Jon WorthJun 16

Welcome to today's thread - 2025 #CrossBorderRail Finale Day 8 - 16 June - Bruxelles- Köln - Hamburg, onto night train

Today's new borders:
None - I've been to Aachen a few times before 😀

Borders map, inc. borders re-crossed:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_935041#18/50.71857/6.04204

Today's trains on the routes map:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#6/55.198/11.206

Show threadJon WorthJun 16
Semi refreshed after a rest day, it's time to head towards the two hardest borders I am missing - both Norway-Sweden. First it's back to Germany to an event in Köln, then Hamburg, and then onto the SJ night train to Stockholm, a service I have been meaning to take for years now but haven't yet!
Show threadJon WorthJun 16

Wave yourself up with this one this morning! Today's #CrossBorderRail music track

Nightrain
Guns N' Roses

I think I am going to need this to get myself to sleep on the SJ Night Train heading north later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMDljoM5JFI

Nightrain

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupNightrain · Guns N' RosesAppetite For Destruction℗ 1987 Geffen RecordsReleased on: 1987-07-21Producer: Mike Clink...

YouTube
Show threadJon WorthJun 16

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 37 of 152
ICE 11
06:23 Bruxelles Midi - Köln Hbf 08:15
DB Fernverkehr

Train type: Siemens ICE3neo Velaro, 8 carriages
⚡️ (3kV dc, 25kV ac, 3kV dc, 25kV ac, 3kV dc, 15kV ac)
🚲: ✅ (needs reservation)
🦽: ✅ (lift on board or ramp on platform, but not step free)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🙂 (well designed)️
🧽: ☹️ (it wasn't cleaned overnight and is full of beer bottles, and I cleaned beer off my seat myself. Train manager was apologetic at least)

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Show threadJon WorthJun 16

ICE 11
06:23 Bruxelles Midi - Köln Hbf 08:15

Distance: 222.9km
Average speed: 119km/h

4 stops:
Bruxelles-Nord
Liège-Guillemins
Aachen Hbf
Köln Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#10/50.7783/5.6476

#CrossBorderRail 2025 Finale

The final big #CrossBorderRail tour - to the eastern borders of the EU, and missing intra-EU borders. In June-July 2025. Each day of the project is a Layer in the map - these should be displayed by default, or if not click the three layered diamonds icon "Open browser" to the left side of the map. The icons are all for borders, roughly coloured to differentiate the borders. A cross through a track means NO TRAINS CAN RUN. A cross through trains but not track means TRAINS CAN RUN BUT NO PASSENGER TRAINS. And TRAIN AND TRACK (no crosses) means there is a passenger service.

uMap
Show threadJon WorthJun 16

Hey Bundespolizei in Aachen!

We have a person on board with known connections to the Chinese secret service, and a proven record of trying to bring down the German state in an anti democratic manner

If your border controls are any use, this person should not be let through, surely?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Krah

Maximilian Krah - Wikipedia

Show threadJon WorthJun 16

Here's today's intro video, filmed from Gare du Midi

But I was a bit sweaty from having cycled there!

https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/sM6yD7qkaDV2T9rLE5CEGk

#CrossBorderRail live stream - 6/16/2025, 4:15:13 AM

PeerTube
Show threadJon WorthJun 16

Meanwhile in France...

SNCF can now fine you up to €1500 for forgetting a bag somewhere

*YOU DO NOT STOP PEOPLE BEING FORGETFUL BY FINING THEM*

*AND NOT EVERY ABANDONED BAG IS A BOMB*

FFS

Let's make taking the train as nasty an experience as possible

https://www.journaldunet.com/patrimoine/finances-personnelles/1542323-hf1-nouvelle-amende-sncf/

La SNCF fait grimper le montant de ses amendes juste avant les vacances d'été : jusqu'à 1 500 euros

Les passagers des train et des Intercités risquent de payer plus cher qu'avant.

Show threadJon WorthJun 16
So either there were no border controls at all in Aachen, or the police are on board and boarded at the back and haven't got to me yet. But we're just about on time heading for Köln. Given the mess of the last week I'll take this, happily! 😀
Show threadJon WorthJun 16
Pottering around Köln for #CrossChannelRail this morning. Will complete the feed once I’m in the ICE to Hamburg shortly.
Show threadJon WorthJun 16
Waiting my train to Hamburg at Köln Hbf, one of Europe’s great stations. Today all is reasonably calm here, delays minimal.
Show threadJon WorthJun 16

On the point earlier in the thread about France's new fines for forgotten luggage, I think we should describe France has having a "passenger hostile railway" - as a term to describe how decisions are not taken in the passenger interest, the assumption of guilt, the hefty fines, the patronising announcements...

Is there a way to adequately translate this adequately into French? Wdzt @remi @tomtom @raph_v ?

Show threadJon Worth

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 38 of 154
RE 1 (26810)
10:20 Köln Ehrenfeld - Horrem 10:28
National Express

Train type: Siemens Desiro HC EMU, 2x 2 single deck and 2 double deck carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free into single deck carriages)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Jun 16 at 1:34pmWeb
Show threadJon WorthJun 16

RE 1 (26810)
10:20 Köln Ehrenfeld - Horrem 10:28

Distance: 14.7km
Average speed: 110km/h

1 stops:
Horrem

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#13/50.9345/6.8162

#CrossBorderRail 2025 Finale

The final big #CrossBorderRail tour - to the eastern borders of the EU, and missing intra-EU borders. In June-July 2025. Each day of the project is a Layer in the map - these should be displayed by default, or if not click the three layered diamonds icon "Open browser" to the left side of the map. The icons are all for borders, roughly coloured to differentiate the borders. A cross through a track means NO TRAINS CAN RUN. A cross through trains but not track means TRAINS CAN RUN BUT NO PASSENGER TRAINS. And TRAIN AND TRACK (no crosses) means there is a passenger service.

uMap
Show threadJon WorthJun 16

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 39 of 154
S 19
10:59 Horrem - Köln Hbf 11:20
DB Regio AG NRW

Train type: Adtranz, Alstom LHB, ABB, Bombardier 423 EMU, 2x 4 short carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free, although not all trains on this line are)
🛜: ❓(forgot to check, but I think only renovated trains have wifi and this wasn’t renovated?)
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😐 (not the best design, door vestibules are more cramped than they need be)
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Show threadJon WorthJun 16

S 19
10:59 Horrem - Köln Hbf 11:20

Distance: 18.4km
Average speed: 53km/h

7 stops:
Frechen-Königsdorf
Köln-Weiden West
Lövenich
Köln-Müngersdorf Technologiepark
Köln-Ehrenfeld
Köln Hansaring
Köln Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#12/50.9360/6.8378

#CrossBorderRail 2025 Finale

The final big #CrossBorderRail tour - to the eastern borders of the EU, and missing intra-EU borders. In June-July 2025. Each day of the project is a Layer in the map - these should be displayed by default, or if not click the three layered diamonds icon "Open browser" to the left side of the map. The icons are all for borders, roughly coloured to differentiate the borders. A cross through a track means NO TRAINS CAN RUN. A cross through trains but not track means TRAINS CAN RUN BUT NO PASSENGER TRAINS. And TRAIN AND TRACK (no crosses) means there is a passenger service.

uMap
Show threadJon WorthJun 16

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 40 of 154
ICE 1020
12:11 Köln Hbf - Hamburg Hbf 15:51
DB Fernverkehr

Train type: AEG, ABB, Henschel, Krauss, Krupp, Siemens ICE 1, 2 power cars and 9 carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ⛔️
🦽: ✅ (needs lift on platform)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Show threadJon WorthJun 16

ICE 1020
12:11 Köln Hbf - Hamburg Hbf 15:51

Distance: 436.9km
Average speed: 119km/h

6 stops:
Düsseldorf Hbf
Duisburg Hbf
Essen Hbf
Münster(Westf)Hbf
Hamburg-Harburg
Hamburg Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#7/52.266/8.399

#CrossBorderRail 2025 Finale

The final big #CrossBorderRail tour - to the eastern borders of the EU, and missing intra-EU borders. In June-July 2025. Each day of the project is a Layer in the map - these should be displayed by default, or if not click the three layered diamonds icon "Open browser" to the left side of the map. The icons are all for borders, roughly coloured to differentiate the borders. A cross through a track means NO TRAINS CAN RUN. A cross through trains but not track means TRAINS CAN RUN BUT NO PASSENGER TRAINS. And TRAIN AND TRACK (no crosses) means there is a passenger service.

uMap
Show threadJon WorthJun 16

The southbound EuroNight 345 from Stockholm to Berlin is still more than 2 hours away from Hamburg is currently +733, so over 12 hours late

They are NOT taking it to Berlin, it will be serviced in Hamburg

And this train ought to be departing north as EN 346 with me on it from Hamburg at 22:03

What is going to happen I wonder? 🤔

Show threadJon WorthJun 16

One of the most dangerous things you can carry in a railway station

This is S-Bahn so third rail, they might be ok. But one platform over it’s 15kV ⚡️

Show threadJon WorthJun 16

Departure of the Hamburg-Stockholm EuroNight announced 90 mins delayed just 25 mins before the departure, after having been informed earlier by SJ that "an unknown delay was possible"

There's nothing in the SJ app, and DB also knows no more than the minimal info SJ is giving them

It's lousy, but it's what you'd expect of this operationally shoddy EuroNight train

Show threadJon WorthJun 16

And now 10 mins later the delay is reduced by 20 mins.

Do they know what they're doing, or are they making this up?

Show threadMaartjeJun 16
@jon form experience on the other side they are making this up probably the people entering it have no idea what is going on on the train
Show threadTitia SchuurmanJun 16
@jon good luck to those people who thought they now had 90 minutes to go grab a proper meal somewhere...
Show threadMartin Kubler 🎲 Ⓐ 🏴 ⓋJun 16
@jon They're just making it up. Happened to me on my last two trips on that service. 🙄
Show threadMaartjeJun 16
@jon aaaaaaaaaaah (screams in railway safety)
Show threadCycling on RailsJun 16
@jon Yes but have you labelled it with your name and address Jon?
Show threadDanielJun 16
@jon see also: Hausordnung §1.19
https://www.deutschebahn.com/resource/blob/1173446/055df8164733107aabfe368525fb6a29/hausordnung-data.pdf
Show threadDebora Weber-WulffJun 16

@jon
There are even signs in the Malmö subway noting that balloons are forbidden!

https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/zvymao/of_all_the_things_balloons_specifically_are/

Show threadAnders NorénJun 16
@WiseWoman
Yes, but they weren't prohibited out of safety concerns but because lost balloons often got tangled in the overhead wires.
@jon
Show threadTrolli Schmittlauch 🦥Jun 16
@jon At demonstrations, I often see people running around with metal flag poles below tram electrical lines. I wonder how much safety distance is required there, and whether they're aware what they might be getting themselves into?
Show threadfJun 16
@schmittlauch @jon i know the rule of thumb of 1m per 1kV, since tram lines usually operate with 600-750V DC i'd keep at least that much of a distance. iirc there were a couple of protests where the cops told the operator that they need to shut down the overhead power lines due to people carrying flag poles (experience from driving a tram in berlin), but that rarely happened.
this source talks about half a meter though https://www.bgbau-medien.de/handlungshilfen_gb/daten/dguv/3/7.htm
(small edit for factual correctness, trams use between 600-750V and not 750-1kV as previously stated)
DGUV Vorschrift 3: Elektrische Anlagen und Betriebsmittel, § 7: Arbeiten in der Nähe aktiver Teile

Show threadYlönenJun 16
@schmittlauch @jon that's usually just 650-700 Volts as opposed to 1.5 - 25 Kilovolts on railway lines. Usually the safety distance for the tram lines is 1 - 1.5 metres. Quite often the flags don't fly that tall because carrying them is a heavy task even with no wind and the taller they fly, the heavier the task.
Show threadLu 🇦🇲Jun 16
@schmittlauch @jon tram lines are usually waaaay less dangerous than train lines, lower voltage, so less risk of an arc. Sketchy tho.
Show threadDannyJun 16
@jon A lost balloon would be the superlative of lost luggage and a 5000 euro fine in SNCF-land.
Show threadCharles FultonJun 16
@jon Mylar's not conductive, right? Right?
Show threadYlönenJun 16
@mackensen @jon if it has a metallic shine it's a semi conductor.
Show threadLach Anonym's PTJun 16
@jon when I was riding the Train Jaune, I wanted to open a can of cola on an open carriage... then my friend told me to not do that over the third rail
Show threadTrammell HudsonJun 16
@jon no balloons!
Show threadJos DingjanJun 16
@jon They’re explicitly banned on the platforms of Schiphol station, they kept messing up the running of trains through the tunnels.
Show threadKrahaborsJun 16
@jon instant fireworks.
Show threadrail 🦊 (sysadmin puppy)Jun 16

@jon hooooly shit sweet lord in heaven

It's like being one stronger gust of wind away from meeting high voltage on a deeply intimate level

Show threadTor LillqvistJun 16
@jon Enjoy your bus trip!
Show threadJon WorthJun 16
@tml Ha. No. Friends in Hamburg already informed. I will stay with them if I have to and take the first EuroCity tomorrow and a X2000 from Malmö!
Show threadSaareMarthaJun 16
@jon
What on earth as caused this train to be so delayed from Stockholm? Do you know?
Show threadSchleifleistenbruchJun 16
@SaareMartha @jon the trainset arrived in Stockholm 12 hours late: https://social.tchncs.de/@partim/114689152512925167
Martin Hoffmann (@partim@social.tchncs.de)

Attached: 1 image Nine hours was overly optimistic. Brake issues resulted in a speed limit in Sweden and then they seem to have run into another line closure due to engineering works. But all’s well that ends … eventually. The train did now arrive in Stockholm not even twelve hours late.

Mastodon
Show threadSaareMarthaJun 16
@Schleifleistenbruch @jon
WOW! Thank you for that
The absolute expression of a clusterfuck.
Show threadJonas BoströmJun 16
@SaareMartha @jon An extremely late arrival in Stockholm due to not making it across the bridge in Rendsburg before it closed.
Show threadacbJun 16
@jon Is this due to the previous trip not making it over the bridge in time?
Show threadJon WorthJun 16
@acb Yes, exactly. And the knock on impact of that.
Show threadvisionJun 16
@jon People on Reddit are also discussing the delay: https://www.reddit.com/r/drehscheibe/comments/1lcqc1n/einfahrt_des_extrem_versp%C3%A4teten_nachtzug_in/
Show threadonterofJun 16
@jon ouch! That delay might still be caused by the saturday night one which missed the last chance before the Rendsburg bridge was closed for construction.
Show threadJon WorthJun 16
@onterof yes it is, and associated staffing issues.
Show threadonterofJun 16
@jon what the heck, they really tried to run the 12 hour delayed on back directly, well ...
Show threadJon WorthJun 16
@onterof I don’t get why they didn’t turn around the bridge delayed one in Malmö! At least they’re turning around in Hamburg now not Berlin.
Show threadMaartjeJun 16
@jon 4h should be enough to service it 🤔 i mean that’s my personal record 🤣
Show threadJon WorthJun 16
@maartje but that assumes they have a plan. How do we know it won’t be stuck outside Eidelstedt for 4 hours? That’d be typical.
Show threadMaartjeJun 16
@jon i hope they have a plan… isn’t RDC responsible for it in Germany…
Show threadPatrycja (140N)Jun 16
@maartje @jon it is, the train crew usually swaps to SJ either in Malmö or Padborg, as far as i know
Show threadTrainfo.euJun 16
@jon 😳 I thought my +148 northbound (and about 2h extra which was planned) last Tuesday was bad.
Show threadPandaJun 16

@jon fingers crossed. Followed that development a bit from Malmö where I got stranded as all trains to Stockholm were fully booked due to a running competition and of course the one I booked I missed ;)

Right now minor problems north of Lund leading to some 30 to 60 minutes delay

Show threadJohnnyJun 16
@jon oh boy, I'm taking that train in like 6 weeks, I hope the experience will be better than that
Show threadTim RichardsJun 16
@jon wow, how does a train end up 12 hours late? Can't be the snow at this time of year. ;)
Show thread波鉄 (Hatetsu)Jun 16
@timrichards @jon Because it failed to make through Rendsburg before they closed the bridge for the night on its previous trip north: https://social.tchncs.de/@partim/114686249430501368
Martin Hoffmann (@partim@social.tchncs.de)

Attached: 1 image Nine hours is a pretty spectacular delay. (The bridge in Rendsburg was closed from 23:05 for engineering works which presumably was why the train was scheduled 45 minutes earlier than usual to make it through before curfew. But it wasn’t to be.)

Mastodon
Show threadTim RichardsJun 16
@HaTetsu @jon @partim Ouch. So did they have to take an alternative route, or just sit there until the bridge reopened?
Show threadJon WorthJun 16
@timrichards @HaTetsu @partim Sit. There’s no electrified alternative route.
Show threadTim RichardsJun 16
@jon @HaTetsu @partim I must say if I was in a single compartment and I wasn't in a rush to meet a plane or whatever, I wouldn't mind that delay. Must be a hassle for a lot of people though.
Show threadJon WorthJun 16
@timrichards a bridge closure
Show threadpuppyboy girlthing Jun 16
@timrichards @jon I was on that train actually - and it was kind of a collection of things, but like Jon said the initial thing was it being slightly (an hour and a bit) delayed and then missing the window to pass before nightly bridge works, and thus being stuck all night. this was two nights ago mind you, it's just kept that delay since, as it was late for the next service, etc
Show threadTim RichardsJun 17
@darkphoenix @jon Fair enough. Was the onboard cafe well stocked, or did they run out?
Show threadpuppyboy girlthing Jun 17
@timrichards @jon there wasn't one until Malmö at around 12 - before then all they had was coffee and nutritional bars. When we did try a cafe car the queue ran across several cars, but I think everyone got at least something though they did eventually run out (but restocked relatively soon after)