Jon Worth
@jonworth.eu
EU politics and sustainable transport, especially railways.
Brit who became German and lives in a village in France. When he's not escaping it on a train or a folding bicycle.
Teaches at College of Europe, still writes a blog, photographs with a drone.
Brit who became German and lives in a village in France. When he's not escaping it on a train or a folding bicycle.
Teaches at College of Europe, still writes a blog, photographs with a drone.
Or at least finance for a proper project to work out how to solve this conundrum 😀
November 12, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Or at least finance for a proper project to work out how to solve this conundrum 😀
No, I disagree, probably. I am not sure that bunging money at operations is really the solution. Bung some money at sorting rolling stock procurement, or reducing track access charges instead.
November 12, 2025 at 8:19 PM
No, I disagree, probably. I am not sure that bunging money at operations is really the solution. Bung some money at sorting rolling stock procurement, or reducing track access charges instead.
You know I know a thing or two about this, right? And I *might understand that*
And hell I have written a whole damned website about this subject trainsforeurope.eu
And hell I have written a whole damned website about this subject trainsforeurope.eu
November 12, 2025 at 6:36 PM
You know I know a thing or two about this, right? And I *might understand that*
And hell I have written a whole damned website about this subject trainsforeurope.eu
And hell I have written a whole damned website about this subject trainsforeurope.eu
Intentional. The Italian government is procuring the trains for the South of Italy. I am not sure that Trenitalia - as opposed to the Italian government - has that much interest here.
November 12, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Intentional. The Italian government is procuring the trains for the South of Italy. I am not sure that Trenitalia - as opposed to the Italian government - has that much interest here.
Manufacturers of vaccines. National governments. And it was rather more existential than this!
November 12, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Manufacturers of vaccines. National governments. And it was rather more existential than this!
Because the EU does what people lobby it to do. And railway firms do not lobby for this.
November 12, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Because the EU does what people lobby it to do. And railway firms do not lobby for this.
It's sort of true. German rail is unreliable, but transports more and more people on a knackered network. It is nowhere near as good as rail in Switzerland.
November 12, 2025 at 6:22 PM
It's sort of true. German rail is unreliable, but transports more and more people on a knackered network. It is nowhere near as good as rail in Switzerland.
See Karlsruhe tram train procuement, where one city coordinated the procurement for 5 others.
See rolling stock leasing companies that then rent out stock.
This is not complicated to organise.
See rolling stock leasing companies that then rent out stock.
This is not complicated to organise.
November 12, 2025 at 6:20 PM
See Karlsruhe tram train procuement, where one city coordinated the procurement for 5 others.
See rolling stock leasing companies that then rent out stock.
This is not complicated to organise.
See rolling stock leasing companies that then rent out stock.
This is not complicated to organise.
In Brussels you get what you lobby for 🤷♂️
November 12, 2025 at 6:15 PM
In Brussels you get what you lobby for 🤷♂️
Small, short term pots of money for night train operations *make no sense*
You're throwing good money after bad, while the fundamentals - knackered old trains, poor reliability, high costs, low capacity, poor privacy for passengers - remain unchanged
FIX THE EFFING FUNDAMENTALS
You're throwing good money after bad, while the fundamentals - knackered old trains, poor reliability, high costs, low capacity, poor privacy for passengers - remain unchanged
FIX THE EFFING FUNDAMENTALS
November 12, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Small, short term pots of money for night train operations *make no sense*
You're throwing good money after bad, while the fundamentals - knackered old trains, poor reliability, high costs, low capacity, poor privacy for passengers - remain unchanged
FIX THE EFFING FUNDAMENTALS
You're throwing good money after bad, while the fundamentals - knackered old trains, poor reliability, high costs, low capacity, poor privacy for passengers - remain unchanged
FIX THE EFFING FUNDAMENTALS
Are those firms capable of seeing beyond the end of their own noses to sort out some sort of consortium or joint purchase?
HELL NO
Is the EU capable of working towards this sort of solution?
ALSO NO (because the state owned railway companies want the EU to work on high speed instead)
HELL NO
Is the EU capable of working towards this sort of solution?
ALSO NO (because the state owned railway companies want the EU to work on high speed instead)
November 12, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Are those firms capable of seeing beyond the end of their own noses to sort out some sort of consortium or joint purchase?
HELL NO
Is the EU capable of working towards this sort of solution?
ALSO NO (because the state owned railway companies want the EU to work on high speed instead)
HELL NO
Is the EU capable of working towards this sort of solution?
ALSO NO (because the state owned railway companies want the EU to work on high speed instead)
Currently need night train carriages, ideally new ones:
SBB
European Sleeper
SJ
PKP
Something for Rail Baltica
Even ÖBB (if 200km/h / cheaper than Nightjet), MÁV, ČD, ZSSK, HZPP might each take a few, or at least lease some
SBB
European Sleeper
SJ
PKP
Something for Rail Baltica
Even ÖBB (if 200km/h / cheaper than Nightjet), MÁV, ČD, ZSSK, HZPP might each take a few, or at least lease some
November 12, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Currently need night train carriages, ideally new ones:
SBB
European Sleeper
SJ
PKP
Something for Rail Baltica
Even ÖBB (if 200km/h / cheaper than Nightjet), MÁV, ČD, ZSSK, HZPP might each take a few, or at least lease some
SBB
European Sleeper
SJ
PKP
Something for Rail Baltica
Even ÖBB (if 200km/h / cheaper than Nightjet), MÁV, ČD, ZSSK, HZPP might each take a few, or at least lease some
Scale. You need to make a larger order.
All the players are small. And they refuse to coordinate with each other into some sort of consortium.
All the players are small. And they refuse to coordinate with each other into some sort of consortium.
November 12, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Scale. You need to make a larger order.
All the players are small. And they refuse to coordinate with each other into some sort of consortium.
All the players are small. And they refuse to coordinate with each other into some sort of consortium.
You can't bring those back to Europe, not easily anyway, and those are quite knackered by now.
November 12, 2025 at 6:06 PM
You can't bring those back to Europe, not easily anyway, and those are quite knackered by now.
It's Back on Track, the campaign organisation. And all they care about is subsidies.
November 12, 2025 at 6:05 PM
It's Back on Track, the campaign organisation. And all they care about is subsidies.
Swiss want night trains north, but Germany won't subsidise night trains. Swiss government starts planning with SBB and RDC. But as this isn't a proper competitive tender and there's no long term plan, so it's costly short term, so Swiss media and then Parliament stops it.
November 12, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Swiss want night trains north, but Germany won't subsidise night trains. Swiss government starts planning with SBB and RDC. But as this isn't a proper competitive tender and there's no long term plan, so it's costly short term, so Swiss media and then Parliament stops it.
ÖBB wants to run to Paris. French government gets pushed to subsidise. SNCF reluctantly joins. Subsidy ends. SNCF jumps out. European Sleeper may run instead, with even more knackered carriages with no subsidy, but it'll still be only 3x a week.
And on and on we go... 😡
And on and on we go... 😡
November 12, 2025 at 6:03 PM
ÖBB wants to run to Paris. French government gets pushed to subsidise. SNCF reluctantly joins. Subsidy ends. SNCF jumps out. European Sleeper may run instead, with even more knackered carriages with no subsidy, but it'll still be only 3x a week.
And on and on we go... 😡
And on and on we go... 😡
For night trains, no. For high speed rail, a little.
November 12, 2025 at 4:59 PM
For night trains, no. For high speed rail, a little.
I disagree with this, a bit.
I think self agency is a pretty universal desire, with differences as to how far any of us will take it as individuals.
But from really disappointing conversations with my political communication students many don't even know what agency looks like here.
I think self agency is a pretty universal desire, with differences as to how far any of us will take it as individuals.
But from really disappointing conversations with my political communication students many don't even know what agency looks like here.
November 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM
I disagree with this, a bit.
I think self agency is a pretty universal desire, with differences as to how far any of us will take it as individuals.
But from really disappointing conversations with my political communication students many don't even know what agency looks like here.
I think self agency is a pretty universal desire, with differences as to how far any of us will take it as individuals.
But from really disappointing conversations with my political communication students many don't even know what agency looks like here.
Trust me: it will be a SNCB 18 (but where that'll be used track is vMax 160, even though the locomotive is 200) and a TRAXX (vMax 140), with a switch in Bruxelles. OR just a TRAXX.
Eventually if/when Vectron is approved in France then that could change.
Eventually if/when Vectron is approved in France then that could change.
November 12, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Trust me: it will be a SNCB 18 (but where that'll be used track is vMax 160, even though the locomotive is 200) and a TRAXX (vMax 140), with a switch in Bruxelles. OR just a TRAXX.
Eventually if/when Vectron is approved in France then that could change.
Eventually if/when Vectron is approved in France then that could change.
Yes. Totally this. (And I am with you in the high agency, high effort camp)
November 12, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Yes. Totally this. (And I am with you in the high agency, high effort camp)