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I am starting a new little service - predominantly on LinkedIn as it's full of rail bullshit - but cross posted here

My "Bullshit Meter"

A quick reaction to a rail story, assessing whether it will happen or not

Here are a few examples...

Want me to assess a story? Send it over!

Jon Worth's Rail Story Bullshit Meter Dubai to build 1500km under water rail tunnel to India VERDICT Bullshit Not a hope in hell this one can work. Too far, too costly, too unsafe. Forget it
Jon Worth's Rail Story Bullshit Meter Portugal-Spain night trains to return in 2025 VERDICT Good idea, don't believe it Not enough detail yet to know if this will work, and when, and no way in 2025
Jon Worth's Rail Story Bullshit Meter Milano - Paris high speed services to re-start 1 April 2025 VERDICT Should happen Everything is in place to make this happen. Barring some last minute snag, this will go ahead.
Jon Worth's Rail Story Bullshit Meter A new Gorizia Nova Gorica train to start 8 Feb 2025 VERDICT Will happen Everything is ready. Book your tickets and get ready to travel!
in reply to Jon Worth

Maartje
mastodon - Link to source
Maartje
• •
love this! Though this is factcheckin Jon that’s illegal in the US now 😂😂😂
in reply to Jon Worth

Al
mastodon - Link to source
Al
• •

I have my own opinion based on it being the fifth proposal in twenty years from the same people however, this www.theguardian.com/business/202...

From dream to reality: Go-op, ...


From dream to reality: Go-op, Britain’s first cooperative railway

With approval to run trains between Swindon, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, services could start in 2026
Jack Simpson (The Guardian)
in reply to Al

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@al--s.bsky.social Ah I will stay away from UK rail stories though, except the channel tunnel
@Al
in reply to Jon Worth

Wrzlbrnft
mastodon - Link to source
Wrzlbrnft
• •

For St-Michel-Valloire - Modane I can find an article mentioning a reopening in the "second half of March", announced by SNCF Réseau on 3rd December 2024. At the moment there is no timetable data around to confirm when direct TGV and Frecce between Paris and Milano will return.

torinotoday.it/attualita/treno…


L'annuncio sui treni Torino-Parigi: ecco quando saranno ripristinati i collegamenti diretti

Sono bloccati da agosto 2023, quando una frana in Savoia ha danneggiato gravemente la linea ferroviaria
Luca Ronco (TorinoToday)
This entry was edited (1 month ago)
in reply to Jon Worth

climbertobby
mastodon - Link to source
climbertobby
• •

Connections from Vienna to Murtal (Leoben, Knittelfeld, Judenburg, Unzmarkt, ...) will not be more than 10min slower after the opening of Koralmbahn in December of 2025. (RJ from Vienna to Klagenfurt, now running through Murtal will then go via Graz.)

Realistic?

in reply to Jon Worth

climbertobby
mastodon - Link to source
climbertobby
• •
@orangerkater @vorortanleiter No problem. Hope this works out. I heared many different and changing assertions from ÖBB, the past Styrian government and the outgoing Austrian government over the past two years.
@orangerkater @vorortanleiter 🇺🇦
in reply to Jon Worth

Linierte Welten
mastodon - Link to source
Linierte Welten
• •
👍 Maybe add the name of your website for those who don't know you in case those photos appear elsewhere?🤔
in reply to Jon Worth

Knud Jahnke
mastodon - Link to source
Knud Jahnke
• •
I do hope that you are the one that made up the Dubai claim - no-one can really be this ... unrealistic, or?
in reply to Knud Jahnke

Sarah Brown
friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Sarah Brown
•

@Knud Jahnke @Jon Worth I’m just sad that the Sud Express rumour absolutely isn’t happening any time soon.

I’d much rather not give my money to O’Leary

@Jon Worth @Knud Jahnke
Unknown parent

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@af Yep, will do that one.
@commodity af
in reply to Jon Worth

Rens
mastodon - Link to source
Rens
• •
"which couldm ean going into production this year" for 400km/h high speed trains: railtech.com/all/2025/01/03/40…

400 km/h? China unveils prototype for world’s fastest HS passenger train

China has has unveiled its new CR450 prototype. Capable of reaching a massive 400 km/h, it's set to be the world's fastest regular high-speed passenger train.
Thomas Wintle (RailTech.com)
in reply to Jon Worth

acb
mastodon - Link to source
acb
• •
Is the Dubai tunnel meant to be made of transparent glass so that passengers can see fish swimming past?
in reply to Jon Worth

acb
mastodon - Link to source
acb
• •
Were it not for geopolitics, they could do it, going under the Gulf of Oman and then overland through Iran and Pakistan
in reply to Jon Worth

eribosot
mastodon - Link to source
eribosot
• •
That's a pretty bold claim about the Gorizia-Nova Gorica connection. I mean, sure, they are literally the Italian half and the Slovenian half of the SAME CITY, but knowing the absolutely dismal state of Slovenian railways, I can see some way in which they can still screw it up.
A screencap from Google Maps showing the Italian-Slovenian border, with Gorizia on the left and Nova Gorica on the right.
in reply to eribosot

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@eribosot No. 1) Slovenian railways have improved a lot in recent years, 2) it's capital of culture and just 3km to run, and 3) test trains have run already.
@eribosot
in reply to Jon Worth

Aleš Časar
mastodon - Link to source
Aleš Časar
• •
@eribosot Locals from Nova Gorica report the first train will depart Gorizia on February 8th, but they are expecting it to arrive in Nova Gorica only on February 11th. 😀
@eribosot
in reply to Jon Worth

eribosot
mastodon - Link to source
eribosot
• •
Sorry for being cynical (and sarcastic). It's just that I was recently forced to spend 4+ hours traveling from Ljubljana to Venice, and 4+ hours back... on a bus. Because there doesn't seem to be any train connection from Ljubljana to the nearest big Italian city.
in reply to eribosot

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@eribosot There is. You just can't book it online 🤷‍♂️
@eribosot
in reply to Jon Worth

eribosot
mastodon - Link to source
eribosot
• •
There is? Google Maps appears unaware of it.
in reply to eribosot

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@eribosot Google Maps is crap for rail. NEVER trust it. Sorry. Said out of bitter experience. Always use Deutsche Bahn's planner for European rail.
@eribosot
in reply to Jon Worth

eribosot
mastodon - Link to source
eribosot
• •
*clicks Follow button* thanks for the tip! I was aware of bahn.de's status, just didn't realize GMaps was so bad...
in reply to eribosot

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •

@eribosot It's weird. Google Maps for rail feels so.... totally under developed. It works OK in some places, not in others. In some countries the data is totally off - trains listed that don't exist.

Re. Slovenia - the main headache is the infra towards Trieste. The tracks are hellish slow due to the topography. Slovenian railways are doing the best they can, but can't change much that direction given the infra.

@eribosot
in reply to Jon Worth

Frank Heijkamp
mastodon - Link to source
Frank Heijkamp
• •
@eribosot The best way to get from Slovenia to Trieste is indeed via Gorizia. Passing the mountains behind Trieste is just not an option. There is the very lovely Opicina tram line but I am not sure about the current operational state of that little gem of infrastructure engineering. The latest thing I know is that it was out of service.
@eribosot
in reply to Jon Worth

Riku Voipio
mastodon - Link to source
Riku Voipio
• •
@eribosot Lackluster rail support is one of the things that really show Google Maps is "Designed in California". Meanwhile it's excellent at showing where traffic jams are 🤷‍♂️
@eribosot
in reply to Jon Worth

Morten Grøftehauge
mastodon - Link to source
Morten Grøftehauge
• •
@eribosot Google Maps also terrible for transitions from one kind of public transport to another. Go from a train to bus and it will have you walking in a big circle 10 minutes to move less than 100 m to catch your connection. Add on a couple of minutes for safety and all the carefully planned public transport schedules go out the window.
@eribosot
in reply to eribosot

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@eribosot Ah bollocks. Seems it now doesn't run 😕
@eribosot
in reply to Jon Worth

eribosot
mastodon - Link to source
eribosot
• •
Quickest connection seems to be 5h31m with a switch in Trieste.
in reply to eribosot

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •

@eribosot See openrailwaymap.org/?style=stan…

The train from Ljubljana goes Divaca - Sezana - Villa Opicina - Aurisina - Miramare - Trieste!


OpenRailwayMap

OpenRailwayMap - An OpenStreetMap-based project for creating a map of the world's railway infrastructure.
openrailwaymap.org
@eribosot
in reply to eribosot

Jens W. Klein
mastodon - Link to source
Jens W. Klein
• •
@eribosot
There is openrailwaymap.org/ based on the #openstreetmap database and it is usually very good. And if there is a mistake: you are able to correct it on OSM yourself.
@jon

OpenRailwayMap

OpenRailwayMap - An OpenStreetMap-based project for creating a map of the world's railway infrastructure.
www.openrailwaymap.org
#openstreetmap @Jon Worth @eribosot
in reply to Jens W. Klein

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@jensens but OpenRailwayMap isn’t a planning tool for rail, and doesn’t claim to be. Google Maps tries to and doesn’t manage. (FWIW I use OpenRailwayMap all the time - it’s ace) @eribosot
@eribosot @Jens W. Klein
in reply to Jon Worth

Jens W. Klein
mastodon - Link to source
Jens W. Klein
• •
Right. For international train routes I often use thetrainline.com
It works better than the organization specific sites like oebb.at or bahn.de, but it is not perfect too.
@eribosot

Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets

Trainline, your quick & easy way to book train tickets across Europe. ✓ Save 61% on UK Rail ✓ Live Train Times ✓ Save with a Railcard ✓ Get the app
Trainline.com Limited
@eribosot
in reply to Jens W. Klein

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@jensens For point to point it is OK, but if your route is semi complex it breaks quite easily. I generally always plan with DB, and then work out how to buy. @eribosot
@eribosot @Jens W. Klein
in reply to Jens W. Klein

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@jensens Disagree. DB has for two decades been an excellent planning tool. Trainline never has. @eribosot
@eribosot @Jens W. Klein
in reply to Jon Worth

Matthias Drexel
mastodon - Link to source
Matthias Drexel
• •

@jensens @eribosot and by DB you mean the APP or the webpage?

Asking for myself who plans to travel by train from Genoa (Italy) to Portugal

@eribosot @Jens W. Klein
in reply to Matthias Drexel

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@matthiasdrexel Spain is one of the few countries where DB doesn't work for planning - because Renfe does not share Cercanias and Rodalies data with UIC whose database DB uses for connections there (note: this is 100% Renfe's fault, not DB’s) @jensens @eribosot
@eribosot @Matthias Drexel @Jens W. Klein
in reply to Jon Worth

Matthias Drexel
mastodon - Link to source
Matthias Drexel
• •
@jensens @eribosot so till the spanish Border (Italy and France) DB is fine, and beyond spanish border you would recommend Renfe's services, right?
Is DB also fine for Portugal (after crossing the spanish border again)?
@eribosot @Jens W. Klein
in reply to Matthias Drexel

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@matthiasdrexel @jensens @eribosot Yes, pretty much exactly that, yes. And if your connection is only on Renfe high speed trains in Spain then DB is OK. DB doesn't work if you use local trains, or use private rivals to Renfe.
@eribosot @Matthias Drexel @Jens W. Klein
in reply to eribosot

samuele963
mastodon - Link to source
samuele963
• •

@eribosot Apologies for the late reply, I'm from Gorizia and thought I should give more insights to the situation

The cross-border trains *will* run - I've seen the test trains in Nova Gorica station (the renovation of which is almost complete and it's looking wonderful), though only 2 a day from Venezia Mestre and sat/sun only; still, it's better than nothing. Of course using buses 1/INT to connect between the two stations is still possible

Meanwhile on the other border there are currently the following trains per day:
- 2 regionals Trieste-V. Opicina-Ljubljana, currently with a timed transfer in Opicina but this is supposed to be temporary
- 1 EC Trieste-Ljubljana-Maribor-Vienna, tickets can be bought on the train, prices are affordable even for very short journeys
- 1 regional Villa Opicina-Divača-Rijeka (summer-only, no news about it restarting this year just yet)
- from this year, supposedly: 1 direct Frecciarossa Milano-Ljubljana

@eribosot
in reply to samuele963

eribosot
mastodon - Link to source
eribosot
• •
@samuele963 That Frecciarossa would be a real game changer, but I don't find it in the bahn.de site. And here's a webpage promising the same thing approximately one year ago: railwaypro.com/wp/high-speed-c… Any idea what the holdup is?

High-speed connection between Milan and Ljubljana

A new high-speed rail link is to open between Milan, Italy and Ljubljana, Slovenia, served by the famous Pininfarina-designed ETR 700 trains.
Doru Cireasa (Railway PRO)
@samuele963
in reply to eribosot

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@eribosot @samuele963 They have switched the model of train they want to approve. It *might* happen in June this year.
@eribosot @samuele963
in reply to Jon Worth

geeeero
mastodon - Link to source
geeeero
• •
Love it thanks! Just a small nitpick: the red to green transition is difficult to realise for those (up to 9% of men in Europe) with difficulties to discern red and green. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenit…
But it's a minor problem as the info is coded also via symbols/emojis.

type of human vision deficiency

Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)
This entry was edited (1 month ago)
in reply to Jon Worth

grosser_mensch
mastodon - Link to source
grosser_mensch
• •
Love it. Just needs like a box with a single color background around the bullsh*t-meter as the 💩-icon is hard to see
in reply to Jon Worth

nLupo
gotosocial - Link to source
nLupo
• •
I like it, but I'd like also to have a link to more detailed explanation with sources.
in reply to nLupo

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@nlupo I will if I can. But honestly if everyone else is producing unthinking bullshit, I am not going to bother much with all the sources. Sorry.
@nLupo
in reply to nLupo

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@nlupo (if I am factually wrong somewhere, then by all means call me out on it)
@nLupo
in reply to Jon Worth

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
(and inevitably this worked better on every network *other than* LinkedIn. Hey ho…)
in reply to Jon Worth

Nicovel0 🍉
mastodon - Link to source
Nicovel0 🍉
• •
not surprised, the point of LinkedIn is reciprocal professional onanism, not myth busting
in reply to Jon Worth

Alan Grant
mastodon - Link to source
Alan Grant
• •

Cross border bullshit, or European railways in general? I am genuinely curious about whether Spain will ever extend its rail network along the south coast. It's been talked about since forever, but there has been a new surge of publicity recently.

surinenglish.com/malaga/the-go…


Coastal train service between Nerja and Algeciras: Spanish government puts feasibility study out to tender

The Ministry of Transport is allocating 1.2 million euros to draft the document, and aims to have a proposed route on the table within a year
Ignacio Lillo (Sur in English)
in reply to Alan Grant

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@alan In principle I’ll have a go at any rail issue, but that one is beyond me - I do not know the topography or the likely demand well enough to assess that sensibly. Sorry!
@Alan Grant
in reply to Jon Worth

Alan Grant
mastodon - Link to source
Alan Grant
• •

Yes it's a bit specialised alright!

One thing I've noticed over the years is that the focus keeps flipping between a high speed line that would whisk tourists from Madrid or Málaga airport to Marbella on the AVE, versus a more mundane commuter line. This project seems to be more focused on the latter.

in reply to Jon Worth

abeorch
friendica - Link to source
abeorch
• •
@Jon Worth
How about an #openaccessrail operator adding capacity on the #Eurostar line between #Uk and #France , #belgium or #netherlands ?
#uk #netherlands #belgium #France #eurostar #openaccessrail @Jon Worth
in reply to Jon Worth

Martin Hoffmann
mastodon - Link to source
Martin Hoffmann
• •

@abeorch Treinreiziger has a few more details (in Dutch). Apparently, Virgin thinks that the regulator will make room for one competitor but not more which is why they are in a hurry to be that one competitor.

treinreiziger.nl/virgin-wil-sn…


Virgin wil snel treinen kopen voor Kanaaltunnel – haast vanwege beperkte ruimte

Virgin Group bereidt de aankoop voor van een tiental hogesnelheidstreinen voor verbindingen door de Kanaaltunnel. Dat meldt de Britse krant
Mark (Hildebrand van Kuijeren)
@abeorch
in reply to Martin Hoffmann

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@partim @abeorch Sceptical. You could do the main maintenance somewhere else. The extent to which Temple Mills is really the main hindrance here... I am not at all sure. Strikes me this is masking other dysfunctions.
@Martin Hoffmann @abeorch
in reply to Jon Worth

Martin Hoffmann
mastodon - Link to source
Martin Hoffmann
• •
@abeorch St Pancras is an issue, though. The regulator forcing Eurostar to make space for exactly one competitor there sounds like a reasonable assumption to me.
@abeorch
in reply to Martin Hoffmann

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •

@partim @abeorch Nope, St Pancras - for space for trains - is not an issue, off peak. Passenger throughput is, but is being worked on, and would apply to all.

I see this Virgin game differently. If they sign with a manufacturer *before* Evolyn then the investors in the other one get cold feet. All this Temple Mills stuff is a smokescreen for that I think.

@Martin Hoffmann @abeorch
in reply to Martin Hoffmann

Patrick Dersjant RCX
mastodon - Link to source
Patrick Dersjant RCX
• •
@partim The article did set me thinking: Would a (presumably low-cost) Ashford-Calais Ville service make sense? What network could that integrate into? Would it be useful to inspect Calais Ville on #crosschannelrail as well?
#crosschannelrail @Martin Hoffmann
in reply to Patrick Dersjant RCX

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@patrick @partim I’ve wondered the same, although slightly further - I reckon a Stratford-Ebbsfleet-Ashford-Calais Frethun-Lille Europe low cost would be the way, with stabling and maintenance at Tourcoing where there is space. But would it be economic?
@Martin Hoffmann @Patrick Dersjant RCX
in reply to Jon Worth

Martin Hoffmann
mastodon - Link to source
Martin Hoffmann
• •
@patrick You’d still have to convince the French to station border staff there, though. Not sure how easy that is going to be.
@Patrick Dersjant RCX
in reply to Martin Hoffmann

Jon Worth
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Worth
• •
@partim @patrick Or pay for it. Exactly how these officials are financed is not clear to me (same for UK officials in Rotterdam and Amsterdam) - do the rail firms contribute if they want to open up these terminals?
@Martin Hoffmann @Patrick Dersjant RCX
in reply to Jon Worth

Suzanne ‘bionic’ Veerman
mastodon - Link to source
Suzanne ‘bionic’ Veerman
• •
@partim @patrick At least for the Netherlands there is a convenant stipulating that Eurostar pays the costs for the border control officials and for the interior of the rooms where the border control is executed.
@Martin Hoffmann @Patrick Dersjant RCX
in reply to Jon Worth

Suzanne ‘bionic’ Veerman
mastodon - Link to source
Suzanne ‘bionic’ Veerman
• •

@partim @patrick They pay for the costs the Dutch state has for the border control. The four state agreement allows every state to ask repayment for the costs involved with having foreign border force agents in their country, so those costs are probably billed to the United Kingdom that probably also has a convenant with Eurostar.

zoek.officielebekendmakingen.n…

Met Eurostar is in een convenant overeengekomen dat Eurostar de Nederlandse kosten voor de benodigde grenscontroles zal dragen, waaronder de kosten die gemoeid zijn met de inrichting en/of de aanpassing van de infrastructuur die op de Nederlandse stations nodig is voor de juxtaposed controls van respectievelijk Nederland en het Verenigd Koninkrijk.

Goedkeuring en uitvoering van de op 7 juli 2020 te Brussel tot stand gekomen Overeenkomst tussen de Regering van de Franse Republiek, de Regering van het Koninkrijk België, de Regering van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden en de Regering van het Verenigd Kon

Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal
@Martin Hoffmann @Patrick Dersjant RCX

Jon Worth reshared this.

in reply to Jon Worth

Mike Prior-Jones
mastodon - Link to source
Mike Prior-Jones
• •
@patrick @partim agreed - it really needs a “normal “ train rather than a special Channel Tunnel train
@Martin Hoffmann @Patrick Dersjant RCX
in reply to Jon Worth

Fabien Loup
mastodon - Link to source
Fabien Loup
• •

Hamburg - Copenhagen via a undersea tunnel in puttgarden by 2029?

Ref: infrainfohub.com/fehmarnbelt-u…

Bonus: if we don't get this, what are the chances of a revival of the train-on-ferry connection on that line that used to exist?


Fehmarnbelt Tunnel: World's Longest Underwater Rail And Road Tunnel Set to Open by 2029 - Infra Info Hub

Germany and Denmark are moving towards building the world's longest underwater rail and road tunnel. Denmark's King Frederik X inaugurated the first section
James (Infra Info Hub)
⇧