Over the next two months during my #CrossBorderRail finale every one of the 145 trains I will be taking will be analysed with a Mastodon post like this (this is the predicted evaluation for tomorrow morning):
#CentralEuropeFinale Train 1 of 145
TER 91371
06:39 Nuits-sous-Raviรจres – Montbard 06:48
SNCF for TER Mobigo
Train type: Bombardier AGC bi-mode MU, 4 short carriages
โก๏ธ (1.5kV dc)
๐ฒ: โ
๐ฆฝ: โ
๐: โ๏ธ
๐ฝ๏ธ: โ๏ธ
๐งณ: ๐
๐งฝ: ๐
๐ซ Interrail: ๐ (accepted)
But what do all the components mean? This blog post explains!
Picture of the train
Taken on the spot if I can, or a stock photo from my collection if I cannot.
Train Number
Almost all trains in Europe have a train number, and these are indicated in timetable searches. The first part of the number is the train type – TER stands for Transport express rรฉgional (so a fast regional train) followed by its number. Using this number you can find out the train’s route and timetable, and sometimes also the type of train used to operate the service.
Departure and Arrival Stations and Times
That is quite obvious – but then you know roughly where I am going!
Operator
Which company runs the train? Here I will provide as much detail as I can – in this case the train is run by French state owned operator SNCF, and is contracted to run this line by the Rรฉgion Bourgogne Franche Comtรฉ where the public transport is branded Mobigo.
Train type
As anyone who travels a lot by train knows, some types of trains are nicer from a passenger point of view than others. So this one needs to be read together with the criteria below it. If I can work it out I will list who built the train, whether it is a multiple unit or locomotive hauled train, and roughly how long it is. “Short carriages” implies carriages with Jacobs bogies, so anything less than c. 20m length of the carriage, while “Carriages” is normal carriages, normally at least 20m length.
Power supply
Options: โก๏ธ/โฝ๏ธ/๐ฑโฝ๏ธ/๐โก๏ธ/๐ฆ๐จ/๐ฅ (electric (from an overhead wire or third rail), diesel, biofuel, battery electric, hydrogen, steam train)
And in the case of electric traction I will indicate the voltages used en route in the order they are used.
Bicycle transport
๐ฒ: โ
/โ๏ธ/โ
Are regular bicycles conveyed on board? Yes/No/Don’t know or impossible to tell. If bicycle transport is subject to a fee or reservation this will be indicated where possible, but even if this is necessary a tick will still be allocated. A no entry will be allocated if only disassembled or folding bikes are allowed.
Wheelchair access
๐ฆฝ: โ
/โ๏ธ/โ
Emphasis here on whether the train is wheelchair accessible, and where it is possible, it will be stated how access is achieved – either step free into the train, or with ramps or lifts. If possible the stations at the start and end of the route will also be assessed, as from experience trains are more often accessible than stations are.
On board WiFi
๐: โ
/โ๏ธ/โ
Is it present and – if I have time to check it – does it work? Some railways have decided to not bother with on board wifi, but I still maintain it works better than trying to use your mobile phone, especially for trains traveling a reasonable speed.
Dining
๐ฝ๏ธ: โ
/โ๏ธ/โ
Any food or drink for purchase on board? Something from a night train attendant, or a vending machine, is enough to get a tick. If I have more details of what it is like I will add these.
Luggage
๐งณ: ๐/๐/โน๏ธ
As I have a folded bike with me, covered, that counts as luggage. But it is cumbersome and heavy. So this category assesses not only how good the luggage space is, but how easy it is to manoevre luggage into the train – narrow doors and steep steps get marked down here.
Cleanliness
๐งฝ: ๐/๐/โน๏ธ
Cleanliness of the train, inside and out. I will try to be forgiving if a train has been in service a whole day. Notably this cannot cover toilet cleanliness, as I am not intending to test the toilets on every train I take!
๐ซ Interrail
๐ (accepted) ๐ (needs compulsory reservation, costs โฌ) โน๏ธ (not accepted)
A new one added this year. I use Interrail passes for my projects, so I am going to assess how well Interrail works on the trains I take.
So that’s the assessment for every train I will take. Subjective? Yes. But also useful I hope!
And that is not all.
A second post will also provide some route details for the train, like this:
EC 179
19:02 Dresden Neustadt – Praha hl.n. 21:23
Distance: 200.6km
Average speed: 85km/h
6 stops:
Dresden Hbf
Bad Schandau
Decin hl.n.
Usti nad Labem hl.n.
Praha-Holesovice
Praha hl.n.
This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#9/50.5353/13.9609
The distance is calculated using Pierre Beyssac’s rail routing tool, and from that and the timetable I can work out the average speed. The interim stops are from DB timetable search – accurate in rail terms, but sometimes missing diacritics and accents (I will manually add these when I can). And finally a map of the train’s route on the project route map.
