Welcome to today's thread - #CrossBorderRail 2026 Tour Day 06 - 3 Mar - Ravières - Paris - Lille - Orchies - Tournai - Bruxelles Midi - Almere
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Musing about bumpy ride quality on trains this morning
As ever I am on a Régiolis EMU to Paris this morning - an Alstom design, now owned by CAF
These trains have a rather jerky, bumpy sort of ride, and the suspension makes clanking noises all the time (not just today)
Are the jabobs bogies between carriages poorly designed?
Wdyt @hopla @wrzlbrnft ?
@jon (the design of the Coradia Polyvalent is still Alstom and AFAIK so is the software maintenance, but the assembly and hardware maintenance is contracted to CAF Reichshoffen as part of the Alstom-Bombardier merger deal -the latter having an assembly workshop in Crespin)
The Régiolis' suspensions are kinda "harder" than those of the AGC, they usually hold rather well very bumpy tracks such as the Bruyères - Arches line (whereas on AGC one can feel sometimes metal hitting metal in the suspensions). That is, as long the air pressure is nominal, the air cushion in good state and the train not overloaded. I'm unaware if there's a difference in design between bimode (+fuel weight) and pure electric in that aspect. I'd need to experience it to judge if that's abnormal noise/movement ^^
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@jon (the design of the Coradia Polyvalent is still Alstom and AFAIK so is the software maintenance, but the assembly and hardware maintenance is contracted to CAF Reichshoffen as part of the Alstom-Bombardier merger deal -the latter having an assembly workshop in Crespin)
The Régiolis' suspensions are kinda "harder" than those of the AGC, they usually hold rather well very bumpy tracks such as the Bruyères - Arches line (whereas on AGC one can feel sometimes metal hitting metal in the suspensions). That is, as long the air pressure is nominal, the air cushion in good state and the train not overloaded. I'm unaware if there's a difference in design between bimode (+fuel weight) and pure electric in that aspect. I'd need to experience it to judge if that's abnormal noise/movement ^^
@hopla I am not sure the AGC is much different, or at least not better! Those also rock sideways more!
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@jon (the design of the Coradia Polyvalent is still Alstom and AFAIK so is the software maintenance, but the assembly and hardware maintenance is contracted to CAF Reichshoffen as part of the Alstom-Bombardier merger deal -the latter having an assembly workshop in Crespin)
The Régiolis' suspensions are kinda "harder" than those of the AGC, they usually hold rather well very bumpy tracks such as the Bruyères - Arches line (whereas on AGC one can feel sometimes metal hitting metal in the suspensions). That is, as long the air pressure is nominal, the air cushion in good state and the train not overloaded. I'm unaware if there's a difference in design between bimode (+fuel weight) and pure electric in that aspect. I'd need to experience it to judge if that's abnormal noise/movement ^^
@hopla Also it must be said that this line ought to be an Intercités really. The Régiolis does a steady 150km/h for long sections here. And it is not really designed as that sort of train...
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@hopla I am not sure the AGC is much different, or at least not better! Those also rock sideways more!
@jon rollercoaster ride at a fraction of the cost of an Europa Park ticket
That said, I'm thinking of something: "track deformation slow creep": when a train track deteriorates over time but just slow enough so that train drivers doing it daily don't immediately notice something abnormal developing and thus don't report it for the infra operator to go check the geometry with measurement engines outside scheduled audits. (the budget to do any fixing about it is another story) -
@hopla Also it must be said that this line ought to be an Intercités really. The Régiolis does a steady 150km/h for long sections here. And it is not really designed as that sort of train...
@jon the Coradia Liner wouldn't differ much in terms of design on that aspect I guess.. but as newer intercités rolling stock there's Oxygène (entirely CAF design IIRC, I know relatively little about it except it's to be built in Reichshoffen too)
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@jon the Coradia Liner wouldn't differ much in terms of design on that aspect I guess.. but as newer intercités rolling stock there's Oxygène (entirely CAF design IIRC, I know relatively little about it except it's to be built in Reichshoffen too)
@hopla CAF‘s Media Distancia EMUs in Spain are horrid. I hope they install better suspension!
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Waving metaphorically to @ffeth at Sens
Made it across Paris in one piece
The city might have solid bike infrastructure, but damn many cyclists here are annoying, or have death wishes, or both
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Made it across Paris in one piece
The city might have solid bike infrastructure, but damn many cyclists here are annoying, or have death wishes, or both
And while Paris Nord is often associated with nasty train boarding experiences, it is an amazing station if you have time and calm to appreciate it
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Made it across Paris in one piece
The city might have solid bike infrastructure, but damn many cyclists here are annoying, or have death wishes, or both
C'est vrai!
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And while Paris Nord is often associated with nasty train boarding experiences, it is an amazing station if you have time and calm to appreciate it
@jon "Monsieur vous ne pouvez pas attendre sur les quais!" is my typical gare du nord experience
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@hopla CAF‘s Media Distancia EMUs in Spain are horrid. I hope they install better suspension!
@jon oh they better... Or else: no 200 kph.
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And while Paris Nord is often associated with nasty train boarding experiences, it is an amazing station if you have time and calm to appreciate it
#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 14 of 80
TGV 7025
10:12 Paris Nord - Lille Flandres 11:18
SNCF VoyageursTrain type: Alstom TGV Duplex, 8 short double deck carriages, 2 power cars
️ (25kV ac)
: 
️
🦽:
(step free, then lift down inside)
🛜:
️: ️ (there is a dining car but it’s not open)
🧳:
(it’s empty today, so it’s passable)
🧽:
Interrail: (needs compulsory reservation, costs at least €10)
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And while Paris Nord is often associated with nasty train boarding experiences, it is an amazing station if you have time and calm to appreciate it
@jon that is a very very big if.
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#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 14 of 80
TGV 7025
10:12 Paris Nord - Lille Flandres 11:18
SNCF VoyageursTrain type: Alstom TGV Duplex, 8 short double deck carriages, 2 power cars
️ (25kV ac): ️
🦽: (step free, then lift down inside)
🛜:️: ️ (there is a dining car but it’s not open)
🧳: (it’s empty today, so it’s passable)
🧽:
Interrail: (needs compulsory reservation, costs at least €10)TGV 7025
10:12 Paris Nord - Lille Flandres 11:18Distance: 225.2km
Average speed: 205km/h1 stops:
Lille FlandresThis train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#8/50.097679/2.449951
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TGV 7025
10:12 Paris Nord - Lille Flandres 11:18Distance: 225.2km
Average speed: 205km/h1 stops:
Lille FlandresThis train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#8/50.097679/2.449951
I meanwhile wondered if SNCF Connect has finally put their problem of their lack of international booking right... so I tried Paris - Mainz
Type Mainz into DB and it gives you Mainz Hbf as the first option in the search
SNCF Connect calls Mainz Hbf "Mayence (Mainz)" but drops Hbf. Put Hbf and it gives you Hbf (Ersatzverkehr). What?
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I meanwhile wondered if SNCF Connect has finally put their problem of their lack of international booking right... so I tried Paris - Mainz
Type Mainz into DB and it gives you Mainz Hbf as the first option in the search
SNCF Connect calls Mainz Hbf "Mayence (Mainz)" but drops Hbf. Put Hbf and it gives you Hbf (Ersatzverkehr). What?
And if you put Mainz and choose "Ville" from the list, not "Gare", it gives you routes to Mainz Römisches Theater, changing at Bad Munster am Stein
Obviously
️I presume because Römisches Theater is closest to the geographical centre of Mainz?
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Made it across Paris in one piece
The city might have solid bike infrastructure, but damn many cyclists here are annoying, or have death wishes, or both
@jon Fact.
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And if you put Mainz and choose "Ville" from the list, not "Gare", it gives you routes to Mainz Römisches Theater, changing at Bad Munster am Stein
Obviously
️I presume because Römisches Theater is closest to the geographical centre of Mainz?
But weirdly it does give prices... and even sort of Sparpreis. But with €15 price difference.
Why?
How?
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I meanwhile wondered if SNCF Connect has finally put their problem of their lack of international booking right... so I tried Paris - Mainz
Type Mainz into DB and it gives you Mainz Hbf as the first option in the search
SNCF Connect calls Mainz Hbf "Mayence (Mainz)" but drops Hbf. Put Hbf and it gives you Hbf (Ersatzverkehr). What?
@jon also Perl somehow belongs to the Région Occitanie now according to SNCF Connect
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But weirdly it does give prices... and even sort of Sparpreis. But with €15 price difference.
Why?
How?
@jon And if you hit "continue" will DB actually offer you a ticket?
