Deutschland ticket 2

[PeeweeTM]

Well, everything is fine again at home. So I can start with the second part of my trip. My wife will be at home again Sunday evening, which gives me enough time to visit the other countries, Czech Republic, Poland and Denmark.

These were the plans for today, in The Netherlands:

And in Germany:


My train from Rotterdam after on time arrival in Utrecht:

And my second train for today, after arriving in Arnhem:

This train left Utrecht five minutes late and arrived in Arnhem on time; it was an earlier train so I didn't have to wait there (and longer in Arnhem...). Intercity trains from Utrecht to Arnhem leave at xx.11/23/41/53. I took the 12.41 +5.

The tracks from the border into Germany are being extended from 2 to 3 and that means a part was single track today. So my train arroved with some delay:

The engineer already switched his front signal to tail while arriving.
We left about five minutes late, were on time after a couple of stops, but had to wait a few times for the single track part and arrived probably ten minutes late in Duisburg Hauptbahnhof (Hbf, main station), no biggy!

My train to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe arrived and left on time. We crossed the northern part of the Ruhrgebiet, the former German industrial powerhouse based on coal. In Hamm the train split and only one set reversed direction to travel via Soest, Altenbeken:

... to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe. The train itself remained unfotographed by me, but it was the same type single/double deck EMU as the one which took me from Koblenz to Neuss last week.

This station was build for the first dedicated high speed rail line in Germany. Kassel Hbf is a terminal (dead end) station.


My train from/to Halle(Saale) arrived five minutes late in Kassel, but we left about on time. En route there were a lot of slow orders, because a lot of concrete sleepers/ties needed to be replaced. But the timetable had some slack and we still ran mostly on time, passing landscape filled with plots of windmills:


Arrival in Halle was on time. I took a short walk into the city centre:

... and walked back to the station and my hotel.

In the Netherlands no conductor checked my ticket (which is pretty normal nowadays ...).
In the trains from Duisburg to Halle conductors checked tickets multiple times.

The Czech Republic and Poland are on my list for tomorrow.

 

[PeeweeTM]

After breakfast I walked to the station and bought a sandwich for lunch later today.
The train from Halle to Leipzig was already waiting:


We arrived on time in Leipzig. Leipzig Hbf is pretty big:

... but I didn't have time to take a picture on the outside, as my train for Dresden was arriving:

Some people had to stay all the way to Dresden. The train arrived in Dresden with a small delay of a few minutes. I left the train in Dresden-Neustadt to take the train to Zittau:

We passed some towns:

And you could look through the door over the shoulder of the engineer:

Arrival in Zittau was on time. I walked a bit around and took some pictures:



Zittau is in the Southeast of Germany, close to the borders with the Czech Republic and Poland, but Zittau has another nice perk...

 

[PeeweeTM]

A narrow gauge steam train! I rearranged my planning a bit and walked to the last stop before Zittau for this train, Zittau Haltepunkt:

Thr train took me back to Zittau, where the engine changed to the other side in front of the terminal building:

I also took a quick shot of the departure-ready train:

... and headed back to the station for my train to Hrádek nad Nisou.

It was only a short trip to Hrádek:

Nisou is the name of the river wich forms the border between Poland an Germany from Zittau to the North until it flows into the Oder river. In German the Nisou river is called Neiße.

I walked for 45 minutes around town, headed back to the station and took the train back to Zittau.
Here I had time enough to eat dinner down town in a nice restaurant.
After dinner I walked back to the station and boarded the train to Görlitz via Krzewina Zgorzelecka, Poland. This train crosses the Germany-Poland border for times.
In Görlitz I changed into this train to Zgorzelec, Poland:

We crossed the river Neiße again:

... with my hotel for the night in sight.

Zgorzelec (Görlitz in German) is just across the river. They became separated after the Second World War, as Germany shrinked a bit. Now, both cities being part of the EU, for people the border is as good as gone.

After I took this picture in the station of Zgorzelec:

... I walked all the way back to Görlitz through the part of Poland that separated me from Germany:


In Görlitz I walked through the old town:

... and back to Poland to take this picture:

... and back to Germany to my hotel.

 

[PeeweeTM]

After breakfast I walked to the station. I stopped at the bridge over the river Neiße/border with Poland. It would be nice to have a locomotive hauled train on the bridge, but this efficient Polish vehicle does fine too:


Today I started with a train from Görlitz to Cottbus. The train arrived on time at both stations.
In Cottbus I saw this freight train:

... and with a delay of about 10 minutes, because infrastructure problems my train to Königs Wusterhausen arrived:


We departed and arrived with about fifteen minutes late, but I still had 17 minutes before this S-Bahn on the left to Berlin would depart:


At Berlin-Südkreuz my train further north arrived 15 minutes late and departed from another platform, which was anounced on the app, digital screens on the platform and by broadcasted message:

After a couple of stops the train was filled with bicycles and some peopke standing. But a few stops outside of Berlin everybody sat.
We left 25 minutes late and the delay stayed at about 20 minutes. These trains are built by Bombardier and accelerate from 0 to 160 km/h (about 100 mph) in 1 minute 45 seconds as I recorded.

Because of reasons or other circumstances we were forced to leve the train at Neustrelitz. Another train was already waiting for us on the other side of the platform, which itself was filled with people who changed from that train into our train.

Some thirty minutes late we arrived in Güstrow:

... where I still had enough time to buy me some take away dinner, before the train to Lübeck arrived:

This train was full to; about half the time of this slightly over two hour trip people had to stand.

Because of a malfunctioning old mechanical railroad crossing barrier we arrived in Lübeck about fifteen minutes late:

Most connecting trains for fellow passengers didn't wait, but next trains would leave within 20 to 45 minutes.

After I checked in at the hotel I walked for an hour in Lübeck:

 

[MARC Rider]

I remember reading about some of these towns in "The Great Escape" in which many of the POWS who escaped fom Stalag Luft 3, in Sagan, now in Poland, were caught riding the trains through the towns.

 

[Willbridge]

All these pix are enjoyable, but it was especially heart-warming to see the peaceful Oder-Neisse Line. Most Americans are unfamiliar with that issue, but while they were focused on Vietnam, we played a part in bringing WWII to a conclusion.

1970 anti-Oder-Neisse graffiti on the Berlin S-bahn.

 

[Willbridge]

Although the "Oder-Neisse Friendship Boundary" was touted by the East German (GDR) regime, the rail line through Krzewina Zgorzelecka was one of the few secondary lines between the German and Polish networks that remained open on that border. Reopening the other lines has taken a long time.

In 1970-71 while the "3-D chess" of negotiations was underway, the Deutsche Reichsbahn operated six trains a day on the line through Poland with DMU's and steam power. From German station back to German station it was 16.5 km. I don't imagine that it was a pleasant ride, because Poland was looser in supervising its citizens than the GDR. Eilzug service detoured around this stretch.

 

[PeeweeTM]

Well, let me see: what did I do today?

I enjoyed breakfast while watching trains:

And saw some shunting trains from my room also:

After that, I walked to the station.

I first rode a set of two DMUs from Lübeck to Kiel. I walked against the current of desembarking cruise ship passengers, as Kiel is apparently a mayor cruise ship and/or ferry ship harbor:


The next train to Husum (left one) was a two car DMU:
The electric engine on the right was built for the former Eastern Germany railways, DR.
In my train not everyone could sit, I rode backwards.
En route to Husum we crossed the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal at Rendsburg via the Rendsburger Hochbrücke. This bridge is high enough for sea ships to pass. Only the suspended from the bridge ferry sometimes encounters a boat: see YouTube

In Husum I had originally planned a stop of over an hour, but as we were on time, I took an earlier service to Niebüll, here at Husum:

This train stopped for a bit shortly before Niebüll, so I just missed the change to gain another hour. But the fifty-something minutes where not wasted, as I got myself a sandwich and a coffee for lunch, walked a bit through the town and took some train pictures:

Two old type 218 engines changing ends above, and below while departing to Westerland with one of the many autotrains:


But all fun has to end; the train for my last border crossing departed almost on time, but the driver had to properly set up his systems shortly after departure.
We still arrived on time in Tønder, Denmark:

..., a nice little old town:

 

[PeeweeTM]

With some time to spare, I went back to Niebüll and took a train to Westerland/Sylt.
This route uses the Hindenburgdamm wich only has train tracks, so every car an truck has to take the train. The island itself is a very popular vacation destination. At the moment the Sylt Shuttle departs eleven times a day per direction for a 35 minute run.

Because of some congestion on the single track towards the damm, we departed fifteen minutes late.
Here're two pictures from the train, sheep on the levee:

... and the Wattenmeer (mudflats sea):


We arrived about fifteen minutes late:


I walked to the North Sea:

... and ate dinner.

Back at the station I entered a rather full train, but still got a nice seat. For a few stops some people had to stand.

The train to Hamburg crossed another high bridge:

... and after an on time arrival at Elmshorn I left the Hamburg-Altona train and took the train to Hamburg Hbf.

I booked the last room in an hotel close to the station:

... with a nice view.

So, I've now checked all the countries I could visit with the Deutschlandticket!

 

[PeeweeTM]

After breakfast I took a daylight picture of the station:

This morning I started with the 0915 service from Hamburg to Bremen. The trained was planned to leave from track 13A-C, but as the train shunted into the station, it moved to the D-F side, so I had to walk a bit.
The train was not cleaned after its last service, dirty floors and trash every where. But we left and arrived on time, here in Bremen:


Bremen has a nice terminal building:



I was not the only person wanting to go from Bremen to Osnabrück:

I sat on some stairs in the train this whole trip of one hour and twenty minutes. We left a bit late and arrived a bit late also, but I still managed to get an earlier train heading West, here after arriving in Rheine:


Because this company was lacking one engineer, a couple of border crossing trains to Hengelo were cancelled and a bus replacement was arranged:


In Oldenzaal, on stop before Hengelo I left this bus and only just caught the bus to Haaksbergen. There I had dinner at my parents' house and some assorted family members.

After dinner I took a bus to Hengelo, where I joined this train:


And with just one transfer to make in Amersfoort I think I will be home again tonight.

Two fun trips with pretty good service quality for the €49 Deutschlandticket.

 

[MARC Rider]

I saw this article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, there's a paywall.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-late-trains-national-psyche-7d84166f
The bottom line seemed to be that DB is becoming like Amtrak!
What was that saying? "If you want to see German efficiency, go to Switzerland!"

 

[Willbridge]

Some of the delays are the result of unplanned-for overloads resulting from the €49 pass. Time is lost in station dwells. On some of the Regional lines north of Berlin there has been construction that was planned for summer, when commuter, student and rural access to big cities was expected to be at a low. Instead, the low fare has generated beach traffic.

As last year's summer bargain and this year's deal were political, rather than marketing, it was difficult to plan for it. I would have taken advantage of it, too, were I there, but the DB already had problems, and customers may remember this problem period lumped in with other issues.

 

[PeeweeTM]

Oh yes, totally agree with you comment
.
The Alex from Munich north really suffered from overloads with the old narrow doors, narrow corridors and bicycles:

One man and his bike with trailer (orange thingy behind the left man) were left behind, as the trailer just didn't fit through the door opening. But he did try for some time...

But during vacation time the ICEs are full, too:


But like you say, some people will just look at the delay itself, not at the causes, and complain, instead of anticipate some of the results of this perfect storm.

 

[xzperu42]

I’m currently on an ICE on the way to Hamburg:

Arrived in Frankfurt on Friday and pretty much every train I have been on so far in Germany has been delayed. last evening my train from Wernigerode to Magdeburg was canceled due to crew shortage (like 5 minutes before departure Time). Service disruption this morning at Berlin Zoo. My ICE to Hamburg is about 20min late (update: arrived 32 min late). Was in Switzerland earlier this year and yes, they still run like clockwork.

 

[BlackDiamond]

I wonder - given that the former Deutsche Reichsbahn was not up to the standards of the West upon reunification, have they now achieved parity between East and West, or are the former DR lines still behind ?

 

[PeeweeTM]

Well, to me, the infrastructure in the east of Germany is compareble with other parts of Germany. After the Wiedervereinigung a lot of tax payer money, time and effort was put to work over there.
Small routes were closed, but main routes are upgraded for 160/200 km/h (100-125 mph).
And Leipzig is now connected extra via a new 300 km/h route with Erfurt (Nürnberg, München).

 

[Willbridge]

I wonder - given that the former Deutsche Reichsbahn was not up to the standards of the West upon reunification, have they now achieved parity between East and West, or are the former DR lines still behind ?

My last visit was in 2018, but news accounts indicate that there is still some infrastructure work to be done. There are also abandoned lines that are being considered for reopening. I think that some of the links to Poland are in that category. Some abandoned pieces of the Berlin S-Bahn also are being fought over.

The non-electrified track on the right was used by U.S. Army passenger and freight trains, as well as a solid mail train for the Landespost Berlin during division of the city. Farther east, the line could now be used to get east-west trains into the Hbf on north-south tracks. The segment in the photo was used by DR freight trains, and a segment of the original, more direct, main line crossing the city limits (the Wall) was abandoned. The last report that I saw had the direct line restoration project being challenged by NIMBY objections.