Welcome to today's thread - 2025 #CrossBorderRail Finale Day 13 - 22 June - Oslo - Grums - Öxnered - Herrljunga - Falköping - Nässjö, onto night train

Today's new borders:
None

Borders map, inc. borders re-crossed:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_935041#11/55.5584/12.7750

Today's trains on the routes map:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#7/56.867/11.980

The geniuses at Trafikverket in Sweden have managed to close both lines from Norway (towards Stockholm and towards Göteborg) on the same weekend, so instead I am crossing the border by bus, and then heading south east across southern Sweden before boarding the night train southwards.

Here's today's #CrossBorderRail music track

Hugo Alfven: Swedish Rhapsody No.1 "Midsommarvaka"
Frédéric Zosso

Thanks @Jonas_Bostrom for this one - the right time of year!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvbq-kwulHI

Hugo Alfven: Swedish Rhapsody No.1 "Midsommarvaka" (Full Performance)

YouTube

Here's this morning's intro video, explaining what I am trying to do today!

https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/4HQeVoY3KhkfeQ6uNdJc9J

#CrossBorderRail live stream - 6/22/2025, 4:59:01 AM

PeerTube

Over there a recovery truck is picking up a FlixBus, presumably the one that was meant to operate my service to Grums…

We’re delayed 30 mins.

Now a further 30 mins delay announced

If I miss the train in Grums... my only option is to stay longer on the Flixbus, as far as Örebro

Might be an interesting argument: "Your bus was late, so I missed my train, so now you need to let me stay on it longer!" 🤔

It's almost like a real live case of the problems of Multimodal Digital Mobility Services the Commission is trying to legislate about!

#CrossBorderRail Finale Bus 12 of 22
Flixbus
08:00 Oslo S - Grums 10:36

Bus type: Volvo 9700, 2 axles
⛽️
🚲: ❓ (not officially, but there would be space in the hold)
🦽: ⛔️
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂 (hold is huge)
🧽: 🙂

But rather than getting us going a bit earlier, the driver is now smoking a cigarette

Priorities 🤷‍♂️

I simply do not see why anyone *by choice* would favour a bus over a train

Other than Lux Express in the Baltics (that strikes me as a genuinely good company) I’d very happily give all the others a miss

Edit: as people are going “but buses are cheaper!” - I get why then you’d take a bus! But if all else were equal?

I’m generally very resistant to vehicles having a physical impact on me

But once in a while the rocking of a bus - at some specific rhythm I suppose - just makes me keep on falling asleep

This is one such bus

I hope this doesn’t happen this way to the driver!

EL 15 locomotives parked up here in Grums. Built for Kiruna - Narvik iron ore trains, the remaining 5 now operate for Grenland Rail in Sweden

The design however… was much further developed in Romania by Electroputere (hundreds of similar locomotives still run there)

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 49 of 155
R 363
12:40 Grums - Öxnered 13:58
SJ

Train type: Bombardier Regina EMU, 3 carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ⛔️
🦽: ✅ (step free then lift up on board)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted 2nd class, compulsory reservation 1st class)

R 363
12:40 Grums - Öxnered 13:58

Distance: 128.2km
Average speed: 99km/h

4 stops:
Säffle
Åmål
Mellerud
Öxnered

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#9/58.8173/12.4036

#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
Train tracking in Sweden is good - you get data on interim points along the line too https://1409.se/position?tagNr=20363&trainID=4186313&datum=2025-06-22&lang=en
1409

Real time traffic information for trains in Sweden

Lots of passengers wearing dark glasses on this train 😎

Not sure if it’s because they’re hung over from Midsommar or think they’re too cool

Probably a bit of both!

Åmål

Where they mostly didn’t film Fucking Åmål https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_Me_Love_(film)?wprov=sfti1

But it is 314km from Falun, as per the station building

SJ’s hostility to cyclists is quite something

This is a modern EMU adapted for all sorts of passengers - including those with large luggage, those with pets, and those in wheelchairs

But there’s no bicycle space. You could even fit bikes where these bags are currently placed

90 mins until the next train. Time for a quick bike ride Öxnered - Vänersborg and explore the town a little

By the sea*!

Well, Vänern. A very large lake. There are seagulls though 😀

Ah here we go!

Jon’s back in Sweden 🎉

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 50 of 155
R 13835
15:50 Öxnered - Herrljunga 16:43
(Boarded at Vänersborg)
SJ Västtågen

Train type: ABB X 14 EMU, 2 carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅ (a Swedish train with bike places! 🎉)
🦽: ✅ (ramp on board)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂 (lots of multi use spaces)
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

R 13835
15:50 Öxnered - Herrljunga 16:43

Distance: 68.6km
Average speed: 78km/h

6 stops:
Vänersborg Central
Vargön
Grästorp
Vara
Vedum
Herrljunga

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#11/58.2291/12.6514

#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

R 184
16:53 Herrljunga - Falköping Central 17:08

Distance: 33.8km
Average speed: 135km/h

1 stops:
Falköping Central

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#12/58.1275/13.2866

#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

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 52 of 155
R 7249
17:19 Falköping Central - Nässjö Central 18:39
SJ for Västtrafik

Train type: Bombardier Regina EMU, 3 carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free then lift on board, but disabled toilet broken)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😐 (enter the wrong door and it’s cramped)
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

R 7249
17:19 Falköping Central - Nässjö Central 18:39

Distance: 112.4km
Average speed: 84km/h

9 stops:
Sandhem
Mullsjö
Habo
Bankeryd
Jönköping Central
Huskvarna
Tenhult
Forserum
Nässjö Central

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#10/57.9145/14.1216

#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

Sod it

Nässjö looks like absolutely Toten Hosen (German for: nothing happening) on a Sunday night

So I’m going to stop in Jönköping instead - which is more of a place - and then head to Nässjö to get my night train

Jönköping sur Mer

Who said you can’t have a rocking experience in Jönköping? You have religious bands! 😀

There’s probably no god, so stop worrying and enjoy your #CrossBorderRail

How is a hotel in Nässjö of all places full with a huge group of German retired people? What are they doing here, of all places? 🤔
Here’s today’s summary from Nässjö awaiting the night train south… https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/moYyBTuJGpPkYzsR8CaNYg
#CrossBorderRail live stream - 6/22/2025, 7:32:43 PM

PeerTube

How many trains can you put through before the night train?

Swedish rail: JA!

NIGHT TRAIN FTW!

Departing Nässjö +125 mins

Buffer for my connection in Hamburg Hbf 204 mins…

06:00

I should have been in Hamburg…

… but instead I’m only just beyond Odense

The 09:24 Hamburg - Frankfurt (Main) Hbf is likely gone

If I can get the 10:24 I *might* still get home today…

@jon Oh my, good luck! May the delays be ever in your favour...
@jon Sorry for being optimistic the other day, this delay is probably my fault...
@jon Is the second one a General Electric loco? Didn’t think they had those in Europe.

@acb @jon GE/EMD engined but not GE built.

That body style though was found in various European designs.

These days EMD is a well established supplier of locomotives in Europe (EMD model 66 notably)

@jon I remember a snowy winter day waiting for my train there and getting blasted with snow from passing trains. 😂 Looks better in summer to be honest!
@jon lol.
@jon (I just had a carriage full of German pensioners on the Bialystok-Mockava train yesterday and they were both unmissable and very missable once gone.)
@pony but here? There’s nothing here. Except a railway station.
@jon They're all over Scandinavia.
@jon Escaping the heat
@jon they want in on that tote Hosen action
@jon Bus tour through Scandinavia? It's not far from Astrid Lindgren's home.
@jon didn’t you say you were German and knew who Die Toten Hosen were earlier today? I thought it was a common knowledge that one should expect a German retiree in the middle of nowhere.
@xgebi Ha. All right. Touché 😀