Rotterdam - Berlin

[PeeweeTM]

Last Tuesday my son, his girlfriend, my girlfriend (for 20 years and counting) and I went from Rotterdam to Berlin.
We walked 15 minutes to the metro (subway) station in our town, took the metro to Rotterdam Centraal.
There we took the InterCityDirect train via Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam.
In Amsterdam we changed trains for the direct train to Berlin. (Train ticket price for four: EUR(=$) 290, first class).
From Berlin we took the direct train to Gdansk, had a couple of nice days over there. (EUR 180, first class)
On Sunday we took the direct train back to Berlin. (EUR 170, second class)
(Note a lot of 'direct' in those sentences.)

Because it was forcasted to be too hot for me in Berlin, our daughter was still at home and I like riding trains (...) I bought a EUR 120 ticket first class for one person back to Rotterdam. I had to change trains in Hannover, Osnabrueck, Hengelo en Gouda.

Next Wednesday I'll head back to Berlin to collect that part of my family, but now I will take a route with even more changes of trains.
For about EUR20 the Dutch Railways will take me from Rotterdam, with a change of trains in Breda, to Arnhem/Zevenaar. In Arnhem I can take a local train into Germany (via Zevenaar), a ticket to cross the border costs about EUR 3 or EUR 6.
And in Germany I can travel with a 9-Euro-Ticket in all local trains.

So...

My planning is not solid yet, but it will look a bit like this:
Metro 0715
Rotterdam 0737 0744
Breda 0807 0820
Arnhem 0937 0945
Duisburg 1115 1215
Minden 1430 1435
Hannover 1533 1548
Wolfsburg 1643 1650
Stendal 1751 1801 or ... 1929
Wittenberge 1844 1903 Rathenow 1955 1959
Berlin 2034 Berlin 2101

As delays of a couple of minutes upto about 15 minutes are pretty normal, I expect to have to do some on-the-run adjustments, but I intend to post pictures and text during this trip.

Off course, even with local trains I could get from here to there with less changes and faster, but what's the fun of that!

 

[Willbridge]

Last Tuesday my son, his girlfriend, my girlfriend (for 20 years and counting) and I went from Rotterdam to Berlin.
We walked 15 minutes to the metro (subway) station in our town, took the metro to Rotterdam Centraal.
There we took the InterCityDirect train via Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam.
In Amsterdam we changed trains for the direct train to Berlin. (Train ticket price for four: EUR(=$) 290, first class).
From Berlin we took the direct train to Gdansk, had a couple of nice days over there. (EUR 180, first class)
On Sunday we took the direct train back to Berlin. (EUR 170, second class)
(Note a lot of 'direct' in those sentences.)

Because it was forcasted to be too hot for me in Berlin, our daughter was still at home and I like riding trains (...) I bought a EUR 120 ticket first class for one person back to Rotterdam. I had to change trains in Hannover, Osnabrueck, Hengelo en Gouda.

Next Wednesday I'll head back to Berlin to collect that part of my family, but now I will take a route with even more changes of trains.
For about EUR20 the Dutch Railways will take me from Rotterdam, with a change of trains in Breda, to Arnhem/Zevenaar. In Arnhem I can take a local train into Germany (via Zevenaar), a ticket to cross the border costs about EUR 3 or EUR 6.
And in Germany I can travel with a 9-Euro-Ticket in all local trains.

So...

My planning is not solid yet, but it will look a bit like this:
Metro 0715
Rotterdam 0737 0744
Breda 0807 0820
Arnhem 0937 0945
Duisburg 1115 1215
Minden 1430 1435
Hannover 1533 1548
Wolfsburg 1643 1650
Stendal 1751 1801 or ... 1929
Wittenberge 1844 1903 Rathenow 1955 1959
Berlin 2034 Berlin 2101

As delays of a couple of minutes upto about 15 minutes are pretty normal, I expect to have to do some on-the-run adjustments, but I intend to post pictures and text during this trip.

Off course, even with local trains I could get from here to there with less changes and faster, but what's the fun of that!

Going through Stendal you'll be on the pre-WWII fast line. It was lightly used for civilian travel during the Cold War. Of course, it was soon reinstated as the fast line after the Warsaw Pact troops left.

When you get a chance, you may enjoy reading my article about riding the original main line through Magdeburg:

https://www.berlin1969.com/stories-geschichte/across-an-imagined-border-2/

 

[PeeweeTM]

Thanks, I read your article.
During my time as a student in the 1990s there was a Schoenes Wochenende Ticket, costing DM 25, valid on al regional trains in the weekend for upto 5 persons. So we travelled from Groningen to Berlin on more than one occasion, via Leer, Braunschweig and Magdeburg. Magdeburg - Berlin behind Class 234 engines.
I have been zooming allong and via Stendal with IC(E)-trains, but saw the single diesel track and wanted to take that line, too.

 

[PeeweeTM]

This morning I woke up a bit early. A news app showed incoming rain, so I decided to start my journy -60, hoping to outwalk the rain.
Although it was just a walk in the park, the rain was faster.


The metro arrived on time for a Twenty-something ride to Rotterdam Central station.

 

[PeeweeTM]

0641: My 0644 train to Breda zooms into Rotterdam Central station.


As it is still vacation season, the station and train are not busy.
The train runs over the high speed line with about 160kmh/100mph. The normal overhead line current is nominal 1,750 V DC, the high speed line has 25 kV AC. Also the train safety system/signalling system changes from an American derived, but optimized system to ETCS Level 2. These transitionpoints are built on slopes, so every now and than a train is trapped in between the two current systems. But not my train.

 

[PeeweeTM]

Well, the light situation is not optimal for my mobile phone, but I arrive on time in Breda, as did my train to Arnhem.

This is model built in the late seventies, early eighties of the last century. There were around one hundred three car and fifty four car sets. The noses could be opened to provide a passage from one set to a coupled set, but because of occasional malfunctions that construction was removed.

These EMUs can only run under 1,750 V DC and will not get ETCS.

 

[PeeweeTM]

After crossing the two river Rhine streams my train reached Arnhem with a few minutes delay.





Im Arnhem a VIAS-train was waiting and left on time for Germany.

 

[PeeweeTM]

Arrived with a couple of minutes delay because of trackwork and opposing traffic. But with an hour before my next train leaves, I still had time to buy and eat a small lunch.

RRX arrived and left about on time.

These electric multiple units are a mix of single deck cab cars and double stock middle cars.

 

[PeeweeTM]

4 Minutes delay arriving in Minden, because a delayed ICE high speed train was late. Having now an one minute cross-platform change of trains, I wasn't the only one rushing, as you all can see.

This is the Transdev local train on line S1, bound for Hannover.

 

[PeeweeTM]

Hannover one minute delay upon arrival.
I was not the only one waiting for this enno train to Wolfsburg, which departed on time.

 

[PeeweeTM]

Train arrived on time in Wolfsburg, where Abellio just arrived with my DMU type Lint for Stendal. There were a lot of standees.

 

[PeeweeTM]

Stendal was reached on time, where this Hanseatische Bahn self-propelled passenger rail car was already waiting for the trip to Rathenow.

 

[PeeweeTM]

With this little train we passed an old station:


With an Amshed:


And crossed the river Elbe:


To arrive on time for this ODEG double stock EMU to Berlin:

 

[PeeweeTM]

Berlin main station:

 

[toddinde]

Thanks, I read your article.
During my time as a student in the 1990s there was a Schoenes Wochenende Ticket, costing DM 25, valid on al regional trains in the weekend for upto 5 persons. So we travelled from Groningen to Berlin on more than one occasion, via Leer, Braunschweig and Magdeburg. Magdeburg - Berlin behind Class 234 engines.
I have been zooming allong and via Stendal with IC(E)-trains, but saw the single diesel track and wanted to take that line, too.

That was a great value. Did it from Munich to Friedberg, Hessen. The RE took a beautifully meandering northern route through lots of smaller towns. It was a lot longer than the IC or ICE, but so relaxing and beautiful. That was one of my favorite train trips of all time in Germany.