Steroumel

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🤷🏽
www.maerklin.de/de/produkte/...

I haven’t read the results in some time now so I can’t be 100% sure, but I’d really recommend reading through the deliverables, it was a very interesting project.

When a rail shatters it’s not something you can’t observe. If you have enough data you will start seeing the small changes in time, first just a quick movement, then a bit more and so on, until it breaks. So if you compare the way these movements are changing in time, you can accurately predict it.

The third working group was focused on low cost devices and proved that all trains could carry small Arduino or similar equipment to continuously monitor track condition, on each train pass, collecting very important data for the track crews and then feeding them to a database for tracking.

The UIC Harmotrack Project had really interesting results on this topic. Measurement is something very important that is often left behind. What Harmotrack developed, was a system to estimate when such failures would occur, based on machine learning and many, MANY measurements.

Rafina and Lavrio, not Sounio, but yes. They aren’t planned yet though.
The inclines are between Doukissis Plakentias and Kantza, so both branches will be affected. Even the 2006-7 Desiro EMUs that are currently in use were first ordered as 4/12 and later changed to 8/12, due to this line.

Especially on the SKA - Korinthos part of the line, L2 will make a big difference. There are currently two branches being built (Ano Liosia - Megara and Isthmos - Loutraki) and the second one will get a connection to an oil refinery. So having trains close to one another will be crucial.

The thing is, the route that most desperately needs ETCS L2 is one of the few that have so large inclines, that the 4/14 Coradias won’t be able to cope with (SKA - ATH Airport line). The other one that comes in mind is the SKA - Korinthos - Aigio (- Patra) that will be heavily used by these trains.

As I’ve heard, the Coradia sets will carry ETCS Level 2, opposed to Level 1 that is installed on the rest of the GR mainline fleet and parts of the network (never operated).
That‘s actually a good thing, as it brings us a step closer to what needs to happen, installing of ETCS L2 on some tracks.

But, instead of installing the basic system, someone presents a brand new mumbo jumbo system that sets off fireworks and water jets when a train driver looks at their phone or something and we immediately forget everything else to buy this proprietary thing that solves -3 problems.

My main negative thought on railway technology is that we’ve reached a point where the basic stuff that is needed are "old", as the technology reached a physical and logical ceiling (we don’t need anything better in GR for now at least).

The situation in GR is very different though, as we never had a fully operational automatic train stopping system, only some lines fitted with basic signalling, SPADs were I’d assume 80/20, because systems never worked properly, especially during the 15 years prior to 2023.

I find really interesting the history of safety systems you described, thank you for that! As I understand, these systems were implemented decades ago, when there wasn’t any standard, as widespread as ETCS, that’s why (rightfully so) they also became part of it.

So, just to summarise. Progress for the sake of progress is very dangerous. The main things GR Rail needs are safety systems, more trains, infrastructure maintenance and stable and mature management.
This is the exact opposite of that, disguised as a big step forward, while literally doing nothing.

And let’s not forget that it‘s not contracted to any of the GR telecommunications companies, but Starlink. Why would we give access to musk and literally anyone he likes to such data?
It’s literally just a PR waste of money and nothing good can come out of this, while many bad things *will* happen?

It’s just a PR stunt to satisfy the public, but mainly a big part of the news industry, that is thirsty for the railway‘s blood in GR.
So we’ve established that it cannot replace signalling, safety systems etc, why would we pay for it? Isn’t it just a waste of money?

Mind you, trains already had GPS modules from Vodafone on them. So now to improve accuracy of geolocation they choose HEPOS. Does this actually help with anything? Not at all. Trains will still be able to collide as it’s not a safety system, nor anything close to it.

28.02.2023 disaster hits, 57 dead, mostly students, due to a head on collision on double track, as there was no safety system to prevent the station master‘s mistake. Car centric minds ask why we couldn’t see the train running on the wrong track, gov promises to fix that, GPS isn’t accurate enough.

HT (private, trains) is indeed separate from OSE (national, infra), but this is something that OSE does. It cannot replace signaling in any shape or form of course.

The conflict comes in when you see the full picture, we’ve paid many times for many safety systems and we have none. (Continued below)

I’ll reply on each one so that we don’t loose trace.
- A starlink terminal has nothing to do with train safety.
- Customer experience is having a service, not anyone being able to locate the 2 trains that run daily on the main line. That’s just wasteful and prone to create PR disasters (more later).

GR Peloponnes: Ab Sommer 2026 verkehrt Levante Trains mit MAN-1-Zügen (?) auf der Strecke Katakolo - Pyrgos - Olympia. Hellenic Train konzentriert sich mehr auf die Hauptstrecke Athen - Thessaloniki.

Das kann auch bedeuten, dass die S-Bahn Patras 3 mehr Züge erhält (6+3 Stadler GTW 2/6 Meter).

Unfortunately no, as I went to Kalamata for the special train. Next time I’m in Athens I’ll try though! 😁

Some still believe it’s going to happen (soon), but imo it’s not that possible in the next 10 years at least. They’re rebuilding the motorway though, violating many Natura 2000 regulations. 🥲

I really have no idea 😅 I’m not that much of a ship guy haha

The GR Gov and Railways Organization will soon complete the installation of two Starlink antennas on each train, after an investment from a ship owners club. These antennas will be part of the HEPOS geopositioning system, available openly at railway.gov.gr
This is not a good idea at all.

Cancel your Spotify subscription.

I’ll believe it when I see it. They tend to love their cars, and politician proposing something like this won’t be favoured. Tzitzikostas is proposing many things for GR, now for CY, let’s see some progress first.
I’d love to see it happen, as well as in Crete and other places across the EU.

What Greek media have in mind when talking about anything that happened to a train (irl it just bounced a bit and stopped).

The rerailment will happen early tomorrow morning. The mechanics of the derailment were very interesting (and obvious, but that’s a tale for another time).

Yes, about 10 km/h. Jumped over a switch.