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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 19h

Not optimistic about it working out tbh, Trenitalia’s probably the only one with a chance

OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 22h

📍 St Pancras International

Heading up the MML home for the first time in a long time, which made sense given the time for the Meridians on this line is very limited…

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 1d

Took this service back in December last year and it was fantastic - a real shame it’s going, definitely not helpful for links between Scandinavia and the rest of Mainland Europe!

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 1d

Too many, but notably the GA older stock was a massive regret, particularly the 90s + mk3s. Not to mention the ECML before the Hitachis and Electrostars fully took over and the slam door Castle Class and Inter7City sets..,

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 1d

Would be a memorandum of understanding like Virgin and Alstom - can’t say I’m optimistic about either plans working, but Köln does seem like a benefit…

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 2d

Hmmmmmm…

Railway Gazette International @railwaygazette.com · 2d

Aspiring Channel Tunnel high speed train operator #GeminiTrains has selected #SiemensMobility Velaro Novo trainsets for its proposed services from London to Paris, Brussels and Köln. Full story: www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and...

Gemini selects high speed train supplier for planned Uber-branded Eurostar competitor

EUROPE: Aspiring Channel Tunnel high speed train operator Gemini Trains has selected Siemens Mobility Velaro Novo trainsets for its proposed services from London to Paris, Brussels and Köln.

www.railwaygazette.com

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 3d

NEW VIDEO! A ride on Europe’s strangest train, the Dutch Koploper!

Link: youtube.com/watch?v=5ima...

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 6d

📍 Newcastle

A quick stop here to check out the old and new on the Tyne & Wear Metro…

Now it’s time to head home.

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 6d

A few photos from the open day today at Newton Aycliffe - many thanks to Hitachi Rail for organising a great day out. Was also great to meet up with @coastwaywill.me again as well as meet the @ukrailadventure.bsky.social duo for the first time!

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 7d

📍 Darlington

Made it bang on time - now off to my next destination, which involves a hell of a lot more variations of these… 😬

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 7d

📍 York

Final leg for this morning’s outbound is an Azuma further north - would seem LNER have FINALLY listened to the passenger and introduced softer headrests in first class, they are a bit big though… 😅

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 7d

You just missed me, ended up on the 180 to York 😅

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 7d

📍 London King’s Cross

Haven’t travelled with Grand Central in a while and tbh I much prefer a 180 over an Azuma by a longshot comfort wise. Shame the catering side is lacking though!

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 11d

Kind of bittersweet these are now gone - on the one hand, Benelux and ICD services have seen significant improvements with the ICNGs but on the other hand, the TRAXX ICRm sets were true icons that will no doubt be missed in Belgium and the Netherlands…

Elias Van Deun @eliasvandeun.bsky.social · 11d

Some pictures from the ICRm goodbye ride last weekend! After decades of service, they now retire and came one last time in Belgium.

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 11d

Eurostar/Ouigo to Brussels, where the Nightjet still runs to Vienna and European Sleeper runs to Berlin en route to Prague

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 11d

*Sigh*

At this stage, SNCF may as well exist solely to discourage people from rail travel 🙃

The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 11d

It's now official: Due to the French government withdrawing support & SNCF unsupportive, the Paris-Vienna & Paris-Berlin Nightjet sleeper trains will be discontinued from mid-December. presse-oebb.at/news-oebb-be...
The Brussels-Vienna Nightjet will continue, 3 times per week.

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 12d

📍 St Pancras International

And thus another Euroventure comes to an end - quite pleased to have gotten the main objectives of this trip done 😁

Now off for a month before an exciting trip to new horizons begins… 👀

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 12d

Weirdly enough, I just saw one of the Siemens Velaro MS units destined for work in Egypt stabled at Brussels’ Vorst depot!

Anyone know why?

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 12d

📍 Bruxelles-Midi

Forever glad this service exists (even if it uses Amsterdam Zuid instead of Centraal), long gone are the days of relying solely on Eurostar for the fasts between the Netherlands and Belgium…

With that, it’s time I headed back to the UK 🫡

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 13d

📍 Rotterdam Centraal

Right on time, which gave me a decent amount of time to grab some lunch ahead of continuing onwards with the EC direct. Brussels bound 🇳🇱 ➡️ 🇧🇪

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 13d

📍 Schiphol Airport

Given the last minute nature of this trip, I failed to get a Eurostar reservation from Amsterdam or Rotterdam, but I did manage to get one from Brussels…

First though, I’m off to Rotterdam on a VIRM, finally getting to properly check out a refurbished one! 🤩🇳🇱

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 13d

📍 Hoofddorp

A pretty good place to spend the night, not to mention a great photography spot…

Let’s get into Amsterdam!

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 13d

📍 Schiphol Airport

Last train of the day - an SLT to my accommodation for the night…

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 13d

Why? This route can and should be faster

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OM the Rails 🇵🇸 @omtherails.bsky.social · 13d

📍 Amsterdam CS

Made it 2 minutes early, would’ve been earlier but it was a snail’s pace on the final stretch to deal with Centraal’s traffic…

Regardless of the interior, this is such an improvement to the AMS-BER route, here’s hoping the 3neos are kept on it instead of the Talgos!

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