‘Must do’ European Loco Hauled Services

[Iskra]

Quite simply, what locomotive hauled services are there in Europe that are worth the effort/cost/time of travelling to do?

A few obvious ones to start with:

- Douro Valley Line, Porto, Portugal
- Italian Sicily train ferry Intercity/Intercity Night services
- Stockholm-Narvik, Arctic Circle Express

 

[The exile]

Belgrade - Bar

 

[StephenHunter]

The Strasbourg-Basel TER services, with Corrail stock.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Corail services focussed on Toulouse (to Marseille, Paris via Limoges, Bordeaux)?
Do RailJets, and their CZ equivalent, count (focussed on Vienna/Prague)?

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

The Leipzig-Chemnitz trains with original Deutsche Reichsbahn stock. Not for very long!

 

[43096]

Quite simply, what locomotive hauled services are there in Europe that are worth the effort/cost/time of travelling to do?

A few obvious ones to start with:

- Douro Valley Line, Porto, Portugal
- Italian Sicily train ferry Intercity/Intercity Night services
- Stockholm-Narvik, Arctic Circle Express

The Zürich to Graz “Transalpin” (EC163/164) which currently still gets classic Swiss Re4/4 II locos in Switzerland, then changes locos at the border to a modern day icon, a pair of ÖBB Tauri.

 

[SandsofEss]

The Sofia - Halkali Express - for the border experience and wonderfully spacious Turkish sleepers/wonderfully characterful Bulgarian couchettes.
The Emona (Wien to Trieste via the Semmering Pass and Ljubljana) - for the views and the dining car.

 

[37201xoIM]

The Zürich to Graz “Transalpin” (EC163/164) which currently still gets classic Swiss Re4/4 II locos in Switzerland, then changes locos at the border to a modern day icon, a pair of ÖBB Tauri.

... and has SBB panoramic coaches in first class, unless like me your are bowled on the day by a no-show! (To be fair, there is a lot of worse bowling-out than a standard SBB first-class EW IV open!)

 

[Wandering Pom]

In Norway: Oslo - Bergen, Trondheim - Bodø. There are a few loco-hauled trains (mainly overnights) on Oslo - Stavanger and (once the Ringebu bridge is finished) Oslo - Trondheim.

 

[43096]

... and has SBB panoramic coaches in first class, unless like me your are bowled on the day by a no-show! (To be fair, there is a lot of worse bowling-out than a standard SBB first-class EWIV open!)

It’s one panoramic vehicle in the set, from memory. They remain the finest first class vehicles in Europe. The normal SBB EuroCity first class vehicles are also an excellent travelling environment, although the panoramic car is obviously a great way to travel on such a scenic route.

 

[YorkshireBear]

1. Graz to Vienna, well the Semmering section anyway.

2. The Hungaria (on any part of its route but I found Bratislava to Berlin lovely) and experience it in the restaurant car.

 

[37201xoIM]

1. Graz to Vienna, well the Semmering section anyway.

2. The Hungaria (on any part of its route but I found Bratislava to Berlin lovely) and experience it in the restaurant car.

Other than when (as too often!) it is wedged-out, Dresden to Prague in a Czech restaurant car is a lovely experience. Preferably sitting on the left, and if you're a proper cheapskate waiting till after the border so it's all at Happy Hour prices!

 

[306024]

Have a play on here which shows all sorts of train formations:

vagonWEB » Train compositions » 2024

www.vagonweb.cz

Should give you plenty of ideas.

 

[ricohallo]

I'll throw in the Corona sleeper train from Budapest to Brašov: Old DDR-built Görlitzer sleeper cars and an excellent Hungarian restaurant car serving proper dinner and breakfast!

 

[nwales58]

'worth' = scenery, haulage, or sheer oddity?

Much of Czechia where units have not yet arrived. On vagonweb click on a loco type to see everything that it operates.

For an estoric combination, diesel-hauled double deck stock on Ostrava-Frydlant with some extended to Frenstat - on the climb up to Frenstat you have a suburban-looking train wandering along a very rural curvy single track through fields and woodland with views of mountains.

Narrow-gauge oddity: Tremesna-Osoblaha - CD-operated narrow gauge regular service at normal ultra-cheap fares plus a border-of-empires feel explaining why it was built in the first place (rather than a branch from the flatlands of then-German now-Polish Silesia).

About to vanish: Reggio di Calabria-Taranto - the two hauled InterCity services will become Hitachi bi-modes before long (already replacing many Aln663).

Long distance 4h+ hauled regional services in Italy: Naples-Cosenza (mostly coast), Naples-Taranto (mountain scenery + 6MW of 2xE464 for a 4 coach train).

Also for not much longer: hauled Intercity in Spain Badajoz, Almeria (scenery) etc, to be replaced by S-730 units once the much-delayed cascade starts.

Massively long and heavy Finnish night trains to/from the north. Up to about 12 double-deck coaches plus car carriers.

 

[Iskra]

Belgrade - Bar

A great example!

The Strasbourg-Basel TER services, with Corrail stock.

Corail services focussed on Toulouse (to Marseille, Paris via Limoges, Bordeaux)?
Do RailJets, and their CZ equivalent, count (focussed on Vienna/Prague)?

Thanks for these, I probably wouldn't have thought to do those

In terms of what counts, I'm not particularly anal about such things so as long as you can justify it...

The Leipzig-Chemnitz trains with original Deutsche Reichsbahn stock. Not for very long!

Thanks, can you elaborate on what's happening with those?

The Zürich to Graz “Transalpin” (EC163/164) which currently still gets classic Swiss Re4/4 II locos in Switzerland, then changes locos at the border to a modern day icon, a pair of ÖBB Tauri.

An excellent recommendation

The Sofia - Halkali Express - for the border experience and wonderfully spacious Turkish sleepers/wonderfully characterful Bulgarian couchettes.
The Emona (Wien to Trieste via the Semmering Pass and Ljubljana) - for the views and the dining car.

Those sound interesting!

'worth' = scenery, haulage, or sheer oddity?

Much of Czechia where units have not yet arrived. On vagonweb click on a loco type to see everything that it operates.

For an estoric combination, diesel-hauled double deck stock on Ostrava-Frydlant with some extended to Frenstat - on the climb up to Frenstat you have a suburban-looking train wandering along a very rural curvy single track through fields and woodland with views of mountains.

Narrow-gauge oddity: Tremesna-Osoblaha - CD-operated narrow gauge regular service at normal ultra-cheap fares plus a border-of-empires feel explaining why it was built in the first place (rather than a branch from the flatlands of then-German now-Polish Silesia).

About to vanish: Reggio di Calabria-Taranto - the two hauled InterCity services will become Hitachi bi-modes before long (already replacing many Aln663).

Long distance 4h+ hauled regional services in Italy: Naples-Cosenza (mostly coast), Naples-Taranto (mountain scenery + 6MW of 2xE464 for a 4 coach train).

Also for not much longer: hauled Intercity in Spain Badajoz, Almeria (scenery) etc, to be replaced by S-730 units once the much-delayed cascade starts.

Massively long and heavy Finnish night trains to/from the north. Up to about 12 double-deck coaches plus car carriers.

I'm not being too prescriptive, as long as you can justify your suggestions then that's fine, as what I might not like, somebody else may well enjoy

Is the Reggio-Taranto loco hauled confirmed as being withdrawn? The D445's haven't been there that long and some have been freshly repainted? There are still massive gaps in electrification on the line and I've never seen a bi-mode East of Catanzaro on that line? The bi-modes are okay for regional journeys, but I'm not sure I'd want to do anything over two hours on one.

Some excellent suggestions there though.

- - - - - -

Thanks everyone for some great stuff so far, feel free to keep the suggestions coming. Is there anything else in Germany or Poland perhaps?

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

Thanks, can you elaborate on what's happening with those?

The Leipzig-Chemnitz line was supposed to get new battery-electric stock this year, but that has been delayed because Alstom can't deliver them yet. From the latest news reports it seems that the 1970s Deutsche Reichsbahn coaches will be replaced in December 2024 by "newer" double-decker coaches from the 1990s, which will run until the BEMUs get delivered.

 

[43096]

Thanks everyone for some great stuff so far, feel free to keep the suggestions coming. Is there anything else in Germany or Poland perhaps?

Stuttgart to Ulm over the old route. IC2012/3 still run that way with a pair of DB 218 diesels under the wires.

There is also the somewhat cranky operation from Westerland to Niebüll that uses DMUs tagged onto the back of the car-carrying trains.

Again for crank value, the Avtovlak in Slovenia which has a single coach tagged on to the car-carrying trains, which are diesel-hauled.

 

[nwales58]

Is the Reggio-Taranto loco hauled confirmed as being withdrawn? ... still massive gaps in electrification on the line and I've never seen a bi-mode East of Catanzaro on that line? The bi-modes are okay for regional journeys, but I'm not sure I'd want to do anything over two hours on one.

I'd read in several places that it is planned along with the extensions to Bari and Lecce. As we know, PR needs a pich of salt. Most recent I can find is last December:

Ferrovie: Un nuovo indizio sul prolungamento degli IC della Jonica su Bari e Lecce

Sui tabelloni di RFI compaiono i nuovi prolungamenti.

www.ferrovie.info

... if we understand correctly this [the extensions] will happen on 9 June with the new Intercity HTR412.

Currently only bookable to 08/06/24.

Mid-April the new trains seemed to run about 2/3 of the Regionale on the coast but only as far as Catanzaro Lido as you say, running on DC from Reggio with changeover at the end of the wires at Melito di Porto Salvo. I saw 1 HTR on Lamezia Terme Centrale-Catanazaro Lido in 2 days. There was also an Intercity branded one stationary at Soverato, I think, on a Sunday morning.

German loco-hauled: Harzquerbahn, Molli, the lines around Dresden but everyone knows those so they were not what you meant.
Czechia: Tabor-Bechyne is amusing, 1500V centre cab electric hauling a single coach, sometimes railbus trailers.

 

[Iskra]

Stuttgart to Ulm over the old route. IC2012/3 still run that way with a pair of DB 218 diesels under the wires.

There is also the somewhat cranky operation from Westerland to Niebüll that uses DMUs tagged onto the back of the car-carrying trains.

Again for crank value, the Avtovlak in Slovenia which has a single coach tagged on to the car-carrying trains, which are diesel-hauled.

Now that all sounds very promising thank you! I like the look of those DB 218 diesels.

I'd read in several places that it is planned along with the extensions to Bari and Lecce. As we know, PR needs a pich of salt. Most recent I can find is last December:

Ferrovie: Un nuovo indizio sul prolungamento degli IC della Jonica su Bari e Lecce

Sui tabelloni di RFI compaiono i nuovi prolungamenti.

www.ferrovie.info

Currently only bookable to 08/06/24.

Mid-April the new trains seemed to run about 2/3 of the Regionale on the coast but only as far as Catanzaro Lido as you say, running on DC from Reggio with changeover at the end of the wires at Melito di Porto Salvo. I saw 1 HTR on Lamezia Terme Centrale-Catanazaro Lido in 2 days. There was also an Intercity branded one stationary at Soverato, I think, on a Sunday morning.

German loco-hauled: Harzquerbahn, Molli, the lines around Dresden but everyone knows those so they were not what you meant.
Czechia: Tabor-Bechyne is amusing, 1500V centre cab electric hauling a single coach, sometimes railbus trailers.

I just so happen to be travelling from Taranto towards Reggio on the 5th of June on the Intercity, so it could be my last go then. It seems they are doing some substantial work on the line. Around 2 weeks later when I complete the line, it's advertised as a Regional train, but with faster timings/calling pattern, so it will be interesting to see what turns up. They were doing preliminary work for electrification last October between Taranto and Crotone. Crotone-Melito PS is still a sizeable gap though, so I hoped they would retain the Intercity trains.

That Czech one sounds interesting!

 

[The exile]

I'll throw in the Corona sleeper train from Budapest to Brašov: Old DDR-built Görlitzer sleeper cars and an excellent Hungarian restaurant car serving proper dinner and breakfast!

Seconded - if it’s running via Valea lui Mihai add the eerie atmosphere of a “time’s stood still” border station (at least it was when I went that way in 2016)

 

[30907]

CD has been mentioned already; there are several diesel routes if that's a factor, though mostly with A/C stock now, other than the KZC-operated weekend trains. (IIRC the Jindrichuv Hradec narrow gauge is duecto reopen shortly, and the southern branch at least is L/H.).
Slovakia tends to be a few years behind its neighbour in modernising, so the main lines are all L/H stock, but normally A/C - 3 or 4 still diesel.

 

[rvdborgt]

There's at least one hauled international service Romania-Hungary that gets attached a few Bzmot at the end. Can't recall which one that was though. Vagonweb should have the details.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

It's the EC 686 from Debrecen to Baia Mare, which gets a Bzmot attached between Debrecen and Nyírábrány.

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2024 » START EC » EC 686

www.vagonweb.cz

 

[D6130]

Returning to Italy, one of the nicest ways to enjoy the beautiful countryside of Tuscany is from a Trenitalia MD push-pull set hauled or propelled by a Siena-based D445 diesel-electric loco. They work Siena-Firenze, Firenze-Borgo San Lorenzo via Pontassieve, one trip per weekday each way Siena-Chiusi and one trip per weekday each way Siena-Grosseto. However - as in Puglia/Calabria - the new HTR 312/412 hybrid units are making rapid inroads and the locos will probably have gone by the start of the new timetable in December.

 

[SeanG]

Tirano - St Moritz is loco hauled push pull and worth it for the scenery.

We also did the Zurich - (Arlberg) - Prague sleeper which has a number of loco changes.

EC7 down the Rhine is DB 101 hauled with an SBB panoramic coach

I enjoyed the Budapest to Kosice trains. Scenery wasn't inspiring but it really did feel like we were heading east, with a loco change at the border

 

[eastwestdivide]

Tirano - St Moritz is loco hauled push pull and worth it for the scenery

Isn’t it mostly units hauling coaches (and wagons!) between Tirano/St M? And the Chur-StM that are the newish push-pull sets with locos?
Both routes worth it for the scenery and engineering though.

 

[SeanG]

Isn’t it mostly units hauling coaches (and wagons!) between Tirano/St M? And the Chur-StM that are the newish push-pull sets with locos?
Both routes worth it for the scenery and engineering though.

My apologies, yes it is Chur - St Moritz that is loco hauled

The newer push pull sets are furthest from the loco with some older coaches between the new sets and the loco

 

[43096]

Tirano - St Moritz is loco hauled push pull and worth it for the scenery.

It isn’t loco hauled. It’s three-car units often hauling coaches. But still a fabulous experience.

EC7 down the Rhine is DB 101 hauled with an SBB panoramic coach

I hope there’s more than one coach on the train!

 

[Iskra]

Returning to Italy, one of the nicest ways to enjoy the beautiful countryside of Tuscany is from a Trenitalia MD push-pull set hauled or propelled by a Siena-based D445 diesel-electric loco. They work Siena-Firenze, Firenze-Borgo San Lorenzo via Pontassieve, one trip per weekday each way Siena-Chiusi and one trip per weekday each way Siena-Grosseto. However - as in Puglia/Calabria - the new HTR 312/412 hybrid units are making rapid inroads and the locos will probably have gone by the start of the new timetable in December.

Interesting. There seems to be quite a bit of rationalisation going on over there at the moment.