Oct 16, 2026, 10:10 AMAnd today we have an *extra* bullshit meter, although this is more like gaslighting than bullshit
Talgo claims its trains for DSB are reliable, while in reality they are the least reliable trains in the company’s entire fleet
https://jonworth.eu/bullshit-meter-dsb-talgo-230-trains-are-reliable/
Oct 16, 2026, 10:18 AM@jon aren’t all new trains series (for an operator) “shit” in their first year of operation?
But I agree that Talgo should have kept silent until at least the numbers match the claim for a few more months
Oct 16, 2026, 10:21 AM@bix Even basic stuff - like the toilets and the interior doors - break *all the time* with these trains.
Their reliability is so bad in Spain they have to have engineers on board each service, still, years after the trains launched.
They build utter shit.
(And yes, all trains have teething problems, but some more than others)
Oct 16, 2026, 10:30 AM@jon I was on one of those Talgo trains just last weekend, and *on that particular trip* the Talgo cars were by far the most reliable element. The railroad itself was a complete mess.
Lowest point was when our conductor had to announce that our loco was needed for towing another train, which would have left us unpowered and without functioning toilets within a few minutes of that announcement. That fortunately didn’t come to pass, but imagine the mess if they even had to consider it!
Oct 16, 2026, 10:31 AM@gufo You got lucky. Last time I took one so many toilets were broken they made an announcement asking people to not go to the toilet between Padborg and Hamburg!
Oct 16, 2026, 1:24 PM@jon That’s quite a long time to hold it in!
And then the train is going straight back to Denmark…
Oct 16, 2026, 1:26 PM@gufo right. How long did they have to hold.
@jon on my London trip this summer I got to experience these trains.
What an embarrassment.
They are very uncomfortable to ride and the suspension feels like solid bars of steel rather than springs. And don't forget the information system that sounds like a computer voice from the late 90's.
These trains was approved to be put into service by so many people, yet no one seems to have stopped the process and rethink.
They where probably cheap to purchase...
@jon I hope the Comfort Jet don't join this club. It has still lots of pains and issues with the longer lines.
Oct 16, 2026, 3:01 PM@plactagonic it’ll be fine. ComfortJet is a solid product.
Oct 16, 2026, 4:04 PM@jon Less reliable than IC4? Is that even possible?
Oct 16, 2026, 4:09 PM@philip Overall, yes, hard though that is to believe!
@jon
According to this article https://probane.dk/talgo-vognenes-driftsstabilitet-markant-forbedret/ , the Talgo consists had an MDBF of 32253 km in September 2026. If this number holds up (DSBs September report to the ministry of transport should be out in a week of two on https://www.dsb.dk/om-dsb/virksomheden/rapporter-og-regnskab/rapportering-til-Transportministeriet/ ), the progression is
Nov. 2025 : 2246 km
Dec. 2025 : 3457 km
Jan. 2026 : 1942 km
Feb. 2026 : 4604 km
Mar. 2026 : 6955 km
Apr. 2026 : 5385 km
May 2026 : 3402 km
Jun. 2026 : 7262 km
Jul. 2026 : 5624 km
Aug. 2026 : 11795 km
Sep. 2026 : 32253 km.
For comparison, MDBF for DSBs other trains in August was
Double decker consists (4/5 cars) : 49721 km
Vectron locomotives : 26048 km
IC3 : 25494 km
IC4 : 6720 km
IR4 : 40794 km
S-train : 30409 km.
Oct 17, 2026, 9:53 AM@nj_kruse I know. But 1 non disastrous month does not equal reliable!
Also the article I link to says this, that Talgo is improving.
@jon I still haven’t managed to ride the Talgo trains, even though it feels I’m going between Sweden and Hamburg very often.