One of the more recently built metro systems in Europe, the 4 line network in Bulgaria’s capital city first opened in January 1998. It currently consists of 4 standard gauge lines with 47 stations, carrying over 300,000 people each day. There’s also an extensive tram network in Sofia, although this hasn’t been enlarged since 1995… Read More Sofia Metro System
A recent visit to Hungary meant I was able to take a look at some of the countries railway heritage. There is a lot on offer, and sadly some of it I didn’t have time to see and some of it was closed due to the time of year – November & December. There’s several… Read More Railway Heritage in Hungary
The extensive network of public transport in Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city, includes the usual trams, buses and suburban railways, along with a rack railway and cable car. Another unique feature of Zurich’s network is the S10 line, which climbs 6.5 miles (10km) to an elevation of 2671ft (814m) on the Uetliberg mountain. Opened in 1875… Read More Uetliberg. The S Bahn on the Mountain
33 years ago today the Berlin Wall finally opened. There’s been a huge amount written about the main events, so I won’t go into them here. Instead the focus is on the “Ghost Stations” (Geisterbahnhöfe) those stations in East Berlin that were closed, but had trains running through them. The three U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines… Read More The Ghost Stations of Berlin
How far can you get by rail across Europe in 1 to 5 hours? This is a very cool and useful tool. It shows you how far you can get by rail in 1-5 hours across Europe from large towns & cities. Certainly shows the big differences between countries and their provision of high speed… Read More Five hours on a train
I’ve just spent a week in Antwerp, using trams & the docking bike system to get around The cycling & tram infrastructure is great (though there’s still too many cars!)But, unlike the UK, even at roadworks there’s cycle provision. And cycling with goods, moving shopping etc is just normal. Cargo bikes are a normal part… Read More Antwerp by bike and tram
Well, not literally… But this is about aircraft tech inspired train experiments. With the announcement of Chinese scientists adding wings to high speed trains to improve performance, here’s a quick look at the history of aircraft tech being used on railways. Starting briefly with the George Bennie Railplane, a test track was built north of… Read More Flying trains
With the UK’s biggest railway trade exhibition, Rail Live! taking place again in a weeks time, here’s a quick look at a much earlier rail trade exhibition. In 1954, Willesden in North London was the site of a joint exhibition by British Rail, London Underground & various manufacturers for the International Railway Congress. Here’s some… Read More The 1954 International Railway Congress, Willesden
In the 1930’s The English Electric Company produced a series of booklets about its electrification projects of railways worldwide. No.51 (1932) covers the Bombay Suburban lines, the first to be electrified in India. These scans are of the original booklet. Thanks for reading. Check out my other posts on travel, heritage railways and more.Please click… Read More Indian Railways Electrification
The New Year holiday usually sees a James Bond film film on UK terrestial television. Last night was no exception, with ITV showing Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig. This is one of several Bond films that feature railways. The film opens with a chase after a stolen hard drive through Istanbul, ending up with Bond and… Read More Bond on Rails
Random Railways 