Jeff Kessler 🟦

241, 251, 261, 562

(I guess it is also quite fitting that I'm doing this while here for #APTARail)

bsky.app/profile/jeff...

Jeff with the ceremonial "thumbs up" in front of a train on the Windsor station platform.

The Windsor station platform with a train in the background.

Passengers boarding at Windsor

The Windsor station platform moments before departure.

In January, I finished riding every mile of Commuter/Regional Rail in the US.

Then @SMARTtrain extended their service to Windsor, CA.

I knew what I had to do.

(Soon to be updated on jeffkess.com/tracks!)

A specially-designed APTA25 San Francisco clipper card as taken on a BART train.

A printout of the Attendee FAQ listing that it's accepted on all clipper services besides the cable car.

This is dangerous. #APTARail

Jeff in front of the O'Hare Transfer Metra station building

An LED screen advertising Metra's limited airport service next to a screen of upcoming flights.

The O'Hare Transfer platform and station signage

Last train to Chicago until late afternoon!

Flight landed early, so here goes: the elusive train from ORD!

I know I said I was done on this trip. I lied.

Just for good measure, the entire Roslagsbanan system ✅

Now to make it back to Stockholm… and hopefully make my flight in 3.5 hours. Wish me luck!

Going to get home super late, but a final system on this trip: all of the Stockholm Tunnelbana ✅

Track 3 is a middle track with island platforms on both sides, so they list it as "31" and "32."

1 and 5 are outer express tracks.

2 and 4 are the through local tracks.

Short turns discharge on 32, then receive on 31 (on track 3, without physically moving).

1 _ 2-[31/32]-4 _ 5

The traditional commemorative completion pose of thumbs-up on the train, with a work friend who joined.

An arriving Pendeltåg X60 trainset

Stockholm Odenplan station's platform, built as part of the 2017 City Line through-running tunnel.

Digital signage of frequent CR service at Upplands Väsby

Final time: 8h, 22 min

More like a racewalk than a speedrun covering Stockholm's entire Pendeltåg CR network in one go (…not that I know of any official attempts).

Trackernet Stringlines Graphical Service Analysis for the London Underground

A little thing I've been working on recently: real-time stringlines for the London Underground, using data from the Trackernet API: trackernet-stringlines.choochoo.systems

Me having finished the tram network, commemorative "thumbs-up" in front of a tram in Oslo.

An older Oslo tram

An older tram passing a newer tram

The view at sunset up a strong grade of a new tram passing the rear of the old tram.

Me: "No I'm not going to ride the whole tram system in Oslo (in addition to the metro); that would be insane."

Also me: "Hey, look, it's one of a dozen old trams still in operation! Well, since I've now ridden that on a good chunk of the tram network, I guess I'd be stupid to not finish it."

Kolsås station platform, with a train to Oslo behind.

Pointing to the T-Bane Metro sign with a T logo looking akin to the MBTA T logo.

Finished riding the T's rapid transit network again… well…

There's something special about riding an edge case that led to GTFS using (trip_id, stop_sequence) as stop_times.txt's primary key instead of (trip_id, stop_id).

(Stopping at Carl Berners plass for the second time on a single journey on the same track.)

I've found Google Translate is amazing for that, doing live translations of announcements on the fly. I've also found most international staff speak English as a global Linga Franca, if not other passengers, who can help translate as needed.

A yellow flag that says Buss for tog (Rail Replacement Bus) in front of a bus

A work friend and me on the Buss for tog, in front of a sign of for the Buss for tog stop.

Messaging on the train saying it's terminating a stop early and that there's alternate transportation available.

Most people get off of a red eye and seek out food, a nap, tourism, etc.

Us: BUSS FOR TOG

I will say, the most promising aspect of it is that a recurring NEC RTC user call has probably half of its attendance also on here in the same spheres, and I can guarantee none of us will let it die.

At some point I see the AAR funding its design, use, and maintenance, with members getting a license as they've done for other tools. Would also help them boost membership.

I missed this thread!

Yeah, RTC is a very big vulnerability in the industry, and there is no suitable replacement (e.g. TrainPlan is a complementary tool, but the two do different things. I made a deck on this 6 years ago… which makes me feel old.)

Starting off my 30s in the most fitting way possible: a station opening on — of all things — the hometown system on which I've continued to serve as an advisory board member since my teens.

Welcome, PATCO's Franklin Square!

Page 2!

A commuter rail PED at South Station displaying a destination of "Middleborough/Lakeville"

After this, only two more to go! @mbta-cr.bsky.social

As a member of the #DRPACAC since my teenage years, who's traveled even to international transit openings, this is apparently RidePATCO's way of forcing me to have a 30th birthday party. See you there?

A strip of approximately 3 inches of hardened, iced-over snow forming a protected barrier for the adjacent (plowed!) bike lane on the Seaport Blvd bridge in Boston.

First there were sneckdowns, but the latest innovation from big snow and ice is now snow protected bike lanes!

I feel like I should get bonus foamer points for not only wrapping up the US Commuter Rail network by taking NICTD to South Bend Airport… but then actually FLYING from there.

(Snow at CLT was not on the bingo card, either.)

Also updated jeffkess.com/tracks #EveryMile

Onboard the South Shore Line

The South Shoreline EMU train adjacent to the island platform at the South Bend Airport station.

The train at the platform with a wider vantage point.

And with that, the entirety of the nation's Commuter Rail system is now 💯complete ✅

Standing in front of a Metra train and the McHenry station platform.

A legacy coach interior still in service on Metra.

The upper deck of a traditional Metra gallery car.

A Metra train arriving at night.

The Way to Really Fly #EveryMile

You know you are a complete and total nerd when you have your radio on and go, "huh, I've never heard a railroad defect detector use Nuance's Samantha voice before."

(UP Geneva Sub MP29.40)

Having just flown from the Sunport to the Sky Harbor, I'm now curious how many other euphemisms there are in official airport nomenclature? (e.g. Jetport at PWM)

Meep meep. #EveryMile

"Please again no pictures of the outside of the train due to religious reasons and to respect the tribes we're going through. Thank you."

Definitely was not on my bingo card.