At a simple, basic level it sounds appealing. Packages cannot be delivered efficiently in congested cities, so use less congested tram tracks instead. Add a the appeal of autonomous vehicles, a bit of AI, and a sprinkling of blockchain, bundle it up with some nice neat renderings, and you will […]
Quick takes
Berlin’s problem with dumped cars
It is a pernicious combination. Parking on the street is free in most of Berlin, and the city’s administration deficient – there is even a lack of clarity as to who is supposed to clear such wrecks. So that means Berlin is extremely slow to deal with cars dumped and […]
How to not fall foul of SNCF’s luggage rules
SNCF – for all TGV inOui and TER trains – introduced new luggage rules in February 2024, with a transition period up until mid September 2024 for their introduction, although it seems that even at the time of writing (August 2024) some SNCF staff are getting a bit over zealous […]
Somewhere between hell and hype(r-loop) – where our railway discussion ought to be
Another day, and another stream of railway news pops up in my social media feed. On the hell side – unsurprisingly from Germany – comes news that the situation for passengers at München Hbf continues to worsen, while DB has closed the Hamburg-Berlin line for 4 months for works, something […]
What good is live tracking data if I cannot act on it? (and how to subsequently claim compensation from Flixbus, in some circumstances)
This morning I was meant to take Flixbus 1324 from Amsterdam Sloterdijk to Berlin ZOB, booked because Deutsche Bahn train drivers are striking today. Needs must and all that. The timetable for the service is departing Sloterdijk at 06:10 and arriving ZOB at 16:20, before the bus continues onwards to […]
Bad Muskau – Łęknica, and the joys and tensions at the Germany – Poland border
It’s one of the many joys of my #CrossBorderRail project – it takes me to these amazing and sometimes slightly odd border places, and I never know quite what I am going to find when I get there. This was the case when I went to Bad Muskau – Łęknica […]