Thread by @felixdoublev

İstanbul here we come 😁 1/x

Day one will bring us from my hometown Delémont in Switzerland to our first stopover in Venice, closely following the route of the Simplon Orient Express after Lausanne.

So the trip begins with my typical commute, the RE to Bienne. Thankfully, after exiting the foggy Jura mountains, the visible Alp-peaks hint to a beautiful weather 😄

We continue to Lausanne in the typical IC5, getting a more clear glance upon the mountains ridge we’re supposed to cross later in the day.

Now we are heading west in the EC47 on the famous Simplon line, to cross the name giving Tunnel in direction of Italy.

Even on a Saturday, the line is full of freight traffic. Our EC47 cuts a bit through the regular hourly timetable at the costs of a regular freight slot, but this the only possibility to make this international product work.

We are now leaving Switzerland through the Simplon tunnel - which also means there is a mask mandate again 😷

I never realized until now how much space for luggage these ETR610 offer, especially for a tilting train. The overhead racks easily accommodate big suitcases.

And welcome to Italy. Do you notice something special here?

All the rails are chalked white - and probably just yesterday if we follow the “knowledge” of some railways “experts” on social media which I’m not going to name …🙃

The Wifi is good for Wifey 😬 ok Boomer to myself

Now following the Piedmontese shore of the wonderful Lago Maggiore towards Gallarate 🚅

Crossing into Lombardy

A little bit of faint « Porte donnant sur la voie » feeling before reaching Milano Centrale

And a 20ish stop in Milano Centrale, perfect for walking and stretching the legs a bit.

And heading back out of the station towards Brescia. Hopefully the engineer won’t get lost in this labyrinth of tracks 😵‍💫

Racing out of the city with this double decker commuter

And a visit at the @_DiningCar for Pasta by @elvetino is a mandatory delight 😋

The port of peschiera del Garda is a wonderful sight from this line. 🤩

Verona Porta Nuova - the views from this line are stunning 🫢

Ok but let me doubt about the efficacy of this part of the chalked rails 🤨

After 8h 30 of travel time, we arrived in Venezia Santa Luzia with a delay of 3 minutes. With this concludes todays journey ✅

Summary of day 1:
— 2 Interchanges (Biel & Lausanne)
— 717 km total distance
— 8h30 travel time
— 1 Meal in the dining car

Day 2 of the journey to Istanbul will first bring us to Villach to reach out connecting train, the Optima Express. But before boarding the Railjet bound to Vienna, let’s enjoy a bit the #bahnzeit in Venice Santa Lucia

We leave at 9:56 in a hideous Regiojet 132. According to the ÖBB website delays up to 40 minutes are to be expected because of construction work in Italy.

What happened here? Almost all of the cars are covered in these black smudges, almost like burn marks from nearby grinding. I will try to make a photo from outside at the next stop.

It seems we already have a delay of about 20 minutes ~ The reason is pretty obvious, we made a huge detour over Padua. The customer confusion system doesn’t indicate any of it except for threateningly showing arrivals in orange.

We arrived at Treviso with exactly 40 mins of delay. The customer information system has been updated, as it seems we will catch up the Daly until Villach - to be continued 🫢

Full horn emergency braking at Orsago. Two women were in the track area collecting fruits from trees. Time to admire these wonderful catenary support pillars.

Besides the very confusing customer information (displays, no announcements about any delays) there seem to be no staff except for the restaurant car attendants 🤔

In yesterday’s EC47 staff was careful to inform about mask mandate - but here almost nobody wears a mask.

Time to check out the @_DiningCar of this train. @unsereOEBB has a wonderful selections of food and a great service 😋

We are now reaching the alps again, crossing to Austria from tunnel to tunnel with short but sublime views in between.

We arrived in Tarvisio with a delay of 20 minutes. We are now waiting for the police to walk through the train and check whatever. Scheduled arrival in Villach at 13:22 with 13 mins of delay, let’s see…

Fun fact that I learned just now: whole line between Udine until Tarvisio Boscoverde is under control and supervision of the centralized traffic control center in Venezia Mestre. After the opening of the new double track parallel line, the former winding tracks were dismantled.

And we arrived in Villach at 13:43 with a delay of still about half an hour. Now we will get rid of our luggage (temporarily) and somehow kill a few hours until the checkin at the terminal.

For storing the luggage we are confronted with the analogue mentality of Austria. Despite offering credit card payment for the lockers, the terminal isn’t equipped with a card reading machine - so let’s hunt some coins…

On the way to Velden to spend some time by the Wörthersee.

The Strandbad Velden (thank you @taivas_ for that idea) is a great place to hangout, a dip in the lake and have a shower before boarding the Optima-Express, as later (unfortunately!) doesn’t have rolling stock equipped with showers.

Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof Wien Hauptbahnhof

Hallo wo gehts hier zum DB Autozug?

Nostalgia at the checkin counter, a very hand and paper process.

And this will be our home for the next 32ish hours 🥹

The loading the cars is finished, we will board soon it seems, yet still more than an hour until scheduled departure. But someone has to put the train together first I guess.

Still intrigued by the sole sleeper on the train, the rest are the usual mix of Optima Express couchettes

Boarding time

No #fensterauf 🥲 but the only sleeper and with ac apparently 😅

So this is the sleeper compartment we have been attributed. Unfortunately without open windows, the rooms are a furnace. According to the staff, they are air conditioned once the main engine is connected

The only two windows of the car give an exciting evening atmosphere

The engine came, was connected and omfg I was never so looking forward for that breeze of air from the vents 😅

Some other passenger asked the staff if he can relocate to a couchette car. No chance! The train is fully booked

Dear followers or readers, what is this company? Companie des Wagons-Lits? It isn’t related to CIWL I guess?

22:00, we are still in Villach Hbf. Rumor has it the wagon technician from ÖBB is late.

A trip to the dining car reveals a simple but reasonable menu.

And after having seen the full couchettes cars, I understand the utter luck and luxury of us having our own, now freezing cool sleeper compartment. Alhamdulillah

And we are moving! We left Villach with a delay of 90 minutes. On the bright side, this means we won’t have to line up at Kapıkule at like 5 am 😄

Summary of day 2:
We are now in the yard of Jesenice.
— 1 Interchange in Villach
— 352 km
— 3h44 + 3 hours in the Optima Express
— 1 Meal in the restaurant car

With this I say good night. let's see where we will wake up tomorrow. What do you think?

Good morning! We crossed into Croatia at 5 am, now at 30 km east of Zagreb. In total we made 290 km since the departure 8 hours ago. But because the suns rays are already hot and deadly, we will keep the screens shut a bit longer

The Schengen - EU Border in Donovan was simple, we were knocked awake, the doors of the compartment were opened, a few polite customs officers went through the train and checked the passports with a mobile reader.

Dobova I mean, of course 😅

Finally we could of the snooze just after Nova Gradiška. Oh is it wonderful 😊

We have our own washbasin, which makes me wonder, who ever shaved his beard in a moving train before?

Now mini serpme kahvaltı at the #fensterauf @_DiningCar 😋

The shunting yard in Vinkovci has seen better days. And we are now getting close to the Serbian border

We finally reached the Serbian border at Tovarnik - we are ready for the second passport check on this journey, while waiting comfortably in our compartment.

Hiding in plain sight: this wonderful water crane and tower.

Being stuck now almost an hour between Croatia and Serbia, it makes me wonder what kind of bureaucratic nightmare it must be to handle the transit of a few dozen of cars loaded up on a passenger train through 5 countries.

We left the border about an half hour ago, now slowly moving towards Belgrad at consistent 30 km/h. The staff sold some ice cream as snack - very welcomed 😋

Ruma train station

We are now merging with the Novi Sad - Belgrad high speed line. Let’s see if we can spot a beautiful Stadler product 😁

With about 5 mins of 100 km/h, this was the fastest we went since exiting Austria yesterday evening I think, now back at 50 😅

Standing in Batajnica, we can admire some local @HateNewbuild 😬 yes the door is located there, no it’s not the perspective 😅

Since we didn’t head south after Batajnica, this means we will cross straight through Belgrad! Great 😊

Choose your favorite at Belgrade center. Tidy Flirt or artsy ŽS 412?

Now we are winding through the Serbian hills and forests towards Niš

The emphasis lies on slowly

The summary so far: 19h since we left Villach and 716 km travelled, a little more than half of the distance to Edirne. The arrival is scheduled to 6am tomorrow Tuesday. But when will we arrive?

#kurventweet

RA2 DMU trainset in the evening sun. Still 100km to go until Niš

Again a #kurventweet but this time in the other direction

So it’s time for the second meal in the @_DiningCar, it’s fantastic 😋

Sorry I really can’t stop #kurventweet 🙈

Absolutely magical colors here in central Serbia 🤩

🥹🔊 railways ASMR

We arrived in Niš, let’s see when we will cross the Bulgarian border.

#bahnzeit im nächtlichen Niš

As we are getting pulled to the Bulgarian Border by a ZŠ 666, the weak Diesel engine unfortunately doesn’t provide enough power to supply the cars with electricity. No AC and no power outlets anymore until Bulgaria - in 3-4 hours.

But it sounds as great as it smell bad.

Summary of day 3:
We are now just out of Niš.
— still in the Optima Express
— 857 km in 24h
— 2 Meal in the restaurant car
Good night ✨

A good argument for electrification 😏 we climb with an average speed of around 20kmh, and the Zš 666 is roaring at full blast in the front of the train. Still 40 km to the border.

« Hallo hallo Passkontrolle »

After about one hour and a half at the respective border stations, we entered Bulgaria about an hour after we should have arrived in Edirne

Anything specific concerning the journey you are curious about so far?

A bit of waiting at Sofia central station. Rumor has it we will arrive in Edirne between 1 and 3 am.

Slowly slowly we continue easterwards, pulled by a double traction of BDZ Class 44 and 46 if I see correctly.

A class 44 shunting dangerously close to our track 😂

Here we go! (… for 10 minutes after we stand again in front of a closed signal 🤭)

A track as straight as cooked spaghetti 😵‍💫
Yes I know it’s not finished yet 🫣

Class 43 gravel train - and here we can very well see the length of the car trailers of the Optima “Express”

Talking about length, I calculated and todays Optima Express composition measures 456.5m (without engine). 9 Laaeilprs car trailers, 5 Bocmh couchettes, 1 WLABee sleeper and 1 dining car.

By the way, this year the Optima Express features WiFi. It worked in Austria and Slovenia, now the passwords don’t work and nobody know it 🤭

Shift ends for the train drivers, let’s wait for the replacement crew

After crossing Pazarzhik (a town name that doesn’t hide its Ottoman past) we are speeding consistently towards Plovdiv. The AC compressors stopped since the arrival in Bulgaria, but the ventilation is enough at bearable and cloudy 31’

Crossing Plovdiv main station, what a beautiful station building in stark contrast to the rest of the station

Since Plovdiv we are rushing towards the border with 80 km/h. The border to Turkey is only a hundred kilometers away, somehow I don’t believe anymore in the 1 am rumors.

Svilengrad Bulgarian passport check. It really has some Papers, Please vibe, but the check is thankfully within the train.

By the way, is there someone who has knowledge about older rolling stock? How normal is sewers smell for open system toilets? Especially in the sleeper, the AC emitted horrid sewage smell from time to time, mostly at low speeds. Is this normal or a technical defect?

And we are cleared to enter the Turkish customs checkpoint 😁 please notice the turquoise TCDD flatbed cars.

Turkey is in sight! 🇹🇷

Also the first Turkish cat 🐈🥹

The most beautiful Turkish stamp in my passport 🤩

A double traction DE24 @TCDDTasimacilik will pull us the last dozen kilometers to Edirne. I’m a firm believer in electric traction, but oh boy do they sounds amazing!!

The one and half hour stop at Kapıkule is finished and we are now on our way to Edirne, a trip of roughly 20 minutes.

From Kapıkule on you can already see the works on the international highspeed line connection that is being built to connect Istanbul with the rest of Europe

🙌

Summary of day 4:
We arrived with 13 hours of delay in Edirne.
— 494 km in 19h
— 1 Breakfast in the restaurant car
We'll rest a bit in a cosy local hotel, the last leg is awaiting us tomorrow morning at 8:17

Good morning! we are back at Edirne Gar to take our last long distance train, the daily Trakya Ekspresi between Kapıkule and İstanbul

The Optima Express is still here, but waiting on a different track. Our platform is crowded with passengers to Istanbul.

Here it comes (with a delay of 20 minutes), notice the “hybrid” engines because of the first kilometers without overhead line.

Oh no

The weak Diesel now removed, we blast through Thrace with 105 km/h, which feels insanely fast almost two days at sub-80 speeds in the Balkans. In the background you can see visible progress of the highspeed line.

Mandıra, the junction to Kırklareli

In general, the TVS 2000 2+2 cars for regional service are simple but definitely not bad, the seats are wide and feature huge legroom. The AC is powerful if the engine is electric (or for unelectrified routes, an additional power unit for electricity supply is added to the train)

Even if the line is in great condition, it’s only single line. Thus we are waiting in Lüleburgaz for a train to cross

Here it comes. Together with a near death experience for a few passengers waiting on the platform 🫠

A long intermodal train. Almost every track in every station was occupied by some freight train, and my guess is, that this is also the reason why the Trakya Ekspresi just runs once daily despite being very popular. The line capacity is completely saturated with freight to Europe

A #kurventweet Form Thrace. I really love these TVS 2000 compositions

Older buildings along the Baghdad railway. On this side it’s a bit more of a potpourri who built what how, will check later

Turkish derailment device.

Çerkezköy, on the one hand one of the most important freight stations in Turkey, on the other hand, a connection to the future highspeed line between Istanbul and Edirne

For example here from Çerkezköy towards east, but I really hope they will find an alternative for that level crossing 😅🤭

Trainception. Since Çerkesköy, the train is packed. The narrow corridor creates some “single lane” crossing challenges between the staff with the snack trolley and passengers with huge luggages. Back to the next crossing lane I guess 🤭

Some of the historic minor station buildings are in a wonderful condition though 🤩

Or passing loop is the correct technical jargon in English I guess

Rumor has it we are getting dangerously close to our final destination 🙏😊

Welcome to İstanbul (Halkalı) 😁

Ok now just a very very short ride until the last, proper final destination 🤭

Advertisement for the new (light rail?) railway from Kalzlıçeşme to Sikerci follow the old route. And a sweet bonus just to prove we are back in Turkey 🥹

And dear followers, we did it 🙌 after 5 days of travel, we arrived in İstanbul Sirkeci with our own self made Simplon Orient Express 😵‍💫🥳

Summary of day 5:
We arrived with 2 hours of delay in İstanbul (Halkalı), then continued by Marmaray to Sirkeci.
— 257 km in 6h
— 25 km in 30 minutes
Tomorrow I will tweet a summary of the whole trip, a few thoughts and then we can consider this Thread to be completed ✔️

We left Saturday 25th at 6:12 from Delémont and arrived in İstanbul (Sirkeci) Wednesday 29th at 15:00. In total we traveled for 5 days over a distance of 2’697 km in 60 hours of net travel time including delays (= ø 45 km/h)

we payed 415€ per person for all tickets combined, without
- the part in Switzerland, as both of us have a GA (general subscription).
- Hotel in Venice and Edirne
- Meals
The most expensive element was the sleeper / couchette for the @optimaexpress that was 600€ total

We could have gained a day by bypassing Venice and directly traveling to Villach via Zürich and the „Blauer Enzian“ EC, but this would have been a strong deviation from the SOE and also a bit more risky

Did we enjoy it? Definitely! (Maybe me a little bit more than my wife I will admit) If this thread inspired you to a similar travel, here are some tips:

- Get snacks and drinks, especially for the @optimaexpress. Even though most trains feature a dining car, having enough to drink (without bad conscience about the price) is very important. Note that if the Optima Express starts in Villach on a Sunday, all shops will be closed.

- get enough entertainment, download movies, get a book. Even if you enjoy the travel, there will some time to kill.

- Hygiene: plan it roughly. The public lake baths around the Wörthersee close to Villach offer showers, sometimes not in the vicinity of a changing room. Take your swimming gear, enjoy the time. Big wetwipes can help to freshen up in the Optima Express.

(Except for the lack of showers, the Optima Express offers good facilities. There are washbasins and the bathrooms are cleaned regularly by the staff)

Anyways, thanks you for having joined the journey in this thread. I strongly suggest to subscribe to my YouTube channel not to my the oncoming Serie about this trip 🙂

youtube.com/channel/UC7KNy…