Being an avid railway traveler and holder of a Swiss railway annual pass, it's relatively easy for me to compare the various trains circulating in our country. Indeed the Twindexx has improved a bit since its infamous introduction. It has become a bit less shaky and more reliable. But it still can't really live up to the expectations, as it was announced to be the SBB's new flagship train. This it is clearly not and will never be. Ironically you missed the best part of it: its onboard restaurant, as you were getting into the wrong set. Indeed it pays off to read the excellent new info screens on the platforms displaying the train formations. The restaurant is probably the nicest of all the SBB dining cars. It gives you a first class experience with a second class ticket. It's a pleasure to be on the upper deck watching the landscape pass by while sipping on your cup of ginger-turmeric tea resting your elbows on the white fine cotton table cloth. The main problem of the Twindexx is that the SBB tried to fulfill too many different roles with it. We call this an "Eierlegende Wollmilchsau", literally translated meaning an "egg-laying wool milk pig". By trying to cover too many roles, you end up with a product that is at best mediocre in many of these roles. It was expected to be a high capacity, high speed double decker tilting train with level access for the handicapped, suitable for business travelers, regular commuters, tourists, group travelers, families and their dogs, senior citizens with their hiking poles on weekend trips etc. This could only be achieved with compromises, and we ended up with a train that indeed is surprisingly versatile, but just mediocre in most roles: Yes it reaches 200 km/h, but which is at the lower end of today's high speed trains. It's tilting mechanism just didn't work. It was much too shaky and the SBB asked Bombardier/Alstom to deactivate it. So it's now not faster in any curves and can't reduce the travel time on some of the lines it should be doing so. Its level access had to be optimized, as some of the inclines around the doors were actually too steep to fulfill the regulations for wheelchair access. Travelers with baggage rightfully complain that there's not enough baggage space, particularly on the upper level as the overhead shelves are much too narrow to put in even a carry-on suitcase. Bike riders prefer the IC2000 with its spacious bike carriage to the Twindexxe's separated bike spaces that are often blocked with other traveller's baggage (reason, see further up in the text). First class travelers complain that it's still too noisy and shaky, senior citizens observe that the windows are smaller and offer less panoramic views than in the comparable Stadler Kiss double-deckers, the family car is not quite as nice as the one in the older IC-2000 trains etc... you get my drift. But in fact it's still a very versatile and useful train and it will perform well on many interregional- and a few intercity lines, It's just not really flagship material that should be used for true long distance, let alone on international routes.
Thank you for this interesting video. I really like the Twindexx Class 502 Dosto units. It is true they had many teething problems, but after settling down the SBB now claim them to be one of their most reliable trains ! You could have travelled in the rear unit, which had a full restaurant car service. I hope you take the opportunity to ride in another one !
Inbetween SBB has decided to adapt the boogies and remove the "WAKO" in one unit as a test. If this test is succesfull, they will adapt the whole fleet. So there is hope, that this trains become as smooth as other EMU...
Being an avid railway traveler and holder of a Swiss railway annual pass, it's relatively easy for me to compare the various trains circulating in our country. Indeed the Twindexx has improved a bit since its infamous introduction. It has become a bit less shaky and more reliable. But it still can't really live up to the expectations, as it was announced to be the SBB's new flagship train. This it is clearly not and will never be.
Ironically you missed the best part of it: its onboard restaurant, as you were getting into the wrong set. Indeed it pays off to read the excellent new info screens on the platforms displaying the train formations. The restaurant is probably the nicest of all the SBB dining cars. It gives you a first class experience with a second class ticket. It's a pleasure to be on the upper deck watching the landscape pass by while sipping on your cup of ginger-turmeric tea resting your elbows on the white fine cotton table cloth.
The main problem of the Twindexx is that the SBB tried to fulfill too many different roles with it. We call this an "Eierlegende Wollmilchsau", literally translated meaning an "egg-laying wool milk pig". By trying to cover too many roles, you end up with a product that is at best mediocre in many of these roles. It was expected to be a high capacity, high speed double decker tilting train with level access for the handicapped, suitable for business travelers, regular commuters, tourists, group travelers, families and their dogs, senior citizens with their hiking poles on weekend trips etc. This could only be achieved with compromises, and we ended up with a train that indeed is surprisingly versatile, but just mediocre in most roles:
Yes it reaches 200 km/h, but which is at the lower end of today's high speed trains. It's tilting mechanism just didn't work. It was much too shaky and the SBB asked Bombardier/Alstom to deactivate it. So it's now not faster in any curves and can't reduce the travel time on some of the lines it should be doing so. Its level access had to be optimized, as some of the inclines around the doors were actually too steep to fulfill the regulations for wheelchair access. Travelers with baggage rightfully complain that there's not enough baggage space, particularly on the upper level as the overhead shelves are much too narrow to put in even a carry-on suitcase. Bike riders prefer the IC2000 with its spacious bike carriage to the Twindexxe's separated bike spaces that are often blocked with other traveller's baggage (reason, see further up in the text). First class travelers complain that it's still too noisy and shaky, senior citizens observe that the windows are smaller and offer less panoramic views than in the comparable Stadler Kiss double-deckers, the family car is not quite as nice as the one in the older IC-2000 trains etc... you get my drift.
But in fact it's still a very versatile and useful train and it will perform well on many interregional- and a few intercity lines, It's just not really flagship material that should be used for true long distance, let alone on international routes.
Thank you for this interesting video. I really like the Twindexx Class 502 Dosto units. It is true they had many teething problems, but after settling down the SBB now claim them to be one of their most reliable trains ! You could have travelled in the rear unit, which had a full restaurant car service. I hope you take the opportunity to ride in another one !
Inbetween SBB has decided to adapt the boogies and remove the "WAKO" in one unit as a test. If this test is succesfull, they will adapt the whole fleet. So there is hope, that this trains become as smooth as other EMU...
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