TrainBlog by Marcel Marchon

• From the Margins to the Mainstream: A Guide to Transportation Opportunities in Your Community
  The Surface Transportation Policy Partnership has released a guidebook that explores how federal surface transportation law can be used to support local and statewide efforts to build more livable communities and expand travel options.
  (tags: reports guidebooks policy funding planning)

• login: Loksimulatoren
  Hochmoderne Simulatoren machen es möglich: Lokführer sein für einen Nachmittag. Wir öffnen unsere Trainingszentren für Lokführer in Zürich und Olten zeitweise für Privatpersonen.
  (tags: events fun simulation)
• Images & Trains -The mag’
  I&T is a different magazine about railway photography. We propose to you another point of view, why not something new and different, but would to be resolutely modern about the railway of today.
  (tags: magazines links)

• A California budget, at what cost? (San Jose Mercury News)
  …The budget continues to shift more than $1 billion pegged for public transit to the general fund …
  (tags: budget california transit finance)

• July Amtrak California Corridor Ridership and ticket revenue results (railpac.org)
  We have received the ridership and revenue results for July 2007 from Amtrak, and, once again, the Capitol Corridor is setting records, the 10th month in a row.
  (tags: california amtrak capitolcorridor ridership)

• Trains For America - More choices for better transportation
  Reliable trains ought to be an option for intermediate length trips and under-served rural areas. Americans should enjoy the same travel options other nations take for granted.
  (tags: blogs usa)

SNCF has published a TGV Est cab ride video online (Paris-Strasbourg) - you can view it here: http://www.320kmh-voyages-sncf.com/.

• Eurostar sees advanced bookings double for High Speed 1-2–J.
  Eurostar claims that in the first two weeks of ticket sales, advance bookings for the period from November 14 to Christmas are more than double the same period last year.
  (tags: eurostar highspeedrail unitedkingdom france belgium news)

• SBB: Screensaver
  SBB Screensavers (including one with a “station clock”/Bahnhofsuhr)
  (tags: software internet)

As previously announced, I’ve been on vacation in my native country of Switzerland for four weeks recently. I just got back last Thursday in fact. I think not many people will disagree if I say that Switzerland’s public transportation network is far superior than that of California or anywhere else in the United States (if you do disagree with that statement, please leave a comment and tell me why …).

During these four weeks (which were spent mainly visiting family and friends all over the country and doing a couple sightseeing and shopping trips here and there), I’ve really come to appreciate the convenience of a comprehensive public transportation network again. Well, maybe I should say I’ve come to appreciate a country that was built based on the premise of having a comprehensive public transportation network - where one really is not expected to have a private car. Things are close together, people actually live in or close to the city centers. Buses and trains are scheduled to connect to each other and run frequently (which means at least once an hour, often more).

On the other hand here in California, everything is terribly spread out - it is very difficult to get anywhere (with some exceptions) without using a car for transportation. I’m personally lucky enough to live in biking distance from my workplace and we deliberately picked our home so it would be close to our daughter’s school (which, happy coincidence, happens to be in the same city as my workplace …). But this seems to be a rare case I think…

While in Switzerland, we purchased an all-month pass (”General Abonnement”) that allowed us to use pretty much all the rail, bus (urban and cross-country), tram/streetcar, boat, etc. services of the country. Basically, any public transportation - with the exception of some mountain railroads and aerial tramways. Basically, you just walk to the next bus stop or station and get on the train. You don’t need to get separate tickets for everything. Also, the ticket is valid on any train or bus - no reservation required. You just get on and go …

The following is a list of links to official and inofficial timetable pages of rail operators all over the world. Please let me know if you know any that are not listed.

to be continued …