Cologne - Any loco hauled services remaining in the area?

[youngiecj]

Hi folks,

First time trip to Germany for a few hours on Saturday with my family. Is there any loco hauled left in the Cologne area?

 

[30907]

Hi folks,

First time trip to Germany for a few hours on Saturday with my family. Is there any loco hauled left in the Cologne area?

Apart from freight, there are IC/EC services enough, and the odd Flixtrain - I'm not sure what RE services are still push-pull DD stock though.

 

[YorkshireBear]

There was still a few RE services loco hauled last time I went in summer 2022 but they were becoming few and far between. Mostly it's the IC/EC stock. If you want to see freight head to the rail bridge across the river south of the main one, that is a freight avoiding line.

 

[paul_munich]

I'm not sure what RE services are still push-pull DD stock though.

RE9 Aachen to Siegen is every now and pushed or pulled by Traxx, but the majority of services is operated by Desiro HCs...

 

[Nunners]

RE9 Aachen to Siegen is every now and pushed or pulled by Traxx, but the majority of services is operated by Desiro HCs...

In my experience over half of RE9s are hauled, but all other RE are units

 

[duesselmartin]

of interest might be the two NightJet pairs as they are hauled by NS (Dutch) Vectrons.
As for freight, not much passes the Hbf but Eifeltor and Gremberg yards are not far.

 

[youngiecj]

Thanks for info guys. Typically my flix on Saturday which was hauled I belive has been cancelled!

 

[Jamesrob637]

of interest might be the two NightJet pairs as they are hauled by NS (Dutch) Vectrons.
As for freight, not much passes the Hbf but Eifeltor and Gremberg yards are not far.

I saw a container train through Köln Hbf a few years ago, but it was something like 05:00 so there was plenty of space for it. An hour or so later, however, and you'd have been singing a different tune (this was pre-COVID however I'm not sure how much local traffic is back compared to February 2020. I'd imagine most if not all, as Germans are back in the office more than us Brits, even if not always 5 days a week)

Regarding loco-hauled trains, there is a regional express to Aachen that is double-deck push-pull. I'm unsure of the type, and can only say that they're modern and red.

 

[43096]

Regarding loco-hauled trains, there is a regional express to Aachen that is double-deck push-pull. I'm unsure of the type, and can only say that they're modern and red.

As per post #4 above, worked by Class 146.0 locos.

 

[Krokodil]

The Vienna/Innsbruck - Amsterdam/Brussels NJ split at Köln West when I did it. The yard is opposite the station. [picture shows the Dutch loco approaching the Amsterdam portion after the Brussels one had departed]

 

[ABB125]

The Vienna/Innsbruck - Amsterdam/Brussels NJ split at Köln West when I did it. The yard is opposite the station. [picture shows the Dutch loco approaching the Amsterdam portion after the Brussels one had departed]

View attachment 146992

When I did that in the opposite direction earlier this year, it was possible to open the doors and step out into the yard/sidings where the train was joining...
(Not that I actually did that of course!)

 

[Fireless]

If you don't mind going a bit north (30 minutes by RE train) to Düsseldorf, you get the RE 2 trains (Düsseldorf-Osnabrück) which are all double deckers hauled by class 146.1 locos.

 

[Jamesrob637]

If you don't mind going a bit north (30 minutes by RE train) to Düsseldorf, you get the RE 2 trains (Düsseldorf-Osnabrück) which are all double deckers hauled by class 146.1 locos.

Surely those have got a good 10-15 years left in them? Most only date from the turn of the millennium.

 

[route101]

I saw a container train through Köln Hbf a few years ago, but it was something like 05:00 so there was plenty of space for it. An hour or so later, however, and you'd have been singing a different tune (this was pre-COVID however I'm not sure how much local traffic is back compared to February 2020. I'd imagine most if not all, as Germans are back in the office more than us Brits, even if not always 5 days a week)

Regarding loco-hauled trains, there is a regional express to Aachen that is double-deck push-pull. I'm unsure of the type, and can only say that they're modern and red.

I don't think WFH is as big in Europe.

 

[JonathanH]

I don't think WFH is as big in Europe.

That could be the case, but is medium and longer distance commuting as big in Europe as it was here?

 

[Jamesrob637]

I don't think WFH is as big in Europe.

Many live in flats so WFH wouldn't be as comfortable over there.

 

[duesselmartin]

work from home has certainly become a significant factor in Germany. Even if it is just a day or two a week.