as speed suffers under the strain of all that weight. Considering that all single tracks require meeting trains to stop and wait for these super long, super slow freight trains, passenger traffic get a lot of increased travel time.

There is a more in depth and interesting video on the issue here(Wendover Productions) https://youtu.be/qQTjLWIHN74?si=h8wri7SeNeMwImVz

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

By law, railroads must give passenger trains priority.

In practice, that doesn't really happen. If a big heavy freight train is taking up a single track, or is too long to wait on a siding, it's going to go first. And if it's stopped, it's going to take a while for it to get up to speed.

[–] JASN_DE 39 points 4 days ago (2 children)

with stops in Frankfurt, Strasbourg and Karlsruhe.

Knowing DB, probably in that order.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago

You made me laugh in the middle of a pretty shitty day. Thank you.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago

Not bad for 8 hours in that case.

[–] EvacuateSoul 25 points 3 days ago (2 children)

8 hours is incredibly fast to lay that much track.

[–] FlyingSquid 2 points 3 days ago

You just have to have the right team.

Of course, you do have to watch out for quicksand.

[–] HurlingDurling 1 points 3 days ago

They are going for that Japanese world record

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago

More of this please! We should be able to travel across the whole continent in electric high speed and/or night trains. I want to be able to get from Lisbon to Helsinki, from Athens to London, comfortably, without ever having to take a flight.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

7 hours of that spent in germany due to terrible infrastructure. On a good day

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago

Europe really shot itself in the foot privatising all its former public services

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

When I looked it up here, it looks like it already only takes about 8 hours, granted with a transfer. And surprisingly inexpensive.

[–] Paddzr 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

How much was the ticket since you already checked?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago
[–] Treczoks 11 points 4 days ago

With the DB involved, walking might be the quicker option. And the more reliable one.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago

Très bien, sehr gut!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago
[–] HurlingDurling 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

How much time does it take now?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As far as I can tell from Google, the fastest route at the moment is about 9 hours. Not a huge difference, but still more than 10 percent faster.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago

To my knowledge this is with 10min connection mid way. This is a big risk to be stuck in the middle waiting for the next train so the big new here is the direct part, making it way more reliable.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago