On today's cab ride, we are travelling on the EC 8 between Mannheim, Mainz and Cologne for the last time. With the Euro City of the SBB - Swiss Federal Railways, we are travelling along the left bank of the Rhine. The picturesque landscape with its rugged rock faces is particularly impressive in the middle Rhine Valley!
Unfortunately for us, the train is running late today. This situation is mainly due to a freight train ahead of us, which is holding up the EuroCity. The reason for this is the high priority of this train, which is why it cannot simply be overtaken.
Above all, the middle Rhine Valley is impressive due to the numerous castles and palaces that line the rocky slopes and give the valley a special charm. In addition to the already interesting rail traffic, we can also follow the inland waterway traffic during the journey.
But in the EuroCity 8, it is not just the view from the driver's cab that provides an interesting view; the panorama carriage is the highlight of the journey, especially for the passengers at the back of the train. From this carriage, you have a view of the beautiful valley and can enjoy the view, especially through the enlarged windows. Each of the EuroCity trains (EC6, EC7, EC8, EC9) had exactly one of these panorama carriages, some of which were also used for the Gotthard Panorama Express. All of these carriages are assigned to the 1st class and require a special ticket.
This panorama carriage also offers the most popular seats on the train in the Rhine Valley, which means that this carriage is almost always fully booked when the weather is nice. And for all railway enthusiasts, not only the panorama carriage is worth a look, but also the class 101, which has been pulling the train on the German side since then. This locomotive is also a discontinued model and will perform fewer and fewer services in German long-distance traffic.
In Switzerland, the train route is again pulled by the SBB Re 460, which pulls the train between Basel and Zurich.
Route: Mannheim - Mainz - Koblenz - Bonn - Cologne | Left Rhine route
Locomotive: Deutsche Bahn - BR 101 & SBB CFF FFS Eurofima & panorama carriage
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Think Rail wishes you lots of fun and enjoyment while experiencing the railway in a playful way! :)