# Crowdfunding to kick-start new Stuttgart - Berlin service



## CHamilton (Nov 2, 2015)

> IN what looks likely to be a rail industry first, Locomore, Germany, launched a crowdfunding campaign on October 29 in a bid to finance a new Stuttgart - Berlin open-access service, which could begin operating in September 2016.



http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/main-line/crowdfunding-to-kick-start-new-stuttgart-berlin-service.html?device=auto


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Dec 9, 2015)

https://www.startnext.com/locomore

Direct link


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Jan 27, 2016)

Locomore has reached the minimal funding levels. Now we get to see if they can meet there goals, and launch the service.

.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Jun 3, 2016)

A email from Locomore:



> Locomore reaches important milestones services will start December 14th, 2016
> 
> It is done! We were able to finalise - after long negotiations - two of the most important contracts which enable us to provide our new train service between Stuttgart and Berlin.
> 
> ...


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Sep 16, 2016)

If your in Berlin Germany this month.

Innotrans is Sept 20-23 2016

On Sept 24-25 the outdoor part is open to general public.

Locomore will have some of there equipment on displayed.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Sep 16, 2016)

http://www.innotrans.com

Link to innotrans english.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Sep 16, 2016)

Oooo, climatised coaches, I love climates!


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Sep 16, 2016)

Air conditioning is a very recent invention. Germany into recently has not been a high temperatures area. Has and still have long summer breaks. So air conditioning is a newer features for railcars. Open the windows was the standard cooling. High speed rail cars need the window closed, that meant air conditioning. To have a single coach rebuilt to have air conditioning is a selling point, but not yet a given system wide. It may be a requirement to get people to ride today, but it still a new feature.


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## Seaboard92 (Sep 16, 2016)

I miss the open window trains. It was like vestibule riding


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## Metra Electric Rider (Sep 27, 2016)

I remember riding air conditioned trains in Germany/Austria in the mid/late 80's unless I'm very sadly mistaken (at least on express trains, local trains, open windows were the norm).

I spent a chunk of that summer in Austria and then traveled north to Stockholm where the average temperature was a lot milder, yet air conditioning in buildings was far more widespread and even prevalent there.


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## Seaboard92 (Sep 27, 2016)

Local trains the norm was open windows. Now a lot of those trains have been replaced by new Multiple Unit trains with sealed Windows. Taking some of the fun out of it. But you can still find some that have the open windows. The ALEX trains, some regional trains in south Germany mostly. Now if you go to Poland I think you can honestly ride in open doors if I remember correct.


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## cirdan (Sep 28, 2016)

Metra Electric Rider said:


> I remember riding air conditioned trains in Germany/Austria in the mid/late 80's unless I'm very sadly mistaken (at least on express trains, local trains, open windows were the norm).
> 
> I spent a chunk of that summer in Austria and then traveled north to Stockholm where the average temperature was a lot milder, yet air conditioning in buildings was far more widespread and even prevalent there.


If I'm not mistaken there have been air conditioned trains in Germany since at least the 1950s,

I'm not sure whether the pre-war Rheingold had air conditioning but definitely the TEE trains of the 1950s did.

Some TEE-era air conditioned cars are still running today.

The former luxury trains such as the TEE were later rebranded as Intecity and Eurocity but retained the same equipment initially, but more equipment was added as services expanded and train lengths grew with formerly first class only trains offering both classes.

by the 1980s the situation was that most inter city trains were mixed. Typically the first class was all air conditioned and the second class was a mix of air conditioned and non air conditioned cars, with the non aircon cars being of older designs (originally built for the D-Zug services but subsumed into inter city service as this cannibalised the formed D-Zug category) and generally being added to meet peak loads. Some of these cars are still running today.

The introduction of ICE trains in the early 1990s meant that you could for the first time get trains that would be consitently air conditioned throughout in both classes.

Air conditioned cars for local trains also started appearing around that time. The first were the bi-level cars. Later some older cars were also rebuilt. Today its a bit of a mix.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Oct 6, 2016)

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/main-line/locomore-prepares-for-december-launch.html

Random story about Locomore from IRJ.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Oct 7, 2016)

I just saw a photo of a train the UK (Coronation Express iirc) from the late 30's indicating that it was air conditioned, though I have no idea if it actually was what we would call air conditioned. I found the direct translation to be hilarious more than the train actually being air conditioned.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Nov 14, 2016)

Well ticket are on sale.

There have a lot of issues (bugs) with there system. Mobile system is not working, you have to use there desk top version. Limited payment options. No US credit or debit cards.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Dec 16, 2016)

http://www.railcolor.net/index.php?nav=1000006&id=9503&action=dview

Service start on14 December 2016. Link to pictures.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Dec 22, 2016)

Update: Service has started. Some problems.

Limited coaches. They only have 4 coaches available. Another will arrive in the next week. Two more in January.

They have add two rental coaches to the trainset. Free hot drink if your seated in one.

Multi issue with the on-board sales due to communication issues. (Wifi dead spots)

Still having booking issues with there web sites, which is overloading them with e-mail from customer seeking support.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Jan 17, 2017)

And down they go.

Locomotor is now running only 5 days a week. On going need for maintenance there claiming. They will be try to get back up to 7 days a week in April. Seem the Wifi and working bathroom, and lack of spare coachs to do any kind of maintenance is the issue.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Feb 2, 2017)

So they are the European equivalent, say, Wurttemburg-Atlantic, to our Iowa Pacific?


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Feb 2, 2017)

No, just underfunded, with a GM who had a history of business partners cutting him out.

Iowa Pacific is desperate to find a business model to focus on, and has been in trouble for years.


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## cirdan (Feb 3, 2017)

There seems to be a long history of small operators going in with high hopes only to see they have overestimated the difficulty of running trains.

Think Wrexham & Shropshire, Iowa Pacific, Interconexx


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Feb 3, 2017)

Wrexham & Shropshire has a book out from the management team. Good read if you can get a copy.

Locomore sent out a E-mail today. The 5 day a week operated plan is helping with the maintenance issues. The two days they aren't running is helping to catch up on the backlog e-mails. However they issued a one-time discount code. Asking you to ride more offen as the total ridership is a good number but there still in the red.

If I jump on a airplane this week, it will be some place warm where I land.

.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Mar 14, 2017)

Random update. Back to 7 days a week in April. Ten passengers cars on property. Eight in use on weekends. Which is keeping the maintenance issues at bay. 2 of cars are rentals. The rest are painted and rebuild to there specific. The engines are contract so far no issues. Still not happy with ridership on certain portions. Still trying to raise funds.

Love how you can rent passengers cars in Europe. If we here in the states had this opportunity.

.


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## bretton88 (Mar 15, 2017)

Just-Thinking-51 said:


> Random update. Back to 7 days a week in April. Ten passengers cars on property. Eight in use on weekends. Which is keeping the maintenance issues at bay. 2 of cars are rentals. The rest are painted and rebuild to there specific. The engines are contract so far no issues. Still not happy with ridership on certain portions. Still trying to raise funds.
> 
> Love how you can rent passengers cars in Europe. If we here in the states had this opportunity.
> 
> .


I rode this service a month ago. The cars definitely where old despite the updating. The conductor was super friendly (he even had ridden Amtrak more than me). I got on at the end of the run in Heidelberg so the bathrooms where unusable. Train was fast and only ran about 5 minutes late So all in all a mixed bag.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Apr 6, 2017)

> Dear Locomore friends,
> 
> since 14.12.2016, Locomore has seen 70,000 passengers on board. Especially on Fridays and Sundays, our goal of 1,000 daily passengers has been achieved. Many customers are happy to see new colours and more choice in the German long distance market. Product features such as the upmarket organic coffee set new standards that can no longer be denied by competitors. Aligned with our goal to bring more customers on rails, many of our passengers have indeed found their way to Locomore from other modes of transport.
> 
> ...


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## jis (May 12, 2017)

Locomore files for insolvency

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/crowd-funded-open-access-operator-locomore-files-for-insolvency.html


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## bretton88 (May 12, 2017)

jis said:


> Locomore files for insolvency
> 
> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/crowd-funded-open-access-operator-locomore-files-for-insolvency.html


I took that once, friendly service, but you could tell the carriages where going old (despite the refurbishment, you can only modernize so much). At 7 Euros for the trip, I have no idea how they made any money.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (May 13, 2017)

Just under 5 month. Underfunded adventure. Could not even make to the peak summer travel times. Too bad.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Jun 1, 2017)

Leo express is try to buy Locomore to expand its private operation passengers trains foot print.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/europe/single-view/view/leo-express-looking-to-buy-locomore.html

Leo is a Czech open access operator not currently run trains in Germany.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Aug 29, 2017)

LEO Express has taken over the route, staff, and equipment of Locomore. Tickets are sold by a bus company. Service is running again.


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