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The Twindexx Swiss Express - is SBB's flagship a disaster ?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ส.ค. 2024
- Hi everybody,
Today we are going to take a look at the SBB Twindexx Swiss Express... Quite infamous but let's see why!
Enjoy!
- TRIP INFORMATION -
RECORDED IN JULY 2021
Railroad company: SBB CFF FFS
Train type : RABe 502
From : Geneva Airport to Zurich
Time : 2h56
Price : 35 CHF - 37$ - 34€
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00:00 : Introduction
01:12 : Geneva Airport station
03:06 : The IC2000
03:58 : Departure of the IR90
04:53 : Arrival of my Twindexx
05:34 : Boarding
06:20 : Seat check
07:16 : Departure on time!
07:32 : Around Geneva
07:58 : Around the Lake Geneva
08:10 : Problems!
08:37 : Why the Twindexx's a disaster ?
10:12 : Mid roll ads
10:38 : Walkthrough of the train
12:34 : Lavaux wine country
13:38 : Toilets Time
14:09 : Amazing dining car !
15:31 : Yum Yum
16:08 : All good thing comes at a price
16:24 : Arrival in Zurich
16:37 : Conclusion and outro
I remember taking SBB on a trip from Zuerich to Milan once. My silly father was too used to the lousy trains in the US and said, don't worry, they'll leave at 9 30 (the ticket said 9 00!). I had to press the importance to him and said loudly "Dad, we are in SWITZERLAND. This is a country that lives by the clock. I do not think they'll be late." He still didn't believe me! I ignored him. If he missed the train, that was his decision. I grabbed my bag started walking as fast as I could, trying to find the right platform. Found it. It was 8 57. I was now running, praying I wouldn't bump into someone, trip and lose my luggage. Made it at 8 59. When I got to the cabin, it was EXACTLY 9 and yes, the train started moving. Saw one or two running shouting "Wait for meeeee!" 😁😂 My silly parents go on board just in time. The door slammed shut once my father stepped onto the train! Can't get any closer than that!
I love how clean, organized, and professional the country of Switzerland is.
Its very comfortable to sit in a train i live in schwizerland
One mention worth is the "new" info screen. You can see where you are and at what spred. Its a small thing, but I like that. (Same as in the Giruno)
I love the Twindexx. Overhead space upstairs is a bit limited, but the logic is that people with big bags and gear will tend to stay on the lower deck.
The upper deck has a intimate feel and the quietness is sublime. Listening to rain patter off the roof while speeding through the country is just pure magic.
I'm Swiss and frequently ride from Zürich to Lausanne, usually first class because it's quieter and has more space. I absolutely hate this shaking Bombardier train. The first time I rode this was at the beginning, from Basel to Zürich (before it was in use on the IC1 line). The train came to a screeching halt THREE times while at full speed, and nowhere near a station, because of some computer glitch. We arrived almost an hour late, doubling our trevel time. I much prefer the older IC2000; although it has quite a dark interior, the ride is much smoother.
Jo Typisch, immer am jommere, isch doch normal das de zug hin und her sich tuet bewege wenn er us em Bahnhof chunt. Das einzige was mit dem bombardier falsch isch, isch das er Brems problem het
I'm Swiss and I think your complaint is silly. This is a train, of course it's going to shake and move, it is transport. Wueckli chli buenzli vo dier....
@@MrAdrien1999 don’t be silly, the ic2000 are much less shaky at speed
@@azertycraftgaming it really is a non issue though… It is a decadent problem to have
@@MrAdrien1999 Sure, it's no big deal. It's just too bad for a brand new train.
Swiss Railways is probably the best in the world IMO. I've worked a lot in the country, before I retired, and been on several routes, and the GVA - ZUR one is still my favourite. I used to fly into ZUR on a monday morning anf pick up the train to GVA to be in the office there by lunchtime. Coming out of the tunnel above Montreux with the entire Lake Leman spread out before you, vineyards everywhere, never fails to excite. Wonderful.
You need to update the description, it has the Winter Park text still. Thanks for the content!👍
Drivers call that Train "Pannenzug" it means "Problem Train" because it used to break down very often
« Panne » I believe is from the French “panne” meaning breakdown
well they never tried Bulgarian trains! They can’t even start :D
Now I live in Ticino, and there are two trains that I can take to go to Zurich, this one, and the Giruno. Before trying them, as a rail fan I thought I would love the Twindexx (two floor train omg amazing!), but as you described, the ride quality is not so good, or at least not what would you expect from a Swiss train, the overhead compartiments are really small... but the Giruno, man, that train is amazing! Smooth, silent, lots of space.
I was also not used to the 2+2 front configuration of the trains, but noticed that here everyone takes on the full 4 spaces even if they are alone, or with someone else, and it almost feels like a small living room. Obviously if the train is full, the swiss will seat next to you, but they will try really hard not to.
Even better if you have time take the Treno Gottardo from SOB, yes longer trip but so much better train and experience!
@@jorgestravels well, I have tried the Treno Gottardo, so far only on the Zurich - Arth Goldau route, but i found it to be really noisy, there’s something weird cranking noise coming from the juncture of the different carriages. I guess it’s worth it to visit the old San Gottard pass, but I will have to do that trip with more time :)
@@vichoiglesias Yes, that's the standard creaking of the Stadler Flirt, can be very annoying.
@@jonistan9268 yeah that's right: Here in Ticino we've got all the Flirts, on the TiLO lines (a few weirdly branded as RER Vaud which I don't understand), and sometimes they are smooth and amazingly silent; but so many other times the creaking is so annoying!
@Kichiro yeah, I noticed that you should ask first... have experienced the Swiss stare a few times before understanding that! 🤣
And so far loving Ticino; is really beautiful -as the whole country! Not the most lively place of the world, but I still manage to have lots of fun here.
From 8:06 to 8:10, oh yes, that's the typical 'double decker Bombardier squeek' im hearing. The Dutch VIRM doubledecker train sets made by Bombardier in which I traveled many many times in my life also have it when traveling over rail lines with curves and when going over railroad switches at stations.
05:04 : I wanted to right 09h26 not 09h28 :)
Didn’t know the winter park express was in Sweden, great video!
@@lightningbot85 bro
also as a tip, most rush hour ICs have 1st class single coaches that are repurposed as 2nd class, usually the first one at the front of the train, so you can ride first class comfort with 2nd class prices :)
Thanks for the great video! I agree with most of your review, just wanted to add two points:
- my flat has a balcony with a view over the railway approaching Bern station (great for trainspotting!). I have to say this train is the only one truly bothering me with the noise. Really noisy and squeaky (the fact that the approach to Bern is on a curve doesn’t help) and of course this train is really long. Let’s hope it will get a bit more silent as the parts get old and used.
- I’ve noticed a fairly loud bang every 4-5 minutes when travelling aboard this train. As if some parts are shrinking then expanding back and forth.
Of course, this remains above average when comparing this to trains abroad. But agreed, a bit disappointing for what was meant to be SBB’s flagship
Great video!
I hate it when a passenger's basic comfort (like the position of the trash bin or the narrowness of the aisles) seem like an afterthought. This is definitely some thing that drives me crazy on planes but on trains at least you have the scenery. Today's was magnificent and I really want to try out that dining car. It seems odd SBB would offer such great service but then seems to skimp on the other details.
Either way I enjoyed this video and want to try SBB's dining car service!
Narrow aisles: This is due to the restricted loading gauge which means less shoulder space on the upper deck, so the seats are moved a bit to the middle leaving less space between them. In first class with 3-abreast seating it's all more spacious but of course in second class you need the capacity, which is the reason for going double deck in the first place. Switzerland has some very busy corridors (particularly between Basel, Bern and Zürich) where trains operate frequently and get very crowded in rush hour, so they went for maximum capacity, and indeed a 16-car Twindexx can move a lot of people at once.
I thoroughly enjoyed your video. I agree it is a shame that these Twindecks are taking so long to sort out - there are several stored near Alstetten station in Zurich, presumably awaiting repairs or modification. Nevertheless, they are now used on many routes, but with irritating riding problems which are not befitting a new train ! Hopefully the SBB will soon sort them out ! Many thanks.
Finnaly you’re back in Switzerland!
We took this train last month from Bern to St Gallen. We took our chances with first class (which we rarely do considering the price) as we have some heavy luggage and bet on odds that our carriage is empty. Luckily, it paid off and we had the whole wagon to ourselves for the most part of the 2-hour trip. Being on the lower deck, I haven't experienced any issues by many passengers and I honestly thought it was a decent enough train (way better than most British trains equivalent to an Intercity).
Awesone video! Awesone scenery !! New equipment always has teething problems especially when there is rebuilds. added features, redesign. Glad your dining car meal was delicious. Thumbs up to SBB.
Many years ago I had an overnight train trip from Philadelphia to St Louis. The dining car was a like a five star restaurant. Food and service were impecable!!
I have 2 friends in Neuchatal who are retired SBB employees.
Thank you Thibault for a great report😀😀💙
2 years later; The shaking problem got better. Its much more comfortable now.
And i must say, the Twindexx looks really cool! Love its exterior design!
Circa 1968, I travelled from Boulogne on the couchette, not so much as a dro of water, changed at Basle and was entertained by SSB in the dining car, heavy linen and the best breakfast ever.
This train is basically the reason why no swiss railway will ever buy from bombardier again. They've always been painful to work with.
Stadler essentially dominates the market here now, wich is great
Agree, Stadler trains are usually pretty good. We've even bought them now for use on UK services in East Anglia.
This Train is one of the worst Trains ever. I only drive 1. Class but in this Train is the 1. Class only plastic, even the 2. Class is more comfortable.
I think you'll find that no train company in the world will ever buy a "Bombardier" train again.
@@MrGollum27 Well, agreed, but that's basically due to the fact that the train sector of Bombardier has been handed over to Alstom now.... :-)
I am absolutely gobsmacked by how that shaking is considered horrendous. At least it's dead quiet in the coach unlike trains in my country.
The flagship of the SBB is without a doubt the Giruno! It's stunning!
It literally sucks. It has less capacity than the Astoros and is way more uncomfortable.
@Kichiro It's 25 seats less on a train, that's 15 m longer. I think the seat placement ist very suboptimal in terms of capacity. However, when the train is not too full, I like the Giruno very much from a passenger's perspective.
looks pretty nice! (i live in switzerland)
Even the shaky-train...shaking-hands for this enjoyable rail-way report. Blessings!
Damn Amtrak really stepped up its game on the winter park express
Amtrak did not create the Winter Park express. To clarify, it was begun by the D&RGW railroad in the 1980s as a winter experience on the D&RGW rails. When U.P. bought the railroad, they asked Amtrak to market and take over the Express. Amtrak also operates the California Zephyr passenger train which operates through Colorado.
I think you posted on the wrong thread? This about Switzerland!
I remember taking a train on the IC1 line from Geneva to Zürich (4 days after this video was posted), when the train conductor suddenly made an announcement to prepare our cameras for taking pictures of the unesco site. I have no clue if it's usual for this to happen, but I found it pretty cool.
you have space for luggage wherever two seats are arranged back-to-back - the "inverted-V"-space is meant to hold luggage in addition to the central storage area. As for the shakiness - the train-staff gets upper- and lower-leg bruises on a regular basis whenever bumped into seats during random shaking while working through those trains
I hate what passes for seats these days! Whatever happened to a comfortable seat for a long journey?
If you ask a train company why it's new trains have such uncomfortable seats the answer you will get is that they have no option but to use seats that satisfy the safety regulations regarding keeping passengers safe in an accident and are fire proof, so very little padding can be used. Also, thin seats need less space which is important when the maximum number of seats have to be squeezed in to coach.
Wow I haven’t visited Switzerland yet but it will be on my list to travel with these trains nice video too🚂🚂👍👍.
I'm from Switzerland. The main problem is that they are built like commuting trains with sterile interior as if you could have surgery in there. Addtionally, there is almost no room for luggage.
The Giruno seems to have taken the flagship role at SBB. This will only become more evident when those trains start operating in Germany as well as into Italy. I think that we will see the next double deck generation coming from Stadler. The Giruno is the prototype for Stadler's EC 250 program and we will likely see other countries ordering variants. The RABe 502 began life as a project of SBB with Bombardier Switzerland. Due to structural changes at Bombardier, it was integrated into the Twindexx project, although it has relatively little in common with the DB Twindexx Vario or Israel's Twindexx coaches, which are both locomotive pulled coach consists with pilot coach.
I think that the shift of engineering and development from Villeneuve and Zurich to Kassel and other locations had a negative impact on the project and the SBB was not able to work as closely with the designers during the development, which led to a number of points of dissatisfaction post-delivery.
When I was last in Switzerland, I got to ride on the RABe 503 (ETR 610), the RABe 511 and 515 (BLS) and take a last ride on the Revvivo Voralpen Express (SOB). I did not get to ride on the Twindexx or the Giruno, although I got to check them out from the outside.
Montreal is introducing the Alstom Metropolis for it's REM (Reseau Express Metropolitaine), a private consortium commuter service. This is based on trains in service in Sydney (AUS), Budapest (HU), Buenos Aires (ARG) and others. This system has not yet been put into service in a climate like Montreal's. I would have preferred to see the Stadler KISS type trainsets here, as I was pretty impressed with what I have seen in winter operations in Switzerland.
But the REM is an express metro no? While a KISS would be exciting it doesn’t seem like it would fit for a metro service like the one for Montreal
Edit typo
@@its-eric I'd also say a Stadler Metro model would be more suitable. Stadler produced some good variants lately for the Berlin metro and for the Merseyrail metro system in England. Stadler has plenty of know-how operating in harsh weather conditions with their trains operationg for the RhB over the Bernina pass or in Norway.
@@markusstudeli2997 Oh believe me I'm a huge fan of Stadler's trains, the FLIRTS near me are fantastic! The KISS just doesn't fit in a metro environment like the REM, and considering that it's a new system I think the Alstom trains should still be great!
Ah, the view on Lavaux... Always a hit.. I recommend though to experience it the other way: From Bern to Lausanne. You suddently get out of the tunnel and... Bang! 😀 I've been living all my life between Geneva and Lausanne. When I was at the military, I took this line every weekend. After a rough week, I see this view, and all I think is: Dang, I'm back home...
Fun Fact: They actually removed (or disabled) the WaKo-System because of reliability issues. That's why these trains are shaking so badly in corners.
Thanks for the video Thibault, nice hat!
I must have lucked out with my Twindexx trip from Zurich HB to Chur in 2019; we ran to time with no problems. Even had a great breakfast in the dining car...
I travelled on one of these trains last year and had exactly the same meal! As you say, the food and scenery was superb.
CHF4.20 for a bottle of still water? Ouch. I'm constantly amazed at the cleanliness of Switzerland. This shows a great deal of national and civil pride. I can only hope this mentality will be adopted in the UK one day. :-(
I prefer the older trains but this one is not as bad as you say
I love the upper deck, but I hate the lower deck, it's much too squashed, unlike the IC 2000 which have loads of space in the family wagon 😀👍
I take the Twindexx twice a week. If you sit in the lower compartements there is not much shaking and more room (as you mentioned).
I take it every day
$48 for that meal wasn't expensive, it was obscene! But it was a scenic delight for such a short excursion. I enjoy your longer trips much more.
Don't forget that Switzerland is already an expensive country. I live in Switzerland, and I'd say 45 CHF is expensive for a meal like that, but not crazy.
My top tip for visiting Switzerland is to not eat or drink there. It's excellent but very expensive! I ate 40 CHF of Indian buffet food when I was at the Hilti in Zurich….
bienvenue en suisse.
Travelled on Sbb between Lausanne to Bern, but after dark, happy to see the nice view along the route.
I think that train gets more blame than it should. Yes, it was terrible in the beginning: Doors didn't close, reboots actually took even longer than 40 mins, multiple years too late etc.
However, the "failure distance" (average distance travelled on average between critical failures) is now well beyond 10 000 km / failure. Which is the rate of the IC2000, the predecessor known as a very reliable train. So, from a this aspect, it is performing now extremely well. (Of course, after 6 years of fixing problems while being LIVE!)
When it comes to the shakiness I think people are just much more prone to check it while being on this train. So it's kind of a prejudice bias. Tests showed, that it is now about as shaky as the IC2000 trains (which is still pretty shaky), but not really worse.
Howevery, it used to be extremely worse. I actually had the "luck" to use a train with the original active inclination software. And at low speed, that shaking would have thrown your bottle straight on the ground. In the end, all but the first trains delivered (I think 6 or so) were updated before being taken into service.
The comfortablity, is something that can be argued very well against this train... I think SBB puts a lot of effort on capacity rather than comfort when it comes to national IR and IC trains. Which is understandable, because most travellers use it for less than 2 hours. Much in contrast to the ICs of bigger countries. (Giruno and other trains for international routes are incredibly comfortable on the other hand!)
In conclusion: I think it's a great train, after the really rough birth.
That's the 1st time I've ever disagreed with you!
That meal in the dining car was not a good deal at €45.
Lovely train trip though!
Good presentation, you didn't hesitate to show the issues the Twindexx has. If it were running on an ordinary route through industrial metropolitan areas the roll and uncomfortable seats would be a factor against taking these, but here the beautiful scenery and excellent dining service would be worth it. As for the price, I'd just remind myself that it's Switzerland - everything will cost more in general so don't get wound up about it. Thanks for making these videos!
fun fact: in switzerland in the old IC2000 there was once a starbucks. also way back there was a mcDonalds once xD
That beautiful part going along the vineyards...Perfection. This is one ride I have been on many many times and it was always a wonderful sight rain or shine. Also suggest you do a video on the Zurich train station. A truly amazing place. THANKS SO MUCH
Your videos are so peaceful and awesome!
I went on the IC2000 a few times in 2009, I remember it being quite a nice ride, though this was relatively straight sections between Zurich and Luzern/Basel, plus I hadn't ridden many duplex trains back then, as I was used to Voyagers, Class 158's, Pacers and Pendolino's. The price you paid for lunch around 44 CHF is broadly typical, though looked to be good quality.
Would like to get back to Switzerland at some point to try the Twinddex RABe 502's. I have a penchant for heavily disliked trains, notably voyager's. Though I'm not sure a duplex tilting would really work in the same way of a smooth tilt of a Pendolino or Swedish IC2000 or simply due to the lack of loading gauge available even on European tracks.
IC2000 was build at the same time with ICN in 1998
The interior colors at this time were for both trains green / dark grey. And at the early years it was possible to smoke inside this trains, with time the interior colors go in reason of smoke more dark..
Now Swiss Railway Company start to refresh IC2000 with using bright colors inside white / bright grey, also with redesigne the business class wich is included in the 1. Class with wireless charging and bar seats 🥰🥰
Twindexx is made by Bombardier which is not a Swiss company.
@@ilovesuisse1 Indeed, but they build it in their Villeneuve factory in Switzerland, afaik.
Even the Swiss with all their experience of running world-beating trains don't always get it right. However, even their not-so-good offerings are better than average - and the scenery distracts from the negative points. I love your honest reviews.
Kind of disagree on the 'running world-beating trains' statement in the first place. Even the old einheitswagen have all island seat configuration with little table space and are quite cramped per seat when full- yet for some reason the Swiss seem to stick with this too many island seats configuration even in modern stock. And the ETR sets are kind of easy to get motion sickness on (unless the new Stadler ones are better than the Alstom ones). I think Switzerland kind of suffers from the same issue as countries like Denmark and the Netherlands with their trains: truly long distances aren't really possible so the 'long distance' product kind of devolves to Interregio quality, and people don't care because they only spend 2-3hrs max inside.
@@BubblesBub434 I think you’ve kind of Mia-understood Switzerland here , the 4 seat arrangement is favorited in Switzerland due to lots of group traveling together , be that tourist or just with friends and the trains which business Traveller take are so busy that it makes no difference
@@Ben-go1iq Not just that, but when the train isnt full it offers way more space. We actually voted on having the 4 seat arrangement. If the train is full, whats the matter with seating next to a stranger, it's not a big deal.
I make a 4 hour round trip on exactly this train at least every two weeks and you may have solved a mystery for me. I find that if I read a book or my phone, watch a movie on my iPad or use my computer for more than 20 minutes I start to feel travel sick. This never used to happen to me ever before on trains, although I have never been able to read on a car trip without feeling sick. But now it makes sense. It’s the subtle shaking and extra movement of my book or computer that is triggering it. Back to just staring out the window for me. At least the view in Switzerland is usually worth looking at.
10:57 kids' area - love it!
Enjoyed the content.keep up the good work!
Merci pour ta vidéo, mais ce qui mérite le coup d’oeuil en Suisse est le Giruno, et chez BLS la RABe 528
This is the train I used to take to visit my grandma in Fribourg!!!
Wow. This was the first train we travelled on in Europe, when we visited Switzerland back in 2015. I was thinking to myself then "no wonder Europe is known for its trains." What a surprise to hear about its many issues... Guess I need to go back to Europe again. 😂
Few of us like them.
There is nowhere to put luggage, the ride quality is a big step back from the "Rolls-Royce" smooth double deckers in service for 20 years.
The top and bottom decks seem less spacious than the predecessor.
The restaurant on the top deck is nice, but so was the predecessor.
But the train accelerates more quickly and seems a lot lighter, which is probably why it was bought.
I love twindexx, even though they have lots of problems, they are fast
The first station reminds me of stansted airport london
Great video as always!
Geneva use to have two terminal stations, the main SBB,Gare Cornavin (which I think is named after the Paris born Protestant reformer known as John Calvin in English?) ,one and there was a one only used by SNCF but I think owned by SBB called Gare Eaux Vives which had very infrequent services to places in France.However I think that they are all joined up now by tunnels?
Yes by the CEVA tunnel, between Lancy-Pont-Rouge and Annemasse with stops in Lancy-Bachet, Genève-Champel, Eaux-Vives and Chêne-Bourg.
There is a "voie verte" (for bikes and pedestrians) where there used to be the train tracks between Eaux-Vives and Annemasse.
The Léman Express connects Geneva with Coppet, Bellegarde, Annemasse, Évian, St Gervais and Annecy.
Two types of trains are used:
The Stadler Flirt RABe 522 by SBB, which can run under 15 and 25 kV AC.
The Alstom Regiolis Z31500 by SNCF, which can run under 15 and 25 kV AC, and also 1,5 kV DC, so they are also used for ski trains from Lyon to Saint-Gervais on some winter weekends. 😀
Geneva station has nothing to do with Jean Cauvin aka John Calvin, who was born in a small town 100 km north of Paris. Cornavin is the ancient name of the neighborhood.
For those people arriving by plane at Geneva airport and taking the train to a final destination an hour or more away there is no need to buy expensive food on the train, within the train station at the airport is a Migros Supermarket where you can get all sorts of food and drinks at more reasonable prices, go past the ticket area and the first escalators down to the platform level and you will find it at the other end of the station, a far more economic arrangement if travelling as a family. As mentioned below you can by train tickets for a lot less if you buy in advance, however since the arrival times can change and delays getting baggage can occur it may be better to get a saver day pass than a supersaver ticket, the saverday pass covers the entire day but you need to buy in advance, get it 60 days before you travel for the best deals
Nice trip, nice video. For sure I would like to make a trip on that train, looks fine to me.
You should come to italy and try the new FS ETR 521 "rock" trains from hitachi sts/ansaldobreda. Theyre another new double decker unit and it would be good to see your thoughts on them.
I haven't travelled in the Hitachi Rock but I tried it on InnoTrans and found there is an awful lot of seats without any window nearby!
@@uncinarynin its mainly for Capacity reasons. Theyre mesnt to solve the overcrowding issue which, for the most part, they solvr
Seems like Bombardier did a better job across the pond with our "multilevel" coaches on NJ Transit and the ALP-46 and ALP-45DP locomotives.
I like that it is possible to walk trough the other coaches on 2 different levels on this train.
Great video as always, thanks. A shame about the shaking of the train and putting that rubbish bin right by the seat is just plain stupid. Sadly, eating in Swiss restaurants is pretty expensive everywhere in the country, not just on trains. We love going to Switzerland (mainly for the railways) but tend to get a self-catering apartment so we can cut the cost of eating a bit (if we're in Bern our good friends usually let us use their 'spare' apartment). A beautiful country but not cheap.
Bombardier isn’t a Swiss company.
After many of bugfixes it becomes bester and better. But still in some of the twintex is it like a bit in a boat with Waves. The biggest Issue is the entry Section. People in Wheelchairs experienced that the small Ramp can be a hughe Problem. This can't be fixed easy.
The scenery is very nice, but got let down by rain....
Anyway there is another train service from Genève to Zürich Hauptbahnhof, IC5 service via Biel/Bienne. SBB uses ICN train on that route. ICN stands for Intercity Neigezug, German translation for Intercity tilting train.
Looks like there is a lot of things hey need to make better. Not sure I would be happy with this train ride. Thanks for sharing. I always enjoy your videos. You do an exceptional job!!!
Face-to-face seating is standard in Switzerland - but therefore the train windows are matching the seating pattern in Switzerland.
tres beau train j'adore merci simpli railway
Just finished spending 3 weeks on holiday in Switzerland during which I rode trains almost every day. Frankly, I think you’re exaggerating. Yes, the Twindexx had a troubled introduction. But it all seems to have been sorted out now. Ride quality is not appreciably different from the IC2000/2020. And the fitout is really good. If you want a real disaster of a Swiss train, there was the “horror” of the ‘Cisalpino’ ETR470s - they used to break down so often that spare sets would be parked at Lugano to make sure journeys between Zürich and Milan could be completed!
I remember those pieces of crap sitting on a siding in Wintertur (between Zürich and St. Gallen) for a long time. I usually drive but if I should need to go to Geneva, I'd look for a bargain
Swiss trains I’ve been on have been super smooth and quiet. This one seemed kind of loud and rumbling.
Bombardier make the Twindexx, it’s not a Swiss company.
@@ilovesuisse1 yep I know
The level boarding looks pretty good.
14:40 Boulder, Colorado baseball cap. Whoo-hoo! I totally screwed up going into programming, but TH-cam didn't exist when I was college age.
If it is even possible, which I didn't even think it was possible, it looked like there was even less padding on those train seats than Adelaide suburban trains, and believe that is next to impossible seeing at the seat 'padding' there is like an inch of hard foam under some very thin fabric.
The company that made these trains are a Canadian-German company, not Swiss at all.
Nice review, now I’m hungry for a Swiss train dining car meal, that looked good.
It can get expensive
True, Switzerland is a pricey place.
Hello simply railway. I would want to ask you how long you are staying in Zurich.
Twindexx isch so geil, ich han grad es Set vo Roco vorbstellt und hoffe, dass na was in Spur 1 usechumt. Eventuell vo Kiss oder so :)
Angenehmes, informatives Video. Speisewagen gut, aber teuer, wie fast alle schweizer Restaurants. War die Ankunft in Zürich im Hauptbahnhof oder in einem der Tiefbahnhöfe ? Ich vermute in einem Tiefbahnhof (Durchgangsbahnhof), weil der Zug ja nach St. Gallen weitergefahren ist.
Ja genau, der Tiefbahnhof (Gleise 31 bis 34) ist ein Durchbahnhof. Der zürcher HB hat eigentlich 4 Gleisanlagen: der ursprüngliche oberirdische Kopfbahnhof, sowie 3 verschiedene unterirdische Durchgangsanlagen.
@@blancatravels Danke
Great video. Never been in Zwitserland. And 'training & dining' is truely great! Question, off topic. Ever done the train Paris-Est to Langres???
I take this train several times a week. It is generally very smooth and reliable and is at least as comfortable as the other models but the popular press have been hyped up against it by Stadler Rail who lost the contract and whose owner is a former right wing politician for whom anything "not Swiss" (ie Bombardier even though built in Switzerland) must be shit.
to be fair, in my opinion Stadler trains ARE better, and im no fan of the SVP 🤷🏻♂️ beside esthetics, many times Alstom/Bombardier trains broke down and got huge delays, while it only happened to me once that a Flirt died on me, and i use them WAY more than sbb or trenitalia other trains, i saw a giruno break down once, wasnt on it, but heh, it was the first month of service, i personally find this train bad, feels cramped even when empty, and compared to a giruno the ride is as bad as a flirt, and it takes loads of people in a giruno to make it feel cramped.. but my opinion is just that
Go straight over Biel/Bienne is more direct Line to Zürich.
😱 It seems to be a nightmare.
Amazing.
Ridiculous prices
I lived in Switzerland for 6 years and am trying to figure out how you traveled from Geneva to Zurich for only 37 euros without some massive discount! Are the prices you share on this channel always a heavily-discounted rate? There’s NO way to travel that far in Switzerland without some special rate. Can you please share with the viewers how you got such a bargain? Thanks!
Can easily find train-specific advance-purchase tickets for this price. Check upcoming Tuesday, for example. Found one for 35.20 CHF (no half fare card discount applied).
Yeah, that was a "dégriffé" ticket, usually the ride on 2nd class would cost about 90 CHF.
Try travelling Cardiff to London first class £360 for a 2 hour journey
Sparbillet, which you can purchase ahead of time, but you are forced to use this exact route and time. You get a sparbillet day ticket for the whole country for I think 50-60 CHF as well if you order it a week ahead.
@@andrewbutler6477 just looked now and next week it’s £100 Advance Single first class or £50 the week after. Not bad at all.
Great trip report
The $37 tickets are rare and at special times, count with $52 for the ticket.
I have travelled on many types of train within Europe and I agree that these 502 Twindexx are really not a good train and a backward step for SBB in terms of train quality with their uncomfortable and shaking ride. I agree that the IC2000 (IC2020?) are far superior and have always been a really good train. In terms of a modern multiple unit (triebwagen) then the Class 501 units that SBB also have are really superior and I think are comfortable units. 502 though :(
The interior design looks very nice, but there doesn't appear to be a lot of space, and with no overhead shelf for bags.
in america we call this a high quality smooth riding train
Why, are your trains shit?
simple answer, yes
Yes it does shake but at higher speeds it doesn't
Geneva to Zurich? I only go by ICN! The best way to travel by train in Switzerland! Like a rollercaster! ;o)
Very nice video. When did you travel ?
Nice video. I have two questions. Considering you travel a lot with the trains and often solo. How do you go about luggage on the train? Do you usually leave it on your place and go wondering around the train (if I understood correctly this time you took it with you)? And second question of all the trains you were on in your opinion which train has best dining car (I'm not talking so much about the taste of the food but rather dining car itself)?
I have this question, too, about luggage. I thought it would be safe to leave luggage in the rack near the seat but maybe not.
Personally I take my laptop and other valuables with me in a small bag but leave the big suitcase near the seat as I go to the restaurant.
@@uncinarynin Yes, I think that is a good plan.
There are actually 5 trains between Geneva and the Airport.