Welcome to #CrossBorderRail Day 13

Here’s today’s intro video - I’m off to Weißwasser and Horka

https://urbanists.video/w/dTwDkHFNCzR1HRHfGS8bfc

#CrossBorderRail Day 13 intro

PeerTube

Rail passengers are a bit dim sometimes

My RE 2 Berlin - Cottbus goes through the touristy Spreewald. But today starts at Ostbahnhof, not Hbf, due to engineering works. It stops at Ostkreuz on the way out of Berlin

What do *masses* of passengers do, inc many with bikes?

Rather than get on at Ostbahnhof (train stands 20 mins, large station) they all try to get on at Ostkreuz (smaller platforms, much shorter dwell time) - and many get left behind 🤦‍♂️

I appreciate the bi-lingual signs in the RE 2 to Chóśebuz gł.dw. but Brand Tropical Islands is rather disappointing 😉 Shouldn’t it be Ogień tropikalne wyspy? (DeepL doesn’t translate hornjoserbšćina so Polish will have to do!)

Some morning reading for you - in Dutch 😉

After my Dutch TV debut yesterday on NPO2 there’s now a long follow up piece in De Groene Amsterdammer - it goes into more depth: https://www.groene.nl/artikel/de-treinrenaissance

Wanneer krijgen we weer een écht internationaal spoornetwerk?

Het spoor moet het duurzame alternatief worden voor vliegen. Maar nationalisme bemoeilijkt de wedergeboorte van een Trans Europ Express. ‘Zodra je de grens over gaat, wordt alles ingewikkeld.’

De Groene Amsterdammer
Cottbus - Zittau train full of bikes. But it’s a Siemens Desiro DMU - these have the best overhead racks. So up goes the folded Birdy

#CrossBorderRail Train 56

RE 2 (95034)
08:35 Berlin Ostbahnhof - Cottbus Hbf 09:54
DB Regio AG Nordost

Average speed 89 km/h
Distance 117 km

Train type: Taurus locomotive, 5 double deck carriages
⚡️
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (just about step free)
🛜: ✅
🧳: 🙂 (double deck but many multi use spaces)
🧽: 🙂

#Deutschlandticket: ✅

#CrossBorderRail Train 57

RB 65 (68813)
10:04 Cottbus Hbf - Weißwasser(Oberlausitz) 10:35
Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH

Average speed 82 km/h
Distance 42 km

Train type: Siemens Desiro DMU, 2 carriages (not enough!)
⛽️
🚲: ✅ (and many on board!)
🦽: ✅ (step free)
🛜: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂 (the best designed DMUs for luggage space)
🧽: 🙂

#Deutschlandticket: ✅

Weißwasser. Here begins 70km of leisurely cycling to 4 #CrossBorderRail lines
This wasn’t what I came for. WaldEisenbahn Muskau
This was what I came for. The #CrossBorderRail bridge to Poland at Bad Muskau
Fürst Pückler Park and Schloss, Bad Muskau. Eccentric, but really nice. And the little town isn’t bad either.
Palm trees! Lions! Eccentric castle. Massive park. And you can just wander around the grounds, you don’t have to pay. Bad Muskau is worth a visit!

And if it weren’t cool enough, the 🇩🇪 🇵🇱 border bisects the park

This bench is right on the border line on the bridge

This place is a LOT of fun!

And on the Polish side there’s a Polenmarkt. And you can buy yourself a lion. And some petrol. Of all the borders I’ve been too this one is all the good and bad rolled into one!
Cabbages! Cigarettes! Dodgy looking pottery! Gherkins! Hair metamorphosis (whatever that is)!

The old rail bridge Muskau 🇩🇪 - Łęknica 🇵🇱, today a bike path

And the road bridge, further downstream. The metal roofs to the right are the Polenmarkt

#CrossBorderRail

Next former #CrossBorderRail line. As you can see from the map I’m right near it. But I can’t get to the edge of the Neiße due to a 🐗 wild boar fence. And from the drone there’s nothing to be seen - not even any bridge remnants.
@jon You can just about see the scar (actually slightly greener than the surrounding area) where it's been removed, I think.
@SoftwareTheron Maybe. I’ll Analyse properly once I’m home!