Book Great Deals on Train, Plane, Bus & Ferry Travel through my Omio Affiliate Link here: https://omio.sjv.io/QO0XMx
Hello and welcome to another video from Germany on the channel!
Today we will be taking what I think, is Europe’s BEST regional train. We’ll be travelling with National Express on their Rhine Ruhr Express RE5 service in First Class, but we’ll be taking a look at the very well equipped and flashy train… enjoy the video!
Date of Filming: 25/9/21
Camera: GoPro Hero 7
Operator: National Express
Departure: Dusseldorf, Germany
Arrival: Cologne, Germany
Cost: First Class €17.70 (£15.53, $17.68)
Second Class €12.00 (£10.52, $11.98)
A HUGE thanks to my Valued Channel Members:
Pedro Rubio Tejero Rahill Bhanvadia
BilalPlayz Mark Jaynes
Shouribrata Chakraborty Tamsen Kirby
Amillionbooks George Dover
Holdymar V. Arndt Jr Florian Booneiam
Fabricio Renovato Linda Vainomae
Will Getz Westy
James Marshall John Michael Dornoff
Eric D Ingrid Lengkeek
Oliver W Eng91755
Thomas Roell
Become a YouTube channel member to get access to special perks here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBqWe9KKYUavknEaaZLk7cQ/join
Kindly send me a tip! Any donations will be reinvested to make bigger and better videos:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/nonstopeurotrip
Here is the SBB dining car menu:
https://www.sbb.ch/de/bahnhof-services/waehrend-der-reise/sbb-restaurant/speisekarten.html
Follow me on Social Media:
http://www.instagram.com/nonstopeurotrip
Tweets by nonstopeurotrip
38 Comments
Now if only they wouldn't be constantly delayed 😁 (Speaking for the RE5 between Bonn and Cologne)
A double deck Desiro 👀
One thing I'm surprised you didn't mention is the Desiro HC's unbelievable acceleration (comparable to light rail metro trains). On the 50 minute section between Cologne and Aachen it can easily make up five or more minutes of delay on acceleration alone (when compared to loco-hauled stock and other EMUs). The trainset has a design speed of 125 mph, so it takes no time to get to 100 mph.
As for the capacity, if you're unlucky you'll find that these trains can easily hold double their usual passenger number. Not a fun experience though, unless you like to spend your time smushed against a window.
I live in Köln myself and every time im in the main station i always see it. I also have riden it like 7 times for Köln- Düsseldorf
Köln has a population of 1.1mil
4biggest city in germany after münchen, hamburg and berlin
I like these trains a lot. I was expecting NS to get these, but looks like they went for CAF trains instead. I don’t mind, I like variety on the European rails!
Nice clean and modern. Us Americans can just envy that’s about it. 😂 but the electric humming noise a bit annoying I found
I am happy that you liked the RRX so much. I live in the most eastern part of Northrhine-Westphalia wich is probably the part of NRW that is most far away from the Rhine-Ruhr-Area. But nonetheless we have two RRX lines connecting this region to this area (RE6 and RE11). Recently I took the RE6 from Bielefeld(where I live) to Dusseldorf and to Cologne and back and I really enjoyed the trips. It is quiet and most of the time it seemed reliable and it is very fast.
One funny story I have about this train is when I was on my way back from Cologne (to Hamm where I had to switch trains) and the train had to wait for passengers to exit the doors at some station so that we got a few minutes delayed. The train driver made an announcement where he angrily explained that the people should let the doors close when it is beeping. At the next station the same problem occured so he took the time to make another announcement where he thoroughly explained it again and appealed to let the doors close and that it would be better for anyone if we got back on schedule. At the next stations it went very well and after every stop he made an announcement where he was very happy and thanked the passengers for their coorporation and told them "You are the best".
Similar trains in Poland. Every year we enjoy travelling around..
These are also used in their 6-coach variant by Israel Railways and, once the complete overhaul is finished, be used by the state railways in egypt for commuter service south of Cairo! Exciting times lie ahead!
Thank you for an interesting video. I agree these are very good trains, but the SBB Class Class 511/12 units are much better, for they are double deck throughout ! There does seem to be trouble in Germany in keeping regional trains clean, for the Siemens unit you rode in was very new, and clearly National Express who operate that service are not looking after these trains properly.
These trains are owned by the state and rented to (currently) national express, or whoever wins the next tenders for the lines in question (for up to 15 years) – originally some were run by Abellio, but they went bankrupt, and so their lines were moved to national express as an emergency program to keep the trains running. I believe some other states have similar programs, but traditionally anyone who wanted to win those tenders had to bring their own trains.
For those who don't know, I believe national express is a private British business, and Abellio
iswas a subsidiary of the Dutch national railway.Uber envy…
If Deutsche Bahn took over RRX the Anna announcer voice is either kept or replaced by Ingo Ruff which is what an RE5 DB BR146.2 146.0 Dosto set has. The original endpoint for this route was Emmerich am Rhein the Border Station on the Hollandstrecke Duisburg Utrecht Route
I really likt these trains as well! However, if you want to travel with less noise from the engines, I would recommend one of the bi-level coaches, since the engines are located below the single-deck coaches at either end of the EMUs.
I have mixed feelings about them…
During the 9€-Period I frequently travelled with them when going southward and while I do love the free Wifi, the power plugs and the wheelchair accessible doors, I just want to have the old loco-hauled DoSto trains from Bombardier back. The seats were just soooo much more comfortable and you had a lot more privacy!
i drive this one everyday, its really nice
I like the RRX, but calling it "Europe's best regional train" is questionable when Switzerland exists.
awesome video!!
These are my local trains and they are worse than the old DB loco hauled double decker trains. The seats are much harder and the overall comfort on longer journeys was a lot better and the DB trains.
No view from the upstairs seats?
😊
I once did a short trip on this train from Dusseldorf Airport to Dusseldorf HBF
Slight correction the RRX scheme and the RRX Siemens Desiro HC trains are owned by the transport authority and leased for operation to initially 2024 to national express Rail Germany and abellio Rail NRW (subsidiary of the dutch state railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen). After in 2021 abellio Rail Germany went into administration due to the effects of the c thing and the fact abellio overbid themselves (samething happend to the German passenger rail subsidary of French railway company SNCF: keolis Deutschland) the operation was awarded as operator of last resort to national express till the end of the year 2024 afterwhich after North Rhine Westphalia might change the operting company once again.
RRX is the name that the NRW regional express network is destined to become… But that is planed for like in 10 years…
Compare it to TFL-Rail which did become the Elisabeth Line
Habt ihr immer noch Maskenpflicht in Deutschlad? Hier in Tunesien ist das längst vergessen. Alle die krank werden können sind es schon geworden (grinz).
Nice one 👍👍👍
I am from NRW and this Train is really mordern but because the Landtag and DB are investing innthe RXX projext,DB will be little and have many problems incthe future.Of course they make their way free and good for you but by this,they want to be big,bigger and even more bigger.Also the RRX makes the railway in NRW look boring with the same train,same things and same stupid announcements,by this there are not many other trains anymore in the future and there are no certain differences for every individual.National Express does not also makes eversthing right like the infrastructure and co.Every other brand is making their category look more other than f.e the RRX.We will for example also loose more lines by a high chance by 2030 and by this,the trainspozting world gets also more boring.Also by this the DB,wich makes everything more special (like every project is different and interresting) is loosing control over many things+the DB and other brands have more problems in the future to hold themselves up over the water.Also that it is the same day over and over again with the same thing is a bit sad. It is also a bit boting,that there isn the same lonely service everytime and nothing changes.That everything is the same,it is just the reality now but RRX is kinda like this Me:Ok now what about changes in the times or just something like some minor design and color sceme changes? NX be like:Hmmmm,ok 293837 days later:nothing happened.They also want to be good or perfect everyday but by this,they just give a #### to the service of the peopeles,wich are traveling with it everyday or just want to take a ride.Of course there are some upsides of the RRX and National Express but still,the railway will be REALLY different with a really big RRX.Also the infrastructure will have a big impact and the politicians of cities cannot decide so much and can colabrate with the RRX not that goof anymore.I could tell you more of this but it would take too much time XD.
This was my 'short' opinion on the RXX(by now).
Great to see a bike access logo on a railway coach
🚂💚💚💚💯👍726
nur in NRW nicht in Ganz Deutschland und seid wann ist die Deutsche Bahn die Beste
A favourite of mine too! I always liked the look and feel of the RRX. Due to it's stunning livery, classy interior and no-nonsense ride experience. The trains travel at high speed through a densely populated area, stopping only at key stations where many get on and off with relative ease. Almost giving the feeling of an Intercity. Lastly, its capacity offers a large amount of seats (except during the 9 euro-period obviously, where every RRX train between Düsseldorf-Köln-Koblenz and through the Ruhrpott was filled to the brim).
Compared to the other German regional express trains I experienced (of which DB, Westfalenbahn, BWegt, NordWestBahn, VIAS, etc.) I like this National Express service the most!
Great video : )
🤲🇧🇷🇨🇦🍋🍊🤝🤲🇧🇷🇨🇦🤲
Quick sidenote: these regional express trains skip quite a lot of small stations and are thus somewhat of an regional train – intercity Hybrid. I always love these trains, and they are better then the Dutch intercity trains imo. Only a shame they always seem delayed😅
the german bombadier doubledecker sets are way more comfortable
Das war ein sehr schönes Video
Its my favourite train
One very interesting point is that the train is operated by National Express a company who had so many problems running trains in the UK they were branded National Excuse. Clearly their problems stem from the British system rather than the company itself who seem to be fine operating trains elsewhere