To Paris for a meeting with Kai Tegethoff MEP first – before Kai tries to head to Portugal by train. My trip then takes me east (and likely delayed by border controls at Kehl) onwards to Marktredwitz on the border to Czechia. No new borders today though.

New for this tour: I’ve found a new way of linking to active map layers. So maps for the day should be easier to read.

Here’s today’s intro video: https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/mYHgR9gdBBcdpPaVHrqpJi

#CrossBorderRail live stream - 9/15/2025, 4:14:08 AM

PeerTube

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Train 1 of 74
TER 91371
06:39 Nuits-sous-Ravières - Montbard 06:48
SNCF for TER Mobigo

Train type: Bombardier AGC bi-mode MU, 2x 4 short carriages
⚡️ (1.5kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free if station allows, Nuits doesn’t, Montbard does)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 😐 (grimy roof inside, loo makes whole carriage stink. But it’s orderly)

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

TER 91371
06:39 Nuits-sous-Ravières - Montbard 06:48

Distance: 18.2km
Average speed: 121km/h

1 stops:
Montbard

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#13/47.6738/4.2743

#CrossBorderRail 2025 Conclusions Tour

The #CrossBorderRail 2025 conclusions tour - mainly to go to events, but adding a few new borders too. 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. All lines on the map are TRAINS, unless otherwise shown with icons along the lines - 🚲 for bike, 🚌 for bus, 🚗 for car, ⛴️ for ferry. Click each line to get basic information what it is.

uMap

App tip this morning

SNCF‘s main app - SNCF Connect - is generally terrible. Use @12train to book instead

And when travelling use Ma Gare SNCF - it gives useful information like where your carriage will stop before screens in French stations do

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Train 2 of 74
TGV 6760
07:05 Montbard - Paris Gare de Lyon 08:09
SNCF Voyageurs

Train type: Alstom TGV Duplex, 8 short double deck carriages
⚡️ (1.5kV dc, 25kV ac, 1.5kV dc)
🚲: ⛔️
🦽: ✅ (step free into lower level, lift down inside)
🛜: ✅ (and it's just about working)
🍽️: ✅
🧳: ☹️ (Duplex, so terrible. Thankfully it's mostly business travellers today)
🧽: 😐 (Rare for a TGV not cleaned properly inside)

🎫 Interrail: 😐 (needs compulsory reservation, costs €10 or €20)

TGV 6760
07:05 Montbard - Paris Gare de Lyon 08:09

Distance: 215.5km
Average speed: 202km/h

1 stops:
Paris Gare de Lyon

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#9/48.2351/3.3555

#CrossBorderRail

#CrossBorderRail 2025 Conclusions Tour

The #CrossBorderRail 2025 conclusions tour - mainly to go to events, but adding a few new borders too. 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. All lines on the map are TRAINS, unless otherwise shown with icons along the lines - 🚲 for bike, 🚌 for bus, 🚗 for car, ⛴️ for ferry. Click each line to get basic information what it is.

uMap
Rolling into Paris on time. I might dislike some aspects of how SNCF operates, but this Montbard - Paris TGV has solid reliability in general. #CrossBorderRail

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour 1 of 17
Paris Gare de Lyon - Brasserie à la place Saint-Georges

Distance: 6km
Est. duration: 0:30

This bike route, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#14/48.8614/2.3562

Oh it was the record breaking TGV

Fixing the Birdy is never done 😀

Hit a bump crossing Paris and the front reflector breaks off

(There are other reflectors on the bike so I’m still road safe)

Back in the city. And it’s a breezy autumn day. Perfect light.

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour 2 of 17
Brasserie à la place Saint-Georges - 23 Bvld Madeleine - Café les Deux Gares (Gare de l’est)

Distance: 2km
Est. duration: 0:45

This bike route, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#16/48.8738/2.3417

SNCF: let’s speed you to Strasbourg in less than 2 hours

Also SNCF: let’s design platform barriers so badly it takes everyone ages to get onto the platform 👏

Oh and send a rubbish truck through!

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Train 3 of 74
TGV 9575
13:54 Paris Est - Stuttgart Hbf 17:04
SNCF Voyageurs, DB Fernverkehr

Train type: Alstom TGV Euroduplex, 8 short double deck carriages (8 more to Colmar)
⚡️ (25kV ac, 15kV ac)
🚲: ⛔️
🦽: ✅ (but platform 27 isn’t step free - I assume there’s a lift)
🛜: ⛔️ (doesn’t work)
🍽️: ⛔️ (bistro closed today)
🧳: ☹️ (Duplex. Awful. Thankfully it’s empty)
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 😐 (needs compulsory reservation, costs €19)

TGV 9575
13:54 Paris Est - Stuttgart Hbf 17:04

Distance: 607.9km
Average speed: 192km/h

3 stops:
Strasbourg
Karlsruhe Hbf
Stuttgart Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#8/48.894/5.778

#CrossBorderRail

#CrossBorderRail 2025 Conclusions Tour

The #CrossBorderRail 2025 conclusions tour - mainly to go to events, but adding a few new borders too. 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. All lines on the map are TRAINS, unless otherwise shown with icons along the lines - 🚲 for bike, 🚌 for bus, 🚗 for car, ⛴️ for ferry. Click each line to get basic information what it is.

uMap

The passenger across the aisle from me here:

- travelling on Interrail (as per questions from the train manager)
- is charging their phone with a UK-EU plug adapter
- has a bottle of wine, a can of beer, and an electric toothbrush poking out of an opulent leather handbag
- has red nails so long typing is hard
- is at least 70 years old

Departing Strasbourg

I know a stop for illegal passport controls at Kehl is ahead

There's one obvious ethnic minority passenger in my carriage. The train is about 1/3 full. Let's see what happens...

😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

Yeah. Who did they control?

The ethnic minority person.

Fuckers, really.

I approached the police and asked why they only control ethnic minorities.

“She was the only one not to show her passport without asking” he said.

It makes me so effing totally fucking furious.

Every single time.

Racism pure and simple.

@jon i don't get why they don't check a couple of white people and make it look slightly less obvious that they are racist. But nope. They don't even hide it.

@jon I don't show my passport without asking, other than when I'm queuing at a passport booth in a port (the clue's in the name, eh? "pass" "port").[#]

Otherwise you're just acquiescing in advance to a police state.

[#] I have occasionally had to show my passport for domestic travel. Within Burma that was sort of expected ... but having to do so within ***FRANCE*** wasn't.

@jon french police or german police ? (or both?)
@jon Good for you, thank you for speaking up
@jon yes - nothing has changed, I went by bus from Barcelona to Denmark in 1983. Among the passengers were a guy from Africa - he was the one targeted at every bordercrossing to have his baggage controlled!

@jon Maybe it's time for a little practical joke? Talk to that person, and a few other fellow passengers. Gather around him/her, and when the Bundespolizei approaches, you all offer your documents, without asking. See if the police ignores you others and just checks the "obvious" one.

(Assuming you can find enough like-minded co-passengers.)

@jon professional traveler I'd say
@jon I meet screencap this and post it in the Facebook group for older interrailers and see if someone there turns out to have been sitting across from you
@IanMoore3000 The passenger seems to have alighted at Strasbourg
@jon
I'm good with all of that except the long red nails. As a working chef I could never have long or painted nails. It's a staus that I have continued to this day. And... er... I might be a little older than she is.
@jon interesting that the average speed isn't so much bigger than the first train in your day ;-)
@julienw Long stop in Strasbourg. Plus slow to Karlsruhe.
@jon haha! I can wave at you when you stop here in Karlsruhe.
@tops 1625, although likely delayed by border controls.
@jon @tops you’ll be passing through Sinzheim! :) look out for a little place just before Baden-Baden below a hilltop with a TV tower. On right side in direction of travel! :)
@julienmarchal Are you coming on the special train Sunday Karlsruhe to Wintersdorf? @tops
@jon @tops ah shoot! I completely forgot about it 😵‍💫😵‍💫 we just moved only 2 weeks ago and my life is in total chaos and a huge mess at the moment 😅 let me check with my boss at home if we can make it :)
@jon how do you get to 139km/h average speed instead of 192km/h?
@patrick I probably made an error somewhere 😀 (But I’m delayed so maybe it was fate. Will check)

@jon Time to add another category:

Boarding time: ☹️ (SNCF. Awful. Thankfully it's empty)

---
Turns out the new category is fully redundant with luggage space 🤭

@jon the faster the method of transport the crappier and slow the boarding experience is... i see a trend line here
@jon Oh. Isn't this one no longer on Lyria services?
@wrzlbrnft it’s number 7xx. So Dasye I think?
But Siemens told me it was "schrottreif" after the record setting run...
@lukebro92.bsky.social carriages perhaps. The power cars no it seems.
@jon
That morning train is basically always business travellers, especially on not-Friday. Lots of laptops and tablets instead of bags and dogs.
@phrawzty Right. It‘s normally the only one I ever take! 😀

@jon have i extolled the virtues of the RFI's equivalent for Italy? https://iechub.rfi.it/ArriviPartenze/en/ArrivalsDepartures/Home

extremely retro but it's the only one I have found that lists all departures and platforms.

@bovine3dom @jon If you only need Trenitalia and friends, http://www.viaggiatreno.it/infomobilitamobile/home.jsp is pretty great and even more retro.
Trenitalia - ViaggiaTrenoMobile

@partim @bovine3dom @jon Gives me HTTPS errors, I'd be careful
@HaTetsu @bovine3dom @jon Are you on a browser that refuses anything that isn’t encrypted? Because it isn’t and even if you try it wants to go back to not being encrypted.
@partim @bovine3dom @jon Yes, I believe HTTPS-only mode is a serious should in this day and age
@partim this is markedly less retro than iechub.rfi.it, i am disappointed :(
@bovine3dom @jon Now that I look at it, why the hell is Trenitalia putting weird "Regionale" branding in the company field on its regional trains now? And "InterCity" branding on ICs? Like, how is that supposed to be clear to, say, a tourist wondering if their Interrail is valid? (At least the alt text, which I think is what the automated annoucements read, says the right thing)
@jon @12train I would if 12train could sell weekly train passes