Here’s this morning’s intro video. Despite my slightly tired appearance I slept very solidly! https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/wXFL8muSo1wR5xhtJRk4ue
#CrossBorderRail South East Europe 2024 - 6/4/2024, 5:53:29 AM

PeerTube

Quick ride across Budapest under threatening skies…

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe 2024 Bike 15 of 38
Budapest Nyugati - Budapest-Kelenföld

Distance: 7.4km
Est. duration: 0:45

This bike route, mapped on Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/1522123426

#CrossBorderRail Budapest Nyugati - Kelenföld | Fahrradtour | Komoot

Jon Worth hat ein Outdoor-Abenteuer mit komoot geplant! Distanz: 7,38 km | Dauer: 00:28 Std

komoot
A MÁV classic V43 overtakes my train departing Budapest

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe 2024 Train 12 of 68
IC 812
10:12 Budapest-Kelenföld - Pécs 12:43
MÁV

Train type: MÁV V63 "Gigant" locomotive, 6 carriages
⚡️
🚲: ✅ (Hungarian railways are SUPER for bikes)
🦽: ✅ (needs ramp, it’s on board I think)
🛜: ✅ (in my carriage yes, but not all)
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂

It gets a top score, just about!

IC 812
10:12 Budapest-Kelenföld - Pécs 12:43

Distance: 222.2km
Average speed: 88km/h

4 stops:
Sárbogárd
Dombóvár
Szentlőrinc
Pécs

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-south-east-europe-v9-draft_1053482

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe v9 Draft

The routes for #CrossBorderRail South East Europe May-June 2024 - see http://crossborderrail.trainsforeurope.eu/ HOW TO USE THIS MAP Lines on the map show train, bus and bike routes - each plotted as accurately as possible. PURPLE and ORANGE lines are train routes. These alternate - one day purples, one day oranges. A different shade indicates a different train. GREEN lines are bus routes. GREY lines are bike routes - more details about these can be found on Komoot here: https://www.komoot.de/user/1897747552710 The full timetable for these routes is here: https://nextcloud.techpolitics.eu/index.php/s/ZjdP5YGH6ZS6ZHK Details of all of Europe's rail border crossings can be found in this map: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_838780

uMap
Link via @nordkommission - more legal cases in Germany against enduring non Schengen compliant border controls. Good! 💪 https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/grenzkontrollen-in-der-eu-aus-der-traum-von-der-reisefreiheit,UEeQeqj
Grenzkontrollen in der EU: Aus der Traum von der Reisefreiheit?

Acht EU-Staaten führen aktuell Grenzkontrollen durch. Darunter auch Deutschland. Obwohl diese eigentlich innerhalb des Schengenraums seit Jahrzehnten abgeschafft sind. Eine Doktorandin klagt nun dagegen.

BR24

Hmmm

This train to Pécs isn’t great

Between Sárbogárd and Dombóvár it’s single track and quite slow and bumpy. The modern IC+ carriage has nice seats but lots of things rattle. I’d somehow sooner have a real branch line train than this quasi InterCity!

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe 2024 Train 13 of 68
R 7305
12:50 Pécs - Beli Manastir 13:53
MÁV

Train type: MÁV Bzmot railbuses (3 coupled)
⛽️
🚲: ❓(not officially but there’s space)
🦽: ⛔️
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😐 (high narrow entrances, on board it’s ok)
🧽: 😐 (grimy)

R 7305
12:50 Pécs - Beli Manastir 13:53

Distance: 53.1km
Average speed: 51km/h

12 stops:
Pécs-Külváros
Pécsbánya-Rendező
Pécsudvard
Szőkéd
Áta
Kistótfalu
Vokány
Palkonya
Villánykövesd
Villány
Magyarbóly
Beli Manastir

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-south-east-europe-v9-draft_1053482#11/45.9227/18.4103
6211

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe v9 Draft

The routes for #CrossBorderRail South East Europe May-June 2024 - see http://crossborderrail.trainsforeurope.eu/ HOW TO USE THIS MAP Lines on the map show train, bus and bike routes - each plotted as accurately as possible. PURPLE and ORANGE lines are train routes. These alternate - one day purples, one day oranges. A different shade indicates a different train. GREEN lines are bus routes. GREY lines are bike routes - more details about these can be found on Komoot here: https://www.komoot.de/user/1897747552710 The full timetable for these routes is here: https://nextcloud.techpolitics.eu/index.php/s/ZjdP5YGH6ZS6ZHK Details of all of Europe's rail border crossings can be found in this map: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_838780

uMap
Bit of confusion though - seems this might go only to Magyarbóly and I need a bus across the border… we’ll see (I’ve worked out a way by bike if I need it!)

Pécs-Külváros

Pretty sure no one got on or off here. Cool font though

Pécsbánya-Rendező

A hive of activity. But trees obscure the building

Train manager comes by. Typical Central European rail dude. I speak no Hungarian, he speaks no English, he scans my pass and all is cool 😎
More than 80km/h on a Bzmot? This is exciting. And bumpy.

Pécsudvard

More bus shelter than train station. A couple get on. The Bzmot’s engine scares a cat

Szőkéd

Brutalist station has seen better days. A dude with funky sunglasses gets on

Áta

A neat station building. A second track. But no people.

Kistótfalu

The tiny station was on the other side. So here’s what was on my side

Vokány

Palkonya

Neatly painted hut

Villánykövesd

An even better painted hut

Villány

This is where everyone was going. There’s even freight

Magyarbóly

So yes the train did end here today. Then it’s a bus across the border… But it’s waiting.

#CrossBorderRail unexpected bus

Magyarbóly - Beli Manastir

This is border 211
Beli Manastir 🇭🇷 - Magyarbóly 🇭🇺

Road borders around here are few. So the bus has to make a large detour - green line. Red is the train route.
#Schengen works here 🙂 No stop and no police at the border

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe 2024 Train 14 of 68
6211
14:25 Beli Manastir - Osijek 14:56
HŽPP

Train type: Macosa 7121 DMU, 2 carriages
⛽️
🚲: ❓(no official space but you could make it work)
🦽: ❓(pretty sure there’s no ramp, although platform is ok)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😐 (narrow doors, no space for large luggage)
🧽: 🙂

6211
14:25 Beli Manastir - Osijek 14:56

Distance: 27.3km
Average speed: 53km/h

4 stops:
Čeminac
Darda
Osijek Dravski Most
Osijek

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-south-east-europe-v9-draft_1053482#11/45.6594/18.6541

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe v9 Draft

The routes for #CrossBorderRail South East Europe May-June 2024 - see http://crossborderrail.trainsforeurope.eu/ HOW TO USE THIS MAP Lines on the map show train, bus and bike routes - each plotted as accurately as possible. PURPLE and ORANGE lines are train routes. These alternate - one day purples, one day oranges. A different shade indicates a different train. GREEN lines are bus routes. GREY lines are bike routes - more details about these can be found on Komoot here: https://www.komoot.de/user/1897747552710 The full timetable for these routes is here: https://nextcloud.techpolitics.eu/index.php/s/ZjdP5YGH6ZS6ZHK Details of all of Europe's rail border crossings can be found in this map: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_838780

uMap

These Macosa DMUs in Croatia might look ok outside, but they’re *grim*

The motors are insanely loud

Some have air con - a little less loud, but the air is very bad. This one doesn’t - air is better, but noise is deafening

Pro tip: the very front is the quietest there is. Still not great, but passable!

Overall though the infra here is better than I’d expected - on the whole Pécs - Beli Manastir - Osijek route

Replace the Macosa DMU with something better and run some fewer stops InterRegio trains and this would be pretty good

The reason I had a bus was some engineering works - so totally legitimate

Osijek

Croatia’s 4th city

And *nothing* happening at its station!

Ah. My train is a… bus

So that was an effing mess

Typical HŽPP

I went towards what I thought was my train (the only train there was) and asked. It wasn’t my train because my train was replaced by a bus between Osijek and Đurđenovac

And then the HŽPP guy got annoyed by my Interrail pass in a bus so cramped my knees are crushed in

Another passenger told me the reason: “emergency track maintenance” 🤷‍♂️

And really the zeal with which this HŽPP guy is checking tickets on this bus is quite something.

Generally when DB runs a Schienenersatzverkehr bus they don’t check tickets, a sort of “we know this is inconvenient, we’ll leave you in peace”. But not here.

A train! And it’ll run! 🤯

And I even have a half cold #BeerOnTrains

Personen im Gleis! ‼️

Ah no. It’s Croatia. It’s normal…

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe 2024 Train 15 of 68
780
17:47 Đurđenovac - Zagreb Glavni kolodvor 22:10
HŽPP

Train type: Končar 7023 DMU, 3 carriages
⛽️
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (if platform allows)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😍 (the most amazing overhead racks - a Birdy fits on there!)
🧽: 🙂

780
17:47 Đurđenovac - Zagreb Glavni kolodvor 22:10

Distance: roughly c. 210km
Average speed: c. 47km/h

18 stops:
Zdenci-Orahovica
Čačinci
Slatina
Cabuna
Suhopolje
Virovitica
Virovitica Grad
Špišić-Bukovica
Vukosavljevica
Pitomača
Kloštar
Đurđevac
Virje
Koprivnica
Križevci
Vrbovec
Dugo Selo
Zagreb Glavni Kol.

This train, mapped from Osijek the original route: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-south-east-europe-v9-draft_1053482#9/45.8259/17.3364

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe v9 Draft

The routes for #CrossBorderRail South East Europe May-June 2024 - see http://crossborderrail.trainsforeurope.eu/ HOW TO USE THIS MAP Lines on the map show train, bus and bike routes - each plotted as accurately as possible. PURPLE and ORANGE lines are train routes. These alternate - one day purples, one day oranges. A different shade indicates a different train. GREEN lines are bus routes. GREY lines are bike routes - more details about these can be found on Komoot here: https://www.komoot.de/user/1897747552710 The full timetable for these routes is here: https://nextcloud.techpolitics.eu/index.php/s/ZjdP5YGH6ZS6ZHK Details of all of Europe's rail border crossings can be found in this map: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_838780

uMap

Zdenci-Orahovica

One passenger alights. An elderly gentleman sits on a bench and observes. And on we go

Čačinci

A more modern building. Next to a massive silo. This was once more important than today. 2 get on, 1 off

This Končar built DMU (built 2019) has two roof mounted diesel engines. But the part where all the seats are is below these engines. The middle car without engine is the PRM toilet and multi use area…

The noise level is ok, but I have been in better

https://www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and-rolling-stock/konar-kev-dmu-enters-service/42090.article

Končar KEV DMU enters service

CROATIA: Passenger operator HŽ PP's first Končar KEV Class 7023 diesel multiple-unit entered revenue service on February 15, operating on the route between Zagreb, Varaždin and Kotoriba. The three-car articulated DMU is 58·5 m long. It has 151 fixed and nine folding seats, two wheelchair spaces, space for two ...

Railway Gazette International

Slatina

A more substantial place. Half a dozen board, 1 gets off

😢

Cabuna

No one gets on or off. It’s a charming little station with an impeccably dressed HŽPP employee there

This train is painfully slow

And peculiar

Normally when a train is doing barely 50km/h, the reason is obvious - the track is very bad

But we’re on smooth-ish welded track here. 80km/h ought to be doable!

Suhopolje

The station manager whistles and we’re on our way. With no new passengers on board. Neat station building too, and a manual level crossing at the exit of the village

Virovitica is the metropolis up next. It has both a Kaufland and a Lidl. I expect at least half a dozen passengers to get on 🙂

Virovitica

A more important town, and we’ve been hanging around 10 mins here waiting for the train in the other direction to pass. Nice light though

Virovitica Grad

Town is important enough to get two stations. This one is only important enough for 2 passengers though

Špišić-Bukovica

A proper platform. And some kids on mountain bikes

Vukosavljevica

There’s a bus shelter in the evening sun. But it does seem there’s been a little investment here!

Pitomača

Platforms renovated here too, and a few passengers

Kloštar

Evening sun on one passenger

Đurđevac

A solid station building

Virje

It’s now starting to feel less like the middle of nowhere

Karlovac

The #ConnectingEuropeExpress lives!

Big place. Lots of people on and off

Križevci

Modern station, line being rebuilt here

Vrbovec

More modern platforms. Once this Zagreb - Koprivnica line is done it’s going to be good! Not many passengers though

Amazing! HŽPP is advertising about the Agreement on Journey Continuation 🙂

Dugo Selo

Final stop before Zagreb. Works haven’t started here yet…

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe 2024 - 6/4/2024, 9:10:33 PM

PeerTube
@jon "taken care of" has a slightly sinister ring to it.
@jon How was the interior of the train ? Was it confortable enough for such a long journey ? It seemed me from a distance like an regional DMU…
@bilginveperk too long. It’s a decent regional DMU. Better than a Régiolis. But not good for 5 hours.
@jon I'm currently playing a game called Where in the World is Jon Worth.
@jon
Looks well functioning to me. I appreciate train or bus stops with seats and shelter from the weather
@jon Do you know Pontefract? 3 stations.
@jon
Virovotica is not a name one easily forgets. I *may* have had carp in a restaurant there when driving through in the late seventies.
@jon schedule made before track upgrades?
@ignaloidas No. The track is rated 60km/h. But we could go faster!
@jon huh

I guess track upgrades not codified yet then (though even those 10km/h would help)
@ignaloidas You’re being too logical I fear. Nothing has been done on these sections for *ages*, although the track is ok-ish. Upgrading to 120 km/h would be simple and cheap. But not in sight to do it…
@jon I just don't think that in a middle of a line full of tracks in bad condition there can be a section in a relatively good condition without any work done to it.

Though I guess miracles can happen
Ich denke oft an Piroschka (Film) – Wikipedia

@jon These are worryingly narrow platforms
@bwh Old Austro Hungarian style!