Jon WorthNov 21, 2022

Sometime in spring 2023 I think I am going to attempt another #CrossBorderRail project - but this time a little smaller in scope - I am going to examine Germany's rail borders in more depth, esp. places I didn't go in 2022

Initial timetable - Google Sheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P4HrCO6uPLmLAHHk3R1OVw4L0CtiQQZ1lnyvMr1pzIE/edit?usp=sharing

Initial map - umap
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-de-2023_835860#7/49.249/9.859

Working out dates and funding will come next!

#CrossBorderRail DE - Google Drive

Show threadThilo BuchholzNov 21, 2022

@jon

I think another prime example for where EU intervention could have prevented a failure is the whole situation of rail between Maastricht and Lanaken/Hasselt with (a) a sunk cost of up to 32 mil € for a rail connection that was barely ever used, and (b) the plans for light rail (tram) connection between Hasselt and Maastricht that have been scrapped.

See:
https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20221112_97984081

https://www.trammaastrichthasselt.eu/nieuwsberichten/ (archive)

https://www.treinenweb.nl/nieuws/8397/definitief-einde-voor-goederenspoorlijn-lanaken-maastricht.html

If you find time ofc! :)

Trein van Lanaken tot Maastricht? Spoorlijn en Railport Lanaken liggen al jaren weg te kwijnen

Het kan bijgeschreven worden in het goedgevulde blunderboek van de overheid. In Lanaken ligt de Railport Lanaken er al jaren ongebruikt bij en gewoon weg te kwijnen. Net als de spoorlijn 20 trouwens. De sneltram tussen Hasselt en Maastricht zal er nooit rijden.

nieuwsblad.be
Show threadJon Worth
@thilosophus No, damn, just looked. Some parts of the track are still supposed to be intact. Will have to make a trip there next year sometime (as I will to all the Belgium borders I am missing)
Nov 21, 2022 at 11:57amWeb
Show threadThilo BuchholzNov 21, 2022

@jon Yes, some parts have still been maintained by ProRail (though not used). A good source on the history of this track that I found is also here: https://www.martijnvanvulpen.nl/sporen-naar-belgie/spoorlijn-maastricht-lanaken/

Just think this is a very interesting case study of "what can go wrong", as opposed to Heerlen-Herzogenrath (which runs quite smoothly since 2019). And then of course there's Maastricht-Liège which will hopefully finally run with the #LIMAX RE18 by the end of 2023... (angrily looking at 🇧🇪 here)

Spoorlijn Maastricht – Lanaken - martijnvanvulpen.nl

In oktober 1856 neemt de Aken-Maastrichtse Spoorweg-Maatschappij de spoorlijn tussen Hasselt en Maastricht in gebruik. Na een korte opleving zorgt de komst van de IJzeren Rijn ervoor dat de lijn voornamelijk al snel enkel van regionaal belang is. Bovendien krijgt de lijn in Maastricht vanaf 1903 een groot goederenstation en diverse bedrijfsaansluitingen. In april 1954 […]

martijnvanvulpen.nl -
Show threadJon WorthNov 21, 2022
@thilosophus My aim is *eventually* to assess each and every cross border line there is. And Belgium is such a mixed bag - some things OK, others awful...