
(Standard DVD) European Railway: Issue 40 (Spring 2011)
Description
1h and 29 mins approx.
GERMANY – the lines and train services around Dresden have not yet been subject to the widespread modernisation that other parts of the country have experienced. As such we can still see older types of locomotives working many of the passenger trains: we called in to Niederau station where classes 101, 143, 145, 155, 185, 189, ICE and 250 were witnessed. Freight services are also seen, including Oil, engineers, stone, container, mixed and a trainload of flat wagons.
CZECH REPUBLIC - we travel to the Prague area as we look at traffic on two routes out of the country’s capital city; one to the south and a three-track route to the east. Passenger and freight services are seen with classes 130, 150, 151, 162, 163, 362, 363, 380, 450, 471, 682 & OBB1216 all appearing. Filmed in April this year, this section gives a good overview of the sorts of trains to be seen on a typical mainline route, with freight, commuter, local passenger and intercity services being headed by a good variety of locomotive types; all seen at rural, local and larger town stations as well as in the open countryside.
SWITZERLAND – the canton of Fribourg hosts the historic town of Murten, we study regional line activity around the area including at the stations at Ins and Kerzers. We also take time out to look around the centre of Murten which is an ancient and historic town located next to the Lake that boasts its name. On the railway side, we see multiple units, loco-hauled and freight train action, with distant views of the snow-covered Alps.
FRANCE – we continue to look at the railways closest to the channel ports, where these are often the first to be seen by British enthusiasts embarking on European journeys. In this section we look at the mainline south of Dunkerque on its way to Hazebrouck with material filmed in July 2010 and April 2011. A host of new and older electric multiple units are seen, as well as TGV, BB16500, BB25500, BB26000, BB27000 and BB36000 electric locomotives. Highlight is the sight of BB16641, the first of the class to have been used for 11 days – the remaining examples lost all of their regular diagrammed work at the end of March and are now in reserve.
POLAND – this is one European country where the tide of investment has not yet reached. As a result the railway network plays host to an awful lot of what we would call ‘heritage’ traction. In our mainline survey we travel to the east-central part of the country to the city of Radom. EN57, EU-07, ET41 and ET22 are the main classes to be seen on passenger and freight.
AUSTRIA – The Mariazellerbahn has announced that nine new three-car electric trains are on order which will largely replace the existing 100-year old locomotives and stock. We take a look at the line as it runs through the mountain section towards Mariazell and feature the class 1099 electrics as well as a throaty class 2095 diesel.
GERMANY – we visit the secondary mainline linking the junction town of Treuchtlingen with Ingolstadt. The line sees regional passenger as well as heavy freight flows to and from Ingolstadt. The line runs through the picturesque River Altmühl before it climbs out the valley to the open countryside north of Ingolstadt. Classes, 101, 111, 145, 151, 152, 185 and 189 all feature in our July 2010 and April 2011 material.