Mastodawn

Jon Worth Jul 4

Welcome to today's thread - 2025 #CrossBorderRail Finale Day 18 - 4 July - Garmisch Partenkirchen - Pfronten-Steinach - Kempten(Allgäu) - Frankfurt(Main) - Brugge

Today's new borders:
Griesen 🇩🇪 - Ehrwald Zugspitzbahn 🇦🇹
Pfronten-Steinach 🇩🇪 - Vils in Tirol Stadt 🇦🇹
Future line - Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen 🇦🇹 - Füssen 🇩🇪

Borders map, inc. borders re-crossed:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_935041#12/47.5026/10.7822

Today's trains on the routes map:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#8/49.337/7.158

Jon Worth Jul 4

And it has all *already* gone wrong

+12 from Garmisch, and Pfronten Steinach to Kempten has a repair on the route, meaning it's a replacement bus

😡 😡 😡 😡

Jon Worth Jul 4

I think my best bet is to go to Pfronten, take the same train back to Vils, cycle to Füssen, and then take a train from there somehow towards Ulm...? 🤔

Jon Worth Jul 4

And I forgot to record an intro video, and it was raining in Garmisch

Today is not my day! 🤷‍♂️

Anyway here's today's #CrossBorderRail music track

Auf de Schwäbsche Eisebahne
Ulmer Lieder

Thanks @jim_easterbrook - it's a quite terrible song. But it's funny I suppose!

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

Auf de Schwäbsche Eisebahne - Ulmer Lieder #2

YouTube

Jon Worth Jul 4

Ultimately this whole timetable around here is simply too fragile

The train I am on - to Pfronten - departed +12 due to the delay to a previous journey. En route we have already delayed another train that had to wait for us

As we will be +10 in Pfronten, the train will then ALSO depart Pfronten late, so everything accumulates

Jon Worth Jul 4

A train

On the wrong line. But roughly the right direction 😀

Hell knows what the data is here. Or even where I’ll get off it!

Jon Worth Jul 4

So the solution - I think - is to stay on this BRB train to Augsburg, and board a ICE there

It's however impossible to get a seat on it, very high load DB warns me

But it ought to get me to Köln...

The advantage of Interrail + a bike + Germany not having compulsory reservation trains - I can re-plan all of this so easily

Jon Worth Jul 4

"Oh later on I could take a Eurostar to Brussels from Köln rather than a ICE!" I thought

Ah no

ICE "just get on!"
Eurostar "no pass holder seats available, full price - €99"

Jon Worth Jul 4

Also: thank goodness for reliable-ish digital systems

I know my Augsburg-Köln ICE is going to be packed to the rafters

So I will board the Frankfurt - Bruxelles ICE in Frankfurt instead of Köln as planned, so maximising the time I have a comfortable journey

There's simply no way in the pre-digital era I would have been able to do a re-planning this way - I'd have needed someone in a ticket office to assist me

Jon Worth Jul 4

Assessments! Well, before the next re-routing due to some DB dysfunction!

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 74 of 160
RB 60 (5508) / S 7 (5508)
08:04 Garmisch Partenkirchen - Pfronten-Steinach 09:24
DB Regio AG Bayern

Train type: Bombardier Talent 2 EMU, 4 short carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free if station allows, on board lift if not)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂️
🧽: 🙂️

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Jon Worth Jul 4

RB 60 (5508) / S 7 (5508)
08:04 Garmisch Partenkirchen - Pfronten-Steinach 09:24

Distance: 60.9km
Average speed: 46km/h

16 stops:
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Hausberg
Untergrainau
Griesen(Oberbay)
Ehrwald Zugspitzbahn
Lermoos
Lähn
Bichlbach-Berwang
Bichlbach Almkopfbahn
Heiterwang-Plansee
Reutte in Tirol Schulzentrum
Reutte in Tirol
Pflach
Musau
Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen
Vils Stadt
Pfronten-Steinach

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#11/47.4926/10.7766

#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

Jon Worth Jul 4

Then going back the wrong way, because Pfronten - Kempten was closed due to emergency engineering works...

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 75 of 160
S 7
09:36 Pfronten-Steinach - Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen 09:47
DB Regio AG Bayern

Train type: Bombardier Talent 2 EMU, 4 short carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free if station allows, on board lift if not)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂️
🧽: 🙂️
(same unit I just took!)

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Jon Worth Jul 4

S 7
09:36 Pfronten-Steinach - Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen 09:47

Distance: 7.5km
Average speed: 41km/h

2 stops:
Vils Stadt
Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#12/47.6406/10.4461

#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

Jon Worth Jul 4

Then 🥁 an extra #CrossBorderRail line! 😀

OK, this one is a bit contentious, but there have long been ideas to build a line from Vils 🇦🇹 to Füssen 🇩🇪, so I cycled roughly along the route of where such a line would go

#CrossBorderRail Finale Bike 13 of 43
Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen - Füssen

Distance: 5.8km
Est. duration: 0:25

This bike route, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#14/47.5591/10.6751

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 76 of 160
BRB RB77 (62745)
10:20 Füssen - Augsburg Hbf 12:13
Bayerische Regiobahn (Transdev)

Train type: Alstom Lint DMU, 2 short carriages
⛽️
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔
🧳: 🙂 (this was OK, although some LINT DMUs are terrible - BRB made the right choices)️
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Jon Worth Jul 4

BRB RB77 (62745)
10:20 Füssen - Augsburg Hbf 12:13

Distance: 102.7km
Average speed: 55km/h

16 stops:
Weizern-Hopferau
Seeg
Lengenwang
Leuterschach
Marktoberdorf Schule
Marktoberdorf
Ebenhofen
Biessenhofen
Kaufbeuren
Buchloe
Schwabmünchen
Bobingen
Inningen
Augsburg Messe
Augsburg Morellstr.
Augsburg Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#9/47.9696/10.7366

#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

Jon Worth Jul 4

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 77 of 161
ICE 596
12:46 Augsburg Hbf - Mannheim Hbf 15:29
DB Fernverkehr AG

Train type: Siemens ICE4 long version, 12 or 13 carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (lift on platform, backup lift on board)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂️

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

ICE4, top score!

Oh and ÖBB: rather than the total mess of the Railjet 2, you could have had this! It's also Siemens, and it is much better.

Jon Worth Jul 4

ICE 596
12:46 Augsburg Hbf - Mannheim Hbf 15:29

Distance: 298.6km
Average speed: 110km/h

3 stops:
Ulm Hbf
Stuttgart Hbf
Mannheim Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#8/49.226/9.665

#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

Jon Worth Jul 4

Problem though: we're +28 due to track works near Augsburg

And I have 19 mins for my change in Frankfurt... (don't blame me - this is already a re-routing because of the mess earlier!)

But I have found a way to sort of cut the corner - take another ICE from Mannheim to Frankfurt Flughafen, and get the Bruxelles ICE there, and if we do not accumulate even more delay that will work...

Jon Worth Jul 4

Rolling into Stuttgart

And remembering a good friend - Andreas Müllerleile - who is buried here after losing a battle against leukaemia a couple of years ago

For the EU folks among my followers: he was (@)kosmopolit on Twitter and had a blog by the same name

Jon Worth Jul 4

“This doesn’t look normal” I idly thought, looking out the window

Open OpenRailwayMap and we're doing some diversion north of Stuttgart and not using the high speed line

And this hasn’t been announced

FFS 😡

Jon Worth Jul 4

But now I am totally confused

That weird diversion before re-joining the high speed line at Vaihingen (Enz) seems to have added no time to the live prognosis? 🤔 Or is the live data wrong?

So was it planned in?

As it is... I am going to have 2 mins for a connection in Mannheim

🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♂️

And then if that works, 6 mins to connect in Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbf.

🏃‍♂️

Till Westermayer Jul 4

@jon Every second ICE goes around Stuttgart (stops in Esslingen / Vaihingen Enz) at the moment, but that seems to be incorporated into the timetable.

May the platforms be with you.

Schienensatzverkehr Jul 4

@jon With about an hour of planned time between Stuttgart and Mannheim this looks like planned diversion to me. "Usually" it takes only about 30 minutes.

@jon I really like that diversion, great valley

Jon Worth Jul 4

@wupatz nice views indeed. The bridge is cool. And I made it!

Julien Marchal Jul 4

@jon Check out the „true and utter mess“ of this. Those are all my next trips from Baden-Baden to Munich and back till end of year. EVERY DAMN TRAIN till 15.10.2025 will either be cancelled or timetables changed for me. Instead of direct routes, I’ll have to change trains with a 6 minutes connection time on way back and on the way to Munich DB tells me to use two different regional trains till Stuttgart and then only hop onto an ICE till Munich. Needless to say I’m extremely pissed

Jon Worth Jul 4

So the mess around Augsburg *was planned in* but the amount planned was not sufficient

The diversion to Vaihingen (Enz) was planned in as well - thanks @nordkommission @partim @_tillwe_ @mikey179 for the info! - and it was sufficient

So with some luck - and damn I need it - I might make the connection in Mannheim

Jon Worth Jul 4

Today:
1️⃣ Garmisch - Pfronten-Steinach - delayed incoming train (due to a signal problem)
2️⃣ Pfronten-Steinach - Kempten (Allgäu) - cancelled due to emergency track works (I didn't take replacement bus, & re-routed via Füssen)
3️⃣ Single track running near Augsburg - not enough time timetabled, delay results
4️⃣ Tunnel works near Stuttgart - looks like enough time was planned for this one

BUT problem 2️⃣ means I am running 2 hours behind, and if I don't get connection in Mannheim now that'll jump to 4

Jon Worth Jul 4

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 78 of 161
ICE 1094
16:04 Mannheim Hbf - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbf. 16:35
DB Fernverkehr AG

Train type: Siemens ICE4 long version, 12 or 13 carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (lift on platform, backup on board)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Distance: 71.9km
Average speed: 139km/h

1 stops:
Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbf.

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#10/49.7675/8.5261

And *it ran on time* - and that saved me!

Jon Worth Jul 4

I wonder if I’d gone and sat down with the train manager of the Augsburg - Mannheim - Frankfurt ICE he would have found this solution?

This would have also benefitted anyone going to Köln

But it wasn’t announced as a way to connect in announcements

Jon Worth Jul 4

Aaannnd….

Jon Worth Jul 4

ICE 12 is late

A delay in my favour! 🎉

It’s not here yet

Jon Worth Jul 4

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 79 of 161
ICE 12
16:41 Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbf. - Bruxelles Midi 19:35
DB Fernverkehr AG

Train type: Siemens ICE3neo Velaro, 8 carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac, 3kV dc, 25kV ac, 3kV dc, 25kV ac, 3kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (lift on platform, backup lift on board)
🛜: ✅ (and it works well)
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🙂️
🧽: 🙂️

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Extra points for comfortable seats, and friendly staff! Oh and running on time after Köln!

Jon Worth Jul 4

ICE 12
16:41 Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbf. - Bruxelles Midi 19:35

Distance: 391.2km
Average speed: 135km/h

6 stops:
Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf.
Köln Hbf
Aachen Hbf
Liège-Guillemins
Bruxelles-Nord
Bruxelles Midi

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#8/50.508/6.056

#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

Jon Worth Jul 4

Final train of the day! 🎉

And a #beerontrains

Jon Worth Jul 4

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 79 of 160
IC 2841
19:51 Bruxelles Midi - Brugge 20:50
SNCB

Train type: Alstom/ACEC M7 Bmx motor car, 5 M7 double deck carriages, driving control car
⚡️ (3kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (entry through a special staff operated door, step free)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😐 (OK as double deck designs go, but end up in the wrong part or the wrong door and it's cramped)️
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Jon Worth Jul 4

IC 2841
19:51 Bruxelles Midi - Brugge 20:50

Distance: 92.6km
Average speed: 94km/h

3 stops:
Gent St Pieters
Aalter
Brugge

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#10/51.0526/3.7717

#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

Jon Worth Jul 4

Obligatory Brugge canal pictures

Jon Worth Jul 4

And last but not least: today's summary video!

https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/dfui8paTpnBN21DGPyZ7Sk

#CrossBorderRail live stream - 7/4/2025, 7:12:25 PM

PeerTube

SaareMartha Jul 5

@jon
Lovely. Thank you. I went to Brugge on my 1st ever solo trip to Europe. It was miraculous

@jon that sky colour!

Jon Worth Jul 5

@pseudomonas I think the iPhone rather over exposed that! 😀

André Sintzoff ✅Jul 5

@jon I’m really surprised by the mention of ACEC. This company was split and sold in the late 80s: Alsthom (railways), Alcatel (telecom, space)…

Jon Worth Jul 5

@sintzoff it’s what Wikipedia lists!

Michael Brandtner Jul 4

@jon I've never had an IPA on a train. New life goal.

Sebastian Crane Jul 4

@jon On the topic of things called Delta, have you ever been to (gare de/station) Delta in Brussels?

Jon Worth Jul 4

@seabass I have. Concrete and more concrete! Not very pleasant!

Sebastian Crane Jul 4

@jon It isn't, is it? The Metro station Delta is much better. The SNCB station is seared into my memory though after a rather memorable day. I was going to Köln, but missed the metro connection at Delta that would have taken me to Gare Centrale in time for the ICE. So I rushed over to the SNCB station to try to intercept the ICE at Schaerbeek, but gave up at Merode when it was clear that wasn't going to work... And none of my rushing helped a bit when all the trains were cancelled due to the shooting on the day 😐️

Köln was lovely though when I finally got there 😃

Belgian police hunt for gunmen after Brussels shooting

Police say they are looking for "a small group of people, probably two or three individuals".

BBC News

Holgintheair Jul 4

@jon
Bin kurz vor dir auf der Strecke.

Jon Worth Jul 4

@holgintheair Ah that one pulled out of Flughafen as my train from Mannheim pulled in :-)

Uwe Trenkner Jul 4

@jon I am currently on ICE 12, too, in carriage 22. Nice to know we are sharing this ride. 👋

Filip Lachert he/him Jul 4

@jon does anything run on time in Germany?

Jon Worth Jul 4

@filiplachert not today for sure

Riku Voipio Jul 4

@jon @filiplachert track buckling due to heatwave?

Jon Worth Jul 4

@suihkulokki @filiplachert No, the worst of the heatwave is over. This is general other crap now. Signal problems, shortages of staff.

Markus Fink Jul 4

@jon That is the completely under appreciated HOLISTIC approach of Deutsche Bahn.

Patrick Dersjant RCX Jul 4

@jon Crossplatform, it looks like!

Martin Schröder Jul 4

@jon
Same platform in Frankfurt?

Shaun McDonald Jul 4

@jon @nordkommission @partim @_tillwe_ @mikey179 useful info, as I've had a notification from DB about a cancellation of a train from Stuttgart next week, asking 1.5 hours in Stuttgart. There's also rail works or similar just west of Osterburken causing issues too for us.

Jürgen Hubert Jul 4

There is something wrong in the northern parts of Germany as well. All sorts of trains on my route either don't stop at certain stations, or have been cancelled entirely.

Jon Worth Jul 4

@juergen_hubert A normal DB day in other words! (sorry)

There was a major issue with the signalling at Rathenow earlier, at the very least.

Martin Hoffmann Jul 4

@jon I think it might be planned. Your train was scheduled to leave Stuttgart fifteen minutes earlier than normal.

Nordkommission Jul 4

@partim @jon It is. Tunnel works between Kornwestheim and Vaihingen(Enz).

Martin Hoffmann Jul 4

@nordkommission @jon Be nice if it was listed on strecken.info and not just seventeen-and-a-half LST works in Vaihingen.

Frank Kleine Jul 4

@partim @nordkommission @jon It‘s on https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/bauarbeiten section „Fernverkehr“ as „Knoten Stuttgart: Halt- und Teilausfälle“, but you have to look into the details pdf of this entry to get the full picture.

All information in one single place? Nah, DB can‘t be bothered.

Baustellen

Hier finden Sie eine Übersicht über alle Baustellen. Sie können Ihre Auswahl nach DB Fernverkehr und DB Regio sowie nach Regionen filtern.

Frank Kleine Jul 4

@partim @nordkommission @jon (Of course, a single entry is not linkable either. Building usable websites, a lost art.)

Jon Worth Jul 4

@partim Is my train the only one diverted, or is every one diverted then? (So many oddities today I admit I have lost the plot a bit)

波鉄 (Hatetsu)Jul 4

@jon @partim Looking at bahn.expert, I think it's everything, has been since Sunday, today is the last day

Frank Kleine Jul 4

@jon Should be in the timetable though, this is happening since last weekend and was announced on the general construction information page beforehand. Reroute will go to Vaihingen, from there it‘s back on the high speed line.

Erik Wesselius Jul 4

@jon Ah that's sad to hear. I followed @kosmopolit on Twitter and he followed me.

@jon That's sad to hear. I followed him on the Other Site that we won't mention.

@jon I was fretting on my journey to Berlin next week, specifically if I should take the train or go by car. with DB doing things the way they do apparently, well ehh...

Michael Ummels (Trassenfinder)Jul 4

@jon Or Giruno, which has level boarding at both 55 cm (two doors) and 76 cm.