Locomore Stuttgart to Berlin

Groningen · 19 May 2017

Remember the Paris (21.30) - Hamburg (8.00) nighttrain where around 2 o'clock in the morning there was a locomotive change in Liege/Luik (Belgium).

RailUK Forums

MarcVD · 20 May 2017

duesselmartin said:
Considering the train also stopped at Liege, it cannot have been that early or late.

I used it once but do not remember the exact timing. Definitely after midnight and definitely the last train of the day too. Because of that, the station had to remain open and was used as shelter by homeless people for a good part of the night. Did not make for a very enjoyable company while waiting for your train.

Envoyé de mon GT-I9505 en utilisant Tapatalk

43096 · 20 May 2017

Bletchleyite said:
Doesn't massively surprise me, sadly. They seemed to have bit off more than they could chew.

I am totally unsurprised.

I used the service a few months ago between Stuttgart and Heidelberg, and there was no ticket check. Despite being ready and willing to pay, and staff walking past there was no attempt to sell any tickets. With that slack attitude towards revenue, it's no surprise they ran out of cash!

duesselmartin · 20 May 2017

UK style ticket barriers would generally help to maximise rail revenue. With a qr code based system it should be easy enough. The Netherlands are doing it as well.

gordonthemoron · 22 May 2017

duesselmartin said:
UK style ticket barriers would generally help to maximise rail revenue. With a qr code based system it should be easy enough. The Netherlands are doing it as well.

Barriering Munich Hbf would be interesting to say the least

Bletchleyite · 22 May 2017

duesselmartin said:
UK style ticket barriers would generally help to maximise rail revenue. With a qr code based system it should be easy enough. The Netherlands are doing it as well.

There is no reason why a relatively short train with a guard and typically no standees shouldn't manage to do revenue protection on board. I do like the open feel of the German system.

Bletchleyite · 22 May 2017

gordonthemoron said:
Barriering Munich Hbf would be interesting to say the least

Would it? It would seem to me relatively straightforward, it's a pretty standard end-on terminus.

Bletchleyite · 22 May 2017

MarcVD said:
I used it once but do not remember the exact timing. Definitely after midnight and definitely the last train of the day too. Because of that, the station had to remain open and was used as shelter by homeless people for a good part of the night. Did not make for a very enjoyable company while waiting for your train.

In late 1999 I used it on my way from the North West to Hamburg at the start of my year studying abroad (a much better way to start it than a flight). Changed at Liege-G from the Oostende IC. I recall having to wait a fair while, standing around on the platform in the not-very-warm eating a Sayers pasty I'd brought with me, but I don't recall it feeling unsafe at all, just boring. It was indeed late on, I think departure just after midnight.

On boarding, a silly argument ensued involving a couple of American tourists in the same couchette compartment who were not happy at being woken up as I got in, having thought they had had it to themselves. They were in the end almost thrown off by the guard, who was having none of it.

Quite an adventure...but again no feeling of actually being threatened.

U-Bahnfreund · 29 May 2017

Several news agencies report that five investors said they are interested in taking over Locomore (http://www.donaukurier.de/nachricht...retes-Interesse-an-Locomore;art154664,3402227), one of them being the Czech open-access operator Leo Express, who successfully operate several long-distance trains from Prague to Ostrava, Bohumín, Staré Město u Uherského Hradiště and Košice (http://www.handelsblatt.com/my/unte...interessiert-sich-fuer-locomore/19856010.html). May be, there is still hope for Locomore?

U-Bahnfreund · 9 Aug 2017

Locomore seems to be not dead yet. Czech company LEO Expess now searches train managers for a Berlin-Stuttgart route to be operated "from mid August". Also, Locomore trains are again included in DB’s online data from 18 August.

Read more:
http://www.bahnberufe.de/stellenanzeige/zugfuehrer-mw-im-fernverkehr-6301/
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/leo-express-recruiting-for-german-launch.html

GERMANY: Czech open access operator LEO Express has started recruiting train crew to operate a long-distance passenger service between Berlin and Stuttgart, which it says it hopes to launch in mid-August.
The company’s German subsidiary LEO Express GmbH is looking for qualified train managers to be based at Berlin-Lichtenberg and Heidelberg, where the trains would be stabled. With the appropriate safety certification, they will be responsible for both operations and shunting, overseeing other train crew and customer service staff, working a flexible roster with ‘regular overnight stays’.

33Hz · 11 Aug 2017

At the same time http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...ew/locomore-insolvency-proceedings-begin.html

... Locomore announced on August 2 that insolvency proceedings had opened the previous day.
The company said it was still trying to find a positive solution to its problems, but train services would remain suspended ‘until further notice’.

Locomore*launched a daily return service between Berlin and Stuttgart in December 2016 using refurbished coaches and with a focus on sustainability. However ridership and revenue per passenger did not grow fast enough to be fully cost-effective, and after exhausting its financial reserves...

U-Bahnfreund · 15 Aug 2017

It is now possible to book train tickets for the Locomore/Leo Express trains starting on 24 August on flixbus.com website.

Harbornite · 16 Aug 2017

Done deal. Good to hear.

https://www.globalrailnews.com/2017/08/16/leo-express-takes-over-locomore-service/

Locomore’s Berlin to Stuttgart service has been taken over by fellow open access operator LEO Express.

From August 24, the former Locomore service between Berlin and Stuttgart will resume with the Czech firm as the operator – under the Locomore brand – and German bus operator FlixBus selling tickets.

The founders of Locomore have kept the company’s trademark rights from the insolvency administrator.

In May, Locomore announced that despite seeing growth in revenue per passenger it had been forced to file for insolvency.

Initially it continued to operate some services but earlier this month it opened insolvency proceedings and cancelled all of its services between Berlin and Stuttgart.

A statement on FlixBus’ website said: “We believe in Locomore and the fact that mobility on the rail does not have to be expensive. Together, we ensure that the train operation can be resumed.

“At the same time, we are looking forward to the perfect addition to our green long-distance network.”

Locomore was launched in 2016 as an alternative to the intercity services run by the state-owned operator Deutsche Bahn.

Jordy · 17 Aug 2017

News article about the relaunch here: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/.../leo-express-to-relauch-locomore-service.html

LEO Express told Railway Gazette it had acquired selected Locomore assets including its leased rolling stock and the majority of the staff. *Marketing, ticket distribution and customer services will now be undertaken by long-distance coach company FlixBus, Hector Rail will remain the traction provider, and the Locomore brand is to be retained.
Locomore said passengers holding previously-booked tickets would be able to exchange them for travel, while vouchers from the crowd-funding campaign which was used to launch the service can still be used...

dutchflyer · 19 Aug 2017

Hurry-hurry, if youre in the area and want to sample: the first 9999 tickets will be offered for just 9,99. Book via flixbus.com

Groningen · 20 Aug 2017

Problem remains the high trackcost. So prices (in future) can not be too cheap as maybe in the past.

duesselmartin · 25 Aug 2017

Locomore / Flixtrain / Leo is back in operation linking Berlin to Stuttgart using a Hector Taurus and six car formation.

87015 · 25 Aug 2017

182517. Well loaded into Berlin (early) and looked not far off full going back. Hopefully it stays that way.

Locomore Stuttgart to Berlin

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