Bikes and Trains

This colorful blob appeared briefly on my screen today, at Bruneck / Brunico in Italy, near the end of the final stage of the 2023 Tour of the Alps cycle race. So of course I had to find out about it.



Turns out it's a variant of the ubiquitous FLIRT (Flinker Leichter Innovativer Regional-Triebzug in German and Fast Light Innovative Regional Train in English), built by the Swiss manufacturer Stadler, and running on the Pustertalbahn / Ferrovia della Val Pusteria in the South Tyrol / Südtirol / Alto Adige autonomous province of northern Italy, where about 2/3 of the population speak German as their first language, and 1/4 speak Italian.



You learn something new every day.

The day's stage was won from the breakaway by Welshman Simon Carr, and the Tour of the Alps overall was won by a Brit whose team-leader is another Welshman - Geraint 'G' Thomas, so a satisfactory day all round.

[Super]

How do they 'Race' trains?

You could ask Bertie?

[Super]

Oh...my mistake...I must have misread it...I thought it was trains racing against each other.

Here's a nice-looking train that I spotted yesterday during stage 3 of the 2024 Tour de France, in Italy (don't ask!), travelling west towards Torino between Tortona and Alessandria.

A quick investigation tells us that it's a Trenitalia Caravaggio 'Rock' built by Hitachi Rail Italy, and named after the Italian Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. It entered service in 2019.

[Super]

Interesting looking train. I would be interested in seeing the inside layout out of the interior as it pertains to those doors and if, it is two levels.