ČD ComfortJet vs. ČD railjet train: the big Dining Car competition on the Berlin-Prague route

[@jmsmilfajt]

The current Comfortjet is a half-finished product. The finished one will have a Vectron-like Cab car with 1st class so there will eventually be 2 first class coaches, then a bistro car with 18 seats coupled with a second-class compartment with a possibility to order a food. First class passengers will have an automatic at seat service. The rest of the train will be more or less the same as Interjet, which is a good thing, as the 2nd class seats are better than in Railjet. It's just sad that the Business class is missing.

[@ylzerb6188]

ComfortJet will also be push pull once the cab car is finished. They will replace old coaches on EC trains, thats also why its not just called railjet as that is category of train on its own. So they are basically railjet sets, but wont be use on rj trains.

[@doc7austin]

ah that means the rear window onto the tracks will disappear :-(

[@markoobid2005]

From December onwards, all ComfortJet operated trains will be in RJ category.

[@doc7austin]

@markoobid2005 RJ - but only in czech republic ?

[@ylzerb6188]

@@markoobid2005 Source of this? Because i dont think it will. Also RJ is regiojet, rj is railjet.

[@markoobid2005]

@@doc7austin in Germany! Because EC is a "Produktklasse B" train equal to IC, and DB wants to make the new Comfortjet "Produktklasse A" equal to Railjet, ICE and ECE. As it's a close relative to Railjet it will get RJ category instead of ECE, which is used for SBB highspeed trains in Germany.

[@oskararndt5605]

They actually have a stove in the old dining cars. So some meals, especially breakfast is made freshly. That’s a big plus on my side

[@doc7austin]

oki, i wasnt aware of that

[@peterhempel3218]

ENDLICH! Ich bin vorgestern mitgefahren. Ein wirklich moderner Zug, mit dem es richtig Spaß macht zu fahren. Demnächst wieder auf der kompletten Linie von HH nach DD. Der jahrelange üble Zustand mit ausrangierten und dann fehlenden Waggons und vor allem den total veralteten 6er Abteilen ist vorbei!!!

[@vlastimilmaselnik]

This video will eventually require an update as this is comparing an unfinished product. As the other commenter said, ComfortJet will have a driving trailer and will operate as a push pull. There is several of them built already, undergoing testing and certification, one was shown at InnoTrans 2024. And there will also be a new bistro car instead of the old ones. All of the ComfortJets should be completed by 2026 and should operate not only on Prague-Berlin but also Prague-Berlin-Hamburg-Copenhagen, Prague-Wien-Graz-Villach and Prague-Bratislava-Budapest. ComfortJet is just a ČD marketing name. It's from the Siemens Vectrain line of products and it's based on the old Railjets, so, this pretty much is another batch of Railjet sets.

[@Icemanhist1]

With Taurus or Vectron loco?

[@bernardbouzon5499]

Vectron

[@doc7austin]

@Icemanhist1 good question

[@altavelmcnamara]

@@Icemanhist1 With Vectron certified to 230 km/h.

[@vlastimilmaselnik]

Obviously Vectron, they don't make Taurus model anymore. Siemens is clearly focusing on Vectron and it's variants and the whole "ecosystem" with their "VectrainReady" passenger coaches. ComfortJets should all have "Vectron 230 km/h" thats authorized for DE, AT, CZ, PL, SK, HU and soon DK. I do wonder if they'll eventually match the country authorizations with the standard Vectron MS that can go everywhere from Scandinavia to Italy.

[@Keikdv]

Personal experience: Railjets break down often, outside with the 1216's and inside with electric systems failling (no coffee, no heat, no lighting..). ComfortJets are new, and have learned from the designfaults of the Railjets. 193's are a much better traction, and old type locos can pull the ComfortJet too. See the use of the old dinning car. Those ....-ones with a lots of money can stay in businessclass. We, the ones that can just by a ticket, need value for money wich normal trains like the ComfortJet deliver.

[@NormanAllen-ps9ju]

Thanks for the comparison ( very little Diff.) I also like the dining and food views and reports !

[@doc7austin]

sure. the food offerings are quite good on both planes

[@marcelmuller8572]

Great Video. I think the blue RailJets are much nicer than the red ones, which don't even have a real Dining Car.

[@doc7austin]

personally, I feel I am more of a fan of the Railjet instead of the ComfortJet.

[@CalinFR]

Both "blue RailJets" (CD) and "red ones" (OBB) have the same dining car type.

[@marcelmuller8572]

@@CalinFR I've traveled with the reds many times, but have only ever experienced the very small bistro ones.

[@CalinFR]

@@marcelmuller8572 yes. And the blue railjets (CD), have the same exact small bistro ones. Comfort jet (which is different than the railjets, but still blue) has the big full dining car

[@doc7austin]

i like the red railjets from öbb even more

[@pietrovecchio8497]

oplà mi era sfuggito questo video e provvedo subito alla visione,al like ed al commento

[@doc7austin]

sure thank you

[@cig1705]

You are wrong about the classic restaurant car only reheating pre-prepared food. Fresh pork schnitzel and fried eggs are freshly cooked in CD's classic restaurant cars, whereas these items are not offered in the CD RailJet and will almost certainly not be available in the new ComfortJet bistro cars. Not sure how you missed this important difference. Another key difference is the much lower seating capacity of both RailJet and ComfortJet bistro cars (14 and 18 seats respectivey) compared to the classic restaurant cars (up to 30).

[@doc7austin]

never seen a freshly prepared pork schnitzel in the cd restaurant car; i will check next time

[@vlastimilmaselnik]

Is the ComfortJet bistro car info available anywhere? I was under the impression they didn't build one yet, though I might have missed that.

[@markoobid2005]

Answering your last question: ComfortJet actually is a newer version of Railjet, with Vectron cab and 2 cars more, when it's in full configuration (not yet). The "old" Railjets cannot be built any more, as they were built to older crash standards.

[@doc7austin]

yeah; 9 cars work better in high season between berlin and prague than the 7 cars of railjet

[@sellier-bellot22]

can't blame the meals !!! LOL🥸very nice scenery out there .

[@doc7austin]

jlv has some pretty good train catering in europe

[@samtrak1204]

The famous steak looks pretty small for my appetite. I guess I'd have to order 2 servings.

[@kevinellis8869]

Thanks for this comparison. Berlin-Prague is on my plan for an Interrail trip early next year, mid afternoon from Berlin, how will I know what type of train?

[@doc7austin]

check out the website fernbahn.de

[@samtrak1204]

Why aren't there power cars on both ends of the trains or a motor and cab car, I hate when train abruptly end with a coach although the rear window view is awesome.

[@doc7austin]

not all comfortjet cars arr certified for service.

[@jfmezei]

Will @doc7austin survive when all trains become push pull with no rear view? We are losing that in Canada as well.

[@doc7austin]

haha, probably not

[@samtrak1204]

How does ride quality compare?

[@eli55785]

Die Railjets werden doch aber nicht auch ersetzt oder? Sind doch bei 10 Jahren immernoch ziemlich modern. Ansonsten finde ich beide ziemlich gelungen. Oder welche von beiden findest du in der 1. oder 2. Klasse besser bzw. gemütlicher?

[@doc7austin]

die railjets werden nicht ersetzt, aber sie werden wg. bauarbeiten im elbtal für eine lange zeit in 2025 ersatzlos entfallen

[@jfmezei]

I notice comfortJet are rated to 200 while railjets are rated to 230. Does it make any different in travel time or are tracks limited to speeds that don't allow RailJet to ever reach above 200? As I recall "Railjet" is a joint venture with ÖBB, so perhaps the ComfortJet is a way to have a ČD train that is not tied to ÖBB in any commercial manner. Are they both Viaggios? But ČD got a lower priced one with 200kmh speed limit and fewer bells and whistles than Railjet ? or perhaps they were used carriages built at time Viaggios were limited to 200 and just got a refit of interior and repaint of exterior? Or do you know for a fact that the comfortjets were actually built recently?

[@doc7austin]

only on very few sections between berlin and hamburg could a train reach speeds of 230 km/h; i think 200 km/h are sufficient

[@vlastimilmaselnik]

ComfortJets are 230 as well, I guess they might be limited to 200 if they get pulled by the older multisystem Vectron, which I guess might be possible. Pretty sure ČD also ordered the new Vectrons that are also 230 km/h. I think the coaches used to be called Viaggio (and are certainly based on them), but Siemens announced new branding in July. Siemens Vectrain, made up of Vectron loco and Vectouro coaches. I guess they are trying to build a whole ecosystem with certifications for coaches that makes them "VectrainReady".

[@jfmezei]

@@vlastimilmaselnik The RIC markings on Doc7Austin's video showed the confortjet were rated for 200 while the Railjets were rated at 230. . (could be the same build and just different paperwork).

[@doc7austin]

@jfmezei i think 200 km/h is enough

[@jmsmilfajt]

@@jfmezei The black RIC marking is temporary until the set receives a certification for 230km/h which is only possible with a cab car and a pressure-tightness of the whole train which is disrupted by the temporary old dining car attached to the set.

[@altavelmcnamara]

They will be transformed into push pull sets soon too…

[@doc7austin]

no ! i still want to have the rear windows where you can see the railway tracks :-(

[@nonstopnormal666]

hopefully they will operate more ComfortJet train in the Berlin-Wien route

[@doc7austin]

Is the ComfortJet already certified to run in Austria ?

[@nonstopnormal666]

@@doc7austin hope it will be in the near future, since they look much like Railjets, and only 1 trip/day is too few for this interesting route

[@TheOriginal127]

@@nonstopnormal666 There are also direct ICE Train services which go via Passau + the Nightjet Berlin-Vienna takes also the route via Prague.

[@nonstopnormal666]

@@TheOriginal127 I knew, but the ICE-T is too cramp and crowd while the NJ working in Midnight is too dark to see the scenery. Beside the Berlin-Vienna through Czechia in the daytime is very interesting, so I think like that :3

[@TheOriginal127]

@@nonstopnormal666 Makes sense i also like the route via prague more than the ICE route. But still i don`t think that more Railjets will go further than Prague because of the frequent route via South Germany, but you can also just change the train in Prague and enjoy the classic Restaurant car of the Eurocity between Berlin and Prague.

[@71jdanziger]

I may have missed it if you showed it, but what was the amount of time to get from Berlin to Prague?

[@doc7austin]

a little bit over 4 hours of travel time

[@samtrak1204]

Does dining car serve enough bread with ham and cheese omelet?

[@doc7austin]

i think so.

[@blerimking777]

Muss unbedingt nächstes Jahr mit CD RJ fahren

[@samtrak1204]

Are info points ever staffed or are conductors hidng out someplace elae?

[@doc7austin]

usually, i saw conductors sitting there and playing on their smartphones.

[@samtrak1204]

@@doc7austin Amtrak conductors and engineers are fired for playing with smartphones on the job.

[@exploreSwedenswestcoast]

ヽ(͡◕ ͜ʖ ͡◕)ﾉ. Good morning, my friend! I really enjoyed the video you posted. Thank you for sharing such a delightful piece with us!

[@doc7austin]

you are most welcome !

[@tobs2470]

I'm not sure, I like the old carriages with compartments and the classic dining cars on the route more, it's a shame they get replaced. Yes, they are a bit dated, but the comfort of the compartment is just superior.

[@marcelmuller8572]

There are still many Trains with the old Carriages and also old Dining Cars. Especially to Slovakia or Poland etc

[@doc7austin]

@marcelmuller8572 three daily trains with classic Czech Eurocity cars operate between berlin and prague.

[@markoobid2005]

No it's not a shame, and compartments have literally NO comfort and far inferior capacity.

[@olasola1013]

@@markoobid2005 Would you rather as a loud group sit out in the open being a disturbance to other passengers, or sit in the privacy of a compartment where you aren’t disturbing anybody?

[@markoobid2005]

@@olasola1013 99,9% of passengers will travel alone in 10 years. Group travelling is a matter of past, just like families and people gathering at all. People need to be distanced as much apart as possible, and must not look into each other, so open cars with exclusively airplane-style seating or even newer configurations (like staggered seating, Grammer LL3000 style) are the future. And a compartment car has 14 seats less than open car, meaning it becomes overcrowded very fast, even more because passengers rather stand in the corridor than sit in already taken compartment. On the Berlin - Prague route it became even more visible last summers, when there were additional buses (!) organized because EC trains had not enough seats because of compartment cars. Imagine 5 compartment cars being replaced by 5 open cars (as in ComfortJet) and you'll get the difference.

[@UnterwegsinOesterreichundEU]

Yery difficult, I like the old railjets, because of the operation in Austria. Yery often used in Austria between Wien and Graz. I love the many extras what you get. I am interested in the new dining car (I wasn't at the Innotrans) The other coaches I already used them in my holidays, they are very very similar to the InterJet coaches. I can't decide it now.

[@Kletterhaus]

The new dining car looks more or less the same as in the first gen Railjet. The kitchen isn't fully equipped anymore, so the days of freshly prepared food are over.

[@UnterwegsinOesterreichundEU]

@@Kletterhaus I know, but the following things are freshly made: Railjet: Sausages Intercity/Eurocity with a bistro and 1st class car Type: ARmpee 829 : Sausages, Ham, Egg, Schnitzel, cucumber + tomato salad Older dining cars: Schnitzel with roasted potatoes, Roasted pork menu(see to the menu), cucumber + tomato salad, sausages, ham, eggs

[@areksmieszek8573]

The introduction of RailJet trains in the CD fleet a decade ago was caused by a decision made by the OBB. The Austrian carrier withdrew part of the order for these train sets and the Czechs bought the rest of them at an attractive price. The new ComfortJet trains, on the other hand, are a poorer version of the RailJet sets. The lack of a steering and catering cars provides a significant price saving. That's why I presume they decided to introduce a completely new product.

[@doc7austin]

ok, but basically railjet and comfortjet are pretty the same from a passenger perspective, except the comfortjet lacks a business class cabin

[@michaelknapp9091]

@@doc7austin The new control and restaurant cars (displayed at InnoTrans 2024) are not ready yet, will entering service soon hopefully.

[@nonstopnormal666]

@@doc7austin maybe the Czech doesn't have interest in that business class

[@areksmieszek8573]

The last time I travelled from Berlin to Prague by train was in 2019, it was a classic EC train. I think this route is one of the most beautiful in Europe. When it comes to choosing a train set, for me a classic set for this route is optimal. Traditionally, we have a 1st class car, a restaurant car and several second class compartment and airline style cars with various functions. Additionally, the railway track speed suggest that traditional trains should be used. In 2019 only between Berlin and Dresden for literally 10 minutes the train moved at 160 km/h, and most of the route was 100 km/h. RailJet and ComfortJet are sets that can travel 200+ km/h, so these parameters are not fully utilized.

[@avmz111]

I don't like new trainsets with scratching windows like the ComfortJet. Therefore my winner are the classic EuroCity trainsets.

[@doc7austin]

scratching windows - you mean with the special foam for better cell phone reception ?

[@avmz111]

@@doc7austin Yes. The honey comb pattern which distortes the view.

[@markoobid2005]

@@avmz111 it distorts nothing. It's just in nostalgics' heads.

[@venca2]

Love the classic dining car of the ČD ❤.

[@doc7austin]

i think these dining cars will be decommissioned soon

[@UnterwegsinOesterreichundEU]

@@doc7austin Ceske Drahy has one of the biggest choice of differnt dining cars. We Austrians would like to have this. In Austria have a very big dying of them, only (currently 3 Eurocity trains have one, on the plan- but unfortunately, we have the information " Ohne Bordrestaurant" :(

[@doc7austin]

@UnterwegsinOesterreichundEU öbb is better than DB in my eyes

[@іванлокотош-х9г]

😢😢😢 knedliki vkysnuje, hovezi polivka,taki je dobra,a kabina lokomotiva--yzhasnaya na vid!!!! Ye to spatni,cheshi!!!

[@venca2]

Je to dobrý 😊

[@doc7austin]

what do you mean ?

[@8492946able]

Is this also the hamburg to Prague service

[@doc7austin]

not at the moment due to construction work on the berlin-hamburg main line

[@bernardbouzon5499]

Never thought there was a business class on the railjet

[@doc7austin]

the business class on the öbb railjet (first generation / not for italy) looks even better in my eyes

[@bernardbouzon5499]

@@doc7austin but there is no business on CD sets

[@bernardbouzon5499]

The railjet sets are controversial in Czech republic

[@doc7austin]

why ? because they were very expensive or why ?