-
A transit blog by Camiel van Altenborg. Focus on maps/diagrams, data processing, and back-of-the-envelope math. European perspective, with a particular interest in long-distance rail.
-
Links
-
Useful resources
-
Blogs & news sites
-
Reddit communities
Is public transport always greener? Some tipping points from the back of the envelope
A chart showing energy consumption per passenger-km – ugh, OK, passenger-mile – for different American transit agencies and several types of cars (assuming single occupancy for the car) caused quite a stir on Reddit. Responses were skeptical, hostile, defensive, and … Continue reading
Posted in math
Leave a comment
Here comes the caravan!
After posting more and more transit nerd content – my own transit maps, but also analyses in text form – to LinkedIn and Reddit over the past year, I realised these platforms were getting too constraining and it would be … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
How much time does an extra stop take? The physics of train acceleration and braking
I’ve often idly wondered, while riding a train, how much extra time it costs to stop at a station as opposed to barrelling through at full speed. Simply looking at the dwell time (the time the train actually stands still at the station) isn’t enough – you also have to factor in acceleration and braking. Until recently I never carried the thought further than that, but in a recent flash of inspiration I did some research and found a few neat equations. Continue reading
Posted in legacy, math, rail
Leave a comment
Submission for the Dutch railways’ design contest
When the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) announced a design contest to create a new map of Dutch railway services for 2027, I couldn’t not participate. This is the mission I was born for! Continue reading
Posted in legacy, map, rail
Leave a comment
The new Swedish-Finnish cross-border link: a timetable analysis
[Originally posted on Reddit on 30-06-2026] Since I have a Finnish girlfriend my interest in travel options to Finland has obviously shot up. Visiting her family for the first time for New Year’s, I had a decent experience travelling on … Continue reading
Posted in international, legacy, rail
Leave a comment
The first (AFAIK) map of international railway services in Europe
An ambitious project – completed in March 2026 – that grew out of a personal frustration. Continue reading
Posted in international, legacy, map, rail
Leave a comment