Userpic

seve98
Traveller
18 comments

Posted 1 year ago

Hey everyone,

I have a question concerning a nighttrain trip to Praha via Germany from Zurich (not the one through Austria).

I heard that the couchette (CD) are currently inoperative and that there will be just sleeper and seat couches attached. Does anybody not what is going on there. I once got an answer, that the SBB-CFF-FFS should put their couchette couches there (although I am pretty sure SBB has none - just seating accomodation with EW4-Couches maybe). I know in Zurichs railyard are always CD couches standing for the EN services - why not use those?

Do you know when this couchette service will be bookable and what is the exact reason for that problem?

If anyone has a clue - thanks for the answer :)

Sevi

Follow this topic
Userpic

MisterSteve
Traveller
841 comments

replied 1 year ago

what's happening is a wrrying downturn in general standards with cheap "solutions" being used. This service was announced without proper throught, they didn't have any couchette cars and didn't have the time (or money) toorder new ones. So they arrnaged to rent old cars that had been salvaged and refurbished by a company known as RDC. And they soon went wrong - the old heating doesn't work. News report in german. www.tag24.de/thema/reisen/es-raubt-einem-den-schlaf-liegewagen-im-neuen-nachtzug-kaputt-2714729

SBB have loaned them some 1st class cars but these are not compartment type so are useless for proper sleep - and that was missing last Sunday night!

And earlier this week the EU announced a plan to support the expansion of international trains - a large part of which involves refrubishing trains that are up to 40 years old and hoping they keep running. This service is accidentally the prototype of that plan!