Countries with most and least variety of rolling stock

[RailWonderer]

As I plan my holidays, even to places I will drive to, I always like to give the railway network a try and plan some things to see and do around the rail connections.
Which countries have the most variety of rolling stock and the least? (excluding the UK of course).

 

[rg177]

Estonia is 100% Stadler FLIRTs at the moment - though I believe they have something else on order.

 

[route101]

I thought Belgium had a good variety of stock. Plenty of loco hauled stock.

 

[superalbs]

Estonia as mentioned above is all FLIRT, with some Škoda on the way for service expansion. There are also a few Soviet and American locos on freight.

Latvia is all elektrichka, with diesel and electric variants. Some of them also have different levels of modernisation, including the cabs and seating. Many Soviet locos on freight as well, many are modernised.

For most varied, Japan is absolutely crazy. There are so many types of train, even if they are all units. Each service has its own dedicated unique fleet, with a few exceptions of course.

 

[BeijingDave]

Estonia as mentioned above is all FLIRT, with some Škoda on the way for service expansion. There are also a few Soviet and American locos on freight.

Latvia is all elektrichka, with diesel and electric variants. Some of them also have different levels of modernisation, including the cabs and seating. Many Soviet locos on freight as well, many are modernised.

For most varied, Japan is absolutely crazy. There are so many types of train, even if they are all units. Each service has its own dedicated unique fleet, with a few exceptions of course.

China also has a huge variety due to rapid and not yet complete modernisation.

Take the high speed from Shanghai to Beijing and come back on one of the cheap, old 'green trains' (loco hauled) overnight.

You will reach record speeds on the fast train and also travel across the longest railway bridge in the world, over Jiangsu's rice paddies.

 

[SeanG]

Closer to home, Austria is not very varied. Either Taurus, Hercules or 1114 haul the ÖBB trains and there are only a few types of multiple unit

 

[Sir Train]

On my recent trip to Germany, I thought it had a bit of variety from loco hauled stock to ICE trains and some others.

 

[superalbs]

Closer to home, Austria is not very varied. Either Taurus, Hercules or 1114 haul the ÖBB trains and there are only a few types of multiple unit

Quite a few more things on private operators, and international trains coming across the borders.

Wien Hbf gets around 13 different companies I think!

 

[dutchflyer]

South Korea and Taiwan do not excel in variety-though Korea has older normal and newer hi-speed (KTX), the later TGV-imitation and Taiwan also a hi-speed link.
Agree with Austria-and of course also Switzerland with its extreme variety in tiny multi-coloured local railways, also different gauges, though some mergers have happened.
Personally I find also Spain(outside of the merged former narrow gauge FEVE, now also RENFE state) boring all the same-also becse of the livery.
Thailand-but then you have to know the how and what-has a quite big variety in 2nd hand stock from Japan, Australia, Korea and some home-(re)built.

 

[43096]

Closer to home, Austria is not very varied. Either Taurus, Hercules or 1114 haul the ÖBB trains and there are only a few types of multiple unit

I assume you mean 1144 - the 1114 fleet was stopped many years ago. There are also some 1142s still active on passenger work around Linz and there are of course three flavours of Taurus (1016, 1116 and 1216).

 

[StephenHunter]

I thought Belgium had a good variety of stock. Plenty of loco hauled stock.

And it's frequently covered in graffiti.

Poland has some nice variety.

 

[cactustwirly]

Italy has a mixture of Hitachi and Alstom EMUs and a collection of Traxx locos hauling a variety of double deck or single deck stock

 

[rf_ioliver]

Finland's passenger stock is almost exclusively Sr2 and Sr3 (Vectron) hauled double deck stock. If you're lucky you'll get a Soviet Sr1 electric loco. On certain sleeper services (Kolari) diesel locomotives are used.

Commuter stock are FLIRTs, with the occasional Valmet Sm1/Sm2 EMU. The CAF Sm4 (the best units IMHO) are found on the Helsinki-Lahti route.

Branch lines are Dm12 single diesel units, though the remote possibility of a Dv12 hauled old "blue" carriage train might exist.

Freight is a bit more varied with newer Dr18, 19, 20 and 21 diesel locomotives supplimenting the Sr1, 2 and 3s. A few Dr12 and Dr16 are about too.

 

[superalbs]

Finland's passenger stock is almost exclusively Sr2 and Sr3 (Vectron) hauled double deck stock. If you're lucky you'll get a Soviet Sr1 electric loco. On certain sleeper services (Kolari) diesel locomotives are used.

Commuter stock are FLIRTs, with the occasional Valmet Sm1/Sm2 EMU. The CAF Sm4 (the best units IMHO) are found on the Helsinki-Lahti route.

Branch lines are Dm12 single diesel units, though the remote possibility of a Dv12 hauled old "blue" carriage train might exist.

Freight is a bit more varied with newer Dr18, 19, 20 and 21 diesel locomotives supplimenting the Sr1, 2 and 3s. A few Dr12 and Dr16 are about too.

Not forgetting the Pendolinos of course!

 

[JonasB]

Latvia is all elektrichka, with diesel and electric variants. Some of them also have different levels of modernisation, including the cabs and seating. Many Soviet locos on freight as well, many are modernised.

New Skoda EMUs are being delivered, although I'm not sure if they are in use yet. https://railway-news.com/skoda-group-introduced-the-first-electric-train-for-latvia-in-riga/

 

[superalbs]

New Skoda EMUs are being delivered, although I'm not sure if they are in use yet. https://railway-news.com/skoda-group-introduced-the-first-electric-train-for-latvia-in-riga/

Can confirm they are not yet.