Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> wrote:
> ...exciting news from the Carpathians as the first stretch of ETCS in
> Romania was commissioned (as in, turned on and operational) today. At
> only 35km, up in the mountains south of Brașov, it'll be operating in
> parallel with the Indusi ATP (standard on Romanian railways) for quite a
> few years yet, but as they say the journey of a thousand miles starts
> with a single step...
>
> There is another slightly longer stretch from the Hungarian border to
> Arad that is installed but yet to be commissioned, presumably it will be
> soon. Planned (as in somewhat higher than an aspiration but far from all
> in progress - although parts are) is installation on the entire strategic
> (for freight, primarily) route all the way from the port of Constanța to
> the border - although whether I'll live to see the day it's complete I
> rather doubt. Aspiration is the whole mainlime network - I definitely
> won't be alive to see that.
>
>
>
> In other local rail news - immediate plans were announced today to extend
> the existing mixed-gauge (standard & Russian) line from Moldova through
> to Iasi (currently gauge change facilities are on the border in the
> middle of nowhere), and to extend the line from Odessa to a new
> gauge-change facility somewhere near Galați, that will then allow through
> shipment to Constanța from Ukraine. (I think there is already an old
> Russian gauge line from Odessa to Galați, so that may be more a return to
> use, but that the gauge-change or transhipment facility will be new). And
> finally to extend the line at the northern border again with mixed gauge
> as far as Suceava, where again new gauge change facilities will be provided.
>
> All, obviously, intended to improve connectivity from Ukraine to the west
> for both people and freight, but also critically to maintain Ukraine's
> access to Black Sea shipping, via Constanța. That latter imperative is
> why I suspect the work at Galați will actually happen - the rest I treat
> with the healthy scepticism that should accompany all RO government announcements.
>

Just curious: have you noticed the much increased NATO air activity over
Romania? I can track tankers, intelligence and surveillance planes,
military freighters and high altitude spy drones (which won't be visible
from the ground). There must also be fighter jets being fed from the
tankers, but they generally keep their transponders off. Have you spotted
any MiG-29s? Or Typhoons?

On Thu, 21 Apr 2022 22:48:05 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
<recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:

>Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> wrote:
>> ...exciting news from the Carpathians as the first stretch of ETCS in
>> Romania was commissioned (as in, turned on and operational) today. At
>> only 35km, up in the mountains south of Bra?ov, it'll be operating in
>> parallel with the Indusi ATP (standard on Romanian railways) for quite a
>> few years yet, but as they say the journey of a thousand miles starts
>> with a single step...
>>
>> There is another slightly longer stretch from the Hungarian border to
>> Arad that is installed but yet to be commissioned, presumably it will be
>> soon. Planned (as in somewhat higher than an aspiration but far from all
>> in progress - although parts are) is installation on the entire strategic
>> (for freight, primarily) route all the way from the port of Constan?a to
>> the border - although whether I'll live to see the day it's complete I
>> rather doubt. Aspiration is the whole mainlime network - I definitely
>> won't be alive to see that.
>>
>>
>>
>> In other local rail news - immediate plans were announced today to extend
>> the existing mixed-gauge (standard & Russian) line from Moldova through
>> to Iasi (currently gauge change facilities are on the border in the
>> middle of nowhere), and to extend the line from Odessa to a new
>> gauge-change facility somewhere near Gala?i, that will then allow through
>> shipment to Constan?a from Ukraine. (I think there is already an old
>> Russian gauge line from Odessa to Gala?i, so that may be more a return to
>> use, but that the gauge-change or transhipment facility will be new). And
>> finally to extend the line at the northern border again with mixed gauge
>> as far as Suceava, where again new gauge change facilities will be provided.
>>
>> All, obviously, intended to improve connectivity from Ukraine to the west
>> for both people and freight, but also critically to maintain Ukraine's
>> access to Black Sea shipping, via Constan?a. That latter imperative is
>> why I suspect the work at Gala?i will actually happen - the rest I treat
>> with the healthy scepticism that should accompany all RO government announcements.
>>
>
>Just curious: have you noticed the much increased NATO air activity over
>Romania? I can track tankers, intelligence and surveillance planes,
>military freighters and high altitude spy drones (which won't be visible
>from the ground). There must also be fighter jets being fed from the
>tankers, but they generally keep their transponders off. Have you spotted
>any MiG-29s? Or Typhoons?
>
There were a couple of fighters with their transponders on last week
while being re-fuelled. No such luck tonight with a KC-135 that has
done about 8 circuits east of Krakov after coming out from Mildenhall.

Ah, maybe not - NICKL11 (no other description, maybe an F16?) looks
like it has just had a late night encounter with it.

Charles Ellson <charlesellson@btinternet.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 21 Apr 2022 22:48:05 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
> <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> wrote:
>>> ...exciting news from the Carpathians as the first stretch of ETCS in
>>> Romania was commissioned (as in, turned on and operational) today. At
>>> only 35km, up in the mountains south of Bra?ov, it'll be operating in
>>> parallel with the Indusi ATP (standard on Romanian railways) for quite a
>>> few years yet, but as they say the journey of a thousand miles starts
>>> with a single step...
>>>
>>> There is another slightly longer stretch from the Hungarian border to
>>> Arad that is installed but yet to be commissioned, presumably it will be
>>> soon. Planned (as in somewhat higher than an aspiration but far from all
>>> in progress - although parts are) is installation on the entire strategic
>>> (for freight, primarily) route all the way from the port of Constan?a to
>>> the border - although whether I'll live to see the day it's complete I
>>> rather doubt. Aspiration is the whole mainlime network - I definitely
>>> won't be alive to see that.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In other local rail news - immediate plans were announced today to extend
>>> the existing mixed-gauge (standard & Russian) line from Moldova through
>>> to Iasi (currently gauge change facilities are on the border in the
>>> middle of nowhere), and to extend the line from Odessa to a new
>>> gauge-change facility somewhere near Gala?i, that will then allow through
>>> shipment to Constan?a from Ukraine. (I think there is already an old
>>> Russian gauge line from Odessa to Gala?i, so that may be more a return to
>>> use, but that the gauge-change or transhipment facility will be new). And
>>> finally to extend the line at the northern border again with mixed gauge
>>> as far as Suceava, where again new gauge change facilities will be provided.
>>>
>>> All, obviously, intended to improve connectivity from Ukraine to the west
>>> for both people and freight, but also critically to maintain Ukraine's
>>> access to Black Sea shipping, via Constan?a. That latter imperative is
>>> why I suspect the work at Gala?i will actually happen - the rest I treat
>>> with the healthy scepticism that should accompany all RO government announcements.
>>>
>>
>> Just curious: have you noticed the much increased NATO air activity over
>> Romania? I can track tankers, intelligence and surveillance planes,
>> military freighters and high altitude spy drones (which won't be visible
>> from the ground). There must also be fighter jets being fed from the
>> tankers, but they generally keep their transponders off. Have you spotted
>> any MiG-29s? Or Typhoons?
>>
> There were a couple of fighters with their transponders on last week
> while being re-fuelled. No such luck tonight with a KC-135 that has
> done about 8 circuits east of Krakov after coming out from Mildenhall.
>
> Ah, maybe not - NICKL11 (no other description, maybe an F16?) looks
> like it has just had a late night encounter with it.
>

I wonder what the rules are for when fighters must turn on their
transponders? Maybe it's when they're in civilian airspace or in
recognised flight paths?

On Fri, 22 Apr 2022 03:44:20 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
<recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:

>Charles Ellson <charlesellson@btinternet.com> wrote:
>> On Thu, 21 Apr 2022 22:48:05 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
>> <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> wrote:
>>>> ...exciting news from the Carpathians as the first stretch of ETCS in
>>>> Romania was commissioned (as in, turned on and operational) today. At
>>>> only 35km, up in the mountains south of Bra?ov, it'll be operating in
>>>> parallel with the Indusi ATP (standard on Romanian railways) for quite a
>>>> few years yet, but as they say the journey of a thousand miles starts
>>>> with a single step...
>>>>
>>>> There is another slightly longer stretch from the Hungarian border to
>>>> Arad that is installed but yet to be commissioned, presumably it will be
>>>> soon. Planned (as in somewhat higher than an aspiration but far from all
>>>> in progress - although parts are) is installation on the entire strategic
>>>> (for freight, primarily) route all the way from the port of Constan?a to
>>>> the border - although whether I'll live to see the day it's complete I
>>>> rather doubt. Aspiration is the whole mainlime network - I definitely
>>>> won't be alive to see that.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> In other local rail news - immediate plans were announced today to extend
>>>> the existing mixed-gauge (standard & Russian) line from Moldova through
>>>> to Iasi (currently gauge change facilities are on the border in the
>>>> middle of nowhere), and to extend the line from Odessa to a new
>>>> gauge-change facility somewhere near Gala?i, that will then allow through
>>>> shipment to Constan?a from Ukraine. (I think there is already an old
>>>> Russian gauge line from Odessa to Gala?i, so that may be more a return to
>>>> use, but that the gauge-change or transhipment facility will be new). And
>>>> finally to extend the line at the northern border again with mixed gauge
>>>> as far as Suceava, where again new gauge change facilities will be provided.
>>>>
>>>> All, obviously, intended to improve connectivity from Ukraine to the west
>>>> for both people and freight, but also critically to maintain Ukraine's
>>>> access to Black Sea shipping, via Constan?a. That latter imperative is
>>>> why I suspect the work at Gala?i will actually happen - the rest I treat
>>>> with the healthy scepticism that should accompany all RO government announcements.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Just curious: have you noticed the much increased NATO air activity over
>>> Romania? I can track tankers, intelligence and surveillance planes,
>>> military freighters and high altitude spy drones (which won't be visible
>>> from the ground). There must also be fighter jets being fed from the
>>> tankers, but they generally keep their transponders off. Have you spotted
>>> any MiG-29s? Or Typhoons?
>>>
>> There were a couple of fighters with their transponders on last week
>> while being re-fuelled. No such luck tonight with a KC-135 that has
>> done about 8 circuits east of Krakov after coming out from Mildenhall.
>>
>> Ah, maybe not - NICKL11 (no other description, maybe an F16?) looks
>> like it has just had a late night encounter with it.
>>
>
>I wonder what the rules are for when fighters must turn on their
>transponders? Maybe it's when they're in civilian airspace or in
>recognised flight paths?
>
They are quite often on when over/near the UK (or at least the ones
that can be seen?) and flying around in ever-decreasing circles over
the North Sea. Probably a balance between the different necessities of
needing to be seen and not wanting to be seen. The rare showing of
fighters at most times does suggest they tend to "hide".
(Current military visible over/near Europe/Med at 0215Z - just one C17
and a drone)