Mastodawn

To Maastricht to give a speech at the university, and taking the dreaded Drielandentrein across the border – a nice idea, but an unreliable service. And the day ends in Bruxelles where I then have 2 days of political meetings. #CrossBorderRail

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Train 34 of 74
ICE 1052
07:06 Berlin Hbf - Aachen Hbf 13:11
DB Fernverkehr

Train type: Siemens ICE 4, 7 carriages (short version)
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (lift on platform, backup lift on board)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅ (somehow the coffee machine was fixed after Hannover!)
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

(now gets a top score, as the coffee machine got fixed!)

ICE 1052
07:06 Berlin Hbf - Aachen Hbf 13:11

Distance: 624.1km
Average speed: 103km/h

10 stops:
Berlin-Spandau
Hannover Hbf
Herford
Bielefeld Hbf
Hamm(Westf)Hbf
Wuppertal Hbf
Solingen Hbf
Köln Hbf
Düren
Aachen Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#8/52.022/9.838

#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

Autumn sun on the wind turbines of Brandenburg #CrossBorderRail

Meanwhile some good potential #CrossBorderRail news from Portugal: Linha da Beira is open again, allowing better connections to Spain at Vilar Formoso. The question though is what / when will there be cross border border passenger traffic? https://www.lok-report.de/news/europa/item/61772-portugal-die-linha-da-beira-wird-vollstaendig-modernisiert-und-mit-neuen-strategischen-verbindungen-wiedereroeffnet.html

LOK Report - Portugal: Die Linha da Beira wird vollständig modernisiert und mit neuen strategischen Verbindungen wiedereröffnet

Mit dem 28. September wurde der Zugverkehr auf der gesamten Strecke der Linha da Beira wieder aufgenommen, mit der Wiedereröffnung des Abschnitts zwischen Pampilhosa und Vilar Formoso. Diese Investition entlang einer 190 Kilometer langen Eisenbahnstrecke garantiert schnellere, sicherere und komforta...

And I am preparing my slides for a #CrossBorderRail at DG REGIO of the European Commission on Wednesday

"Can you cover the Balkans too?" they asked me

Sure

So in goes Bitola 🇲🇰 - Florina 🇬🇷 where the EU financed the renovation of the line, but no trains ran

(I am going to make myself popular!)

Pics from there: https://flickr.com/photos/jonworth-eu/albums/72177720319718501/with/53942117283

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe Day 24 25 Jun 2024 - Skopje - Bitola - Bilisht - Struga

Uploaded from Mac "Pictures/Flickr - Railways/Projects/2024 South East Europe Project/#CrossBorderRail South East Europe Day 24 25 Jun 2024 - Skopje - Bitola - Bilisht - Struga" on JW MacBook Pro 2017

Flickr

Meanwhile ÖBB has confirmed the Paris-Wien/Berlin night trains are no more. "Die ÖBB bedauern, dass nach dem Rückzug der französischen Partner, die beiden Nachtzugverbindungen ab 14. Dezember 2025 nicht mehr angeboten werden können." https://presse-oebb.at/news-oebb-bedauern-die-einstellung-der-nightjet-verbindungen-wien-paris-und-berlin-paris?id=223578&menueid=27022&l=deutsch #CrossBorderRail

My analysis, in English: https://jonworth.eu/sncfs-half-hearted-effort-to-support-international-night-trains-in-danger-of-hitting-the-buffers/

ÖBB bedauern die Einstellung der Nightjet Verbindungen Wien - ÖBB

NJ Wien – Paris nur noch bis Mitte Dezember NJ Wien – Brüssel wird weiter angeboten ÖBB bleiben größter Anbieter von Nachtzügen in Europa

Newsroom der ÖBB

And that leaves France with ZERO international night trains. None. Aucun.

👏 Well done SNCF and the French Government

🤨

And here follows a quick list of how France is buggering up #CrossBorderRail (these are just the ones that spring to mind)

1️⃣ Is cancelling Paris-Wien/Berlin night trains from December, leaving France without any international night trains

2️⃣ SNCF is the main barrier to fixing regional cross border traffic at the France-Germany border

3️⃣ 16 months ago SNCF stopped selling tickets to most international destinations on SNCF Connect and at ticket offices, and still hasn't resumed

4️⃣ SNCF removed French signalling systems from 6 TGV Duplex, leaving them with just 6 TGVs for France-Spain operation, meaning they can run max 3 trains a day on this route

5️⃣ Despite the French town Breil s/ Roya having 1 line to France and 2 lines to Italy, and all lines being operated with PSO contracts, SNCF cannot sell tickets from France to Italy there

6️⃣ As majority owner of Eurostar, SNCF has been the main driver of the sky high prices, low offer model for all Eurostar routes (inc. ex-Thalys routes)

7️⃣ France remains the only predominantly standard gauge European country where the Siemens Vectron locomotive is still not approved to run, thereby limiting operation of both international night trains and freight

Jon Worth

8️⃣ Is about the hardest country to use Interrail, and SNCF has now suspended selling Interrail reservations at its ticket machines

9️⃣ Is threatening the closure of lines FR-CH, and breaks of service there, despite Switzerland having financed infra investments French side of the border

And remember the rules of SNCF!

1) We don't want to run any train that goes less than 300km/h

2) We *REALLY* don't want anyone else to run them either

(Meanwhile I am on a ICE Berlin-Aachen, and beyond Köln it is quite empty. Just the sort of train SNCF would not run, but DB does - because *for those of us on it* it is really useful!)

German railways: right in theory, can be poor in practice

French railways: wrong in theory, can be OK in practice (if you can get where you want to go on a TGV)

Second time in a week I’m on a ICE running early. Amazing!

Now will there be a Drielandentrein in Aachen? 🤔

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Train 35 of 74
RE 18 (18942)
13:17 Aachen Hbf - Maastricht 14:11
Arriva NL

Train type: Stadler EMU, 3 short carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac, 1.5kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free)
🛜: ⛔ (installed, but doesn't work)️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂️
🧽: 🙂️

(running with 1 door broken, but toilet does work)

🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

RE 18 (18942)
13:17 Aachen Hbf - Maastricht 14:11

Distance: 47.9km
Average speed: 53km/h

8 stops:
Aachen West
Herzogenrath
Eygelshoven Markt
Landgraaf
Heerlen
Valkenburg
Meerssen
Maastricht

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#12/50.8734/5.8990

#CrossBorderRail 2025 Conclusions Tour

uMap

So the Drielandentrein got me to Maastricht on time. Speech about #CrossBorderRail here at 16:30.

Event details, inc live stream here: https://crossborderitem.eu/en/events/save-the-date-next-item-cross-border-rail/

A question raised in the margins of the event here in Maastricht: why is the fleet for the Drielandentrein so small? And who is to blame? Did Limburg (as contracting authority) or Arriva (as operator that won the tender) set the fleet size? Do you know @smveerman or @partim ? #CrossBorderRail

Pepijn Sep 29

@jon Not your exact question but maybe relevant: Arriva, and the Dutch State Secretary in charge, constantly claim there is enough equipment. Instead staff certification and track accessibility are the main issues.

*Recent answers to parliament: https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/ah-tk-20242025-1481.html

@smveerman @partim

Kamervragen (Aanhangsel) 2024-2025, nr. 1481 | Overheid.nl > Officiële bekendmakingen

Suzanne ‘bionic’ Veerman Sep 29

@Pepijn @jon @partim Arriva decided on the fleet. The only requirement is that there must be two additional sets with German approval than the minimum required for the mandatory service once per hour between Maastricht and Aachen Hbf. It certainly doesn't help that Stadler does large maintenance in Venlo, and the trains need to go via Eindhoven Centraal to get there.

Maastricht - Liège was something Arriva offered, the actual contract only demanded a development plan.

Patrick Dersjant RCX Sep 29

@smveerman @Pepijn @jon @partim The maintenance issue should become better when the Maaslijn is electrified 11/2027 though.

Krist van Besien Sep 29

@Pepijn @jon @smveerman @partim don't forget that in French speaking Belgium The Netherlands is still the enemy... This was fraught from the beginning.

@krist @Pepijn @jon @smveerman The Belgian part is about the only bit that is operating fairly reliably, mind.

@partim @krist @Pepijn @smveerman but when it does go wrong it goes very wrong.

Garrett Speed Sep 29

@Pepijn @jon @smveerman @partim
Altijd plezier als je een woord leren van foute lezen. Ik heb "fatsoenlijk" als "fartsoenlijk" gelezen.

Wat betekent "fartsoenlijk"?

@jon @smveerman The size is actually reasonable. For the planned timetable you need six units and they have eight.

It would certainly have been smart operationally to order the 12 trains for Nijmegen—Roermond as multi-voltage units, too, but I don’t know quite how much more expensive that would have been.

@jon @smveerman According to treinposities.nl, two units have last been seen in March and a third one has disappeared early September. Dunno how reliable that is, though.

(The eight units are numbers 550 to 557.)

Ignas Kiela Sep 29

@jon seems like some linkedin link got in instead of the proper one?

@ignaloidas Yeah, will correct.

@jon Have you considered to go and buy a lottery ticket?

@partim It even arrived on time!

Patrick Dersjant RCX Sep 29

@jon @partim The luck ran out when my 14:29 was cancelled due to the train not being approved for service.

Patrick Dersjant RCX Sep 29

@jon @partim Still, I got home earlier than had I taken the originally planned Emmerich-diverted ICE. Great talking to you again!

Jos Dingjan Sep 29

@jon @partim @patrick Meanwhile: I can tell you that nuit sur Ravières as seen from the LGV Sud-Est is very dark indeed (and, likely, out of visible range even in the best of light). Dunno about Nuits sous, but I imagine similar.

Oh, and that a Frecciarossa 1000 is a bit rattly here.

Maartje Sep 29

@jon @partim did you announce their trip so they can run one?

@maartje @partim I wish I had that power! 😀

Adam Sep 29

@jon The more I read of your travel on SNCF and DB, the more glad I am that I settled in Belgium (where admittedly the type of service is governed by the fact that there aren't many train journeys longer than an hour because at that point one runs out of Belgium)

Sven Uleman Sep 29

I still prefer the German ones, since it will get you nearly everywhere, dont ask if on time, but you'll get there.

Fridrich Strba

@jon Despite all the things one can say about DB, I still prefer it running from Geneva to Brussels for instance. I avoid using TGV, moving with RER in Paris and then again something else. The Geneva-Basel-Köln-Brussels experience was so far the best. Yes, sometimes there are delays of 30+ minutes because of works, but the connections are plentiful.

waldi Sep 29

@fridrich @jon The connection by DB to Brussels only goes every other hour. The free slots are then used by Eurostar, with mandatory premium (29€ via Interrail).

Fridrich Strba

@waldi @jon yeah, that is true. But for us here even taking TGV with Interrail is pretty expensive. And then, I normally manage to give myself enough time to hit one of those every other hour trains. And frankly, the DB restaurant wagon is much better then any of the TGV Lyria "bistro".

Fridrich Strba

@waldi @jon But yes, it is my own preference and also sometimes hit the Paris road for some directions. Lately my last born wanted to pass through the channel tunnel to London, so we spent a double of air fare to do that. And since he really likes the vibes of Paris, we spent some hours there too :) But when I am alone, I avoid it like a pest.

Tor Lillqvist Sep 29

@jon And still, if you ask a random person on the net about European railway companies, the one thing they think they "know" is that DB is supposed to be the worse company.

Indra Kupferschmid 💙💛Sep 29

@tml @jon And Germans who are over the moon about how fast and punctual they go and they never had any problem, the one time they went to Paris, and mandatory reservation is a great thing! 🙄🙄🙄

Triple ⁂Sep 29

@kupfers @tml @jon This

toni

@jon But for how long, now that DB Fernverkehr is under increasing pressure to become profitable.

@toni It'll still be fine. Or well, not fine, but so much better than France there is no comparison.

toni

@jon In comparison to France, no doubt from me.

Ignas Kiela Sep 29

@toni @jon It's mostly a question on what means it should become profitable.

Lithuanian passanger train operator is profitable - because the state pays for ~60% of the overall operating costs through a contract to operate domestic routes.

If they want to drop the subsidies entirely, maybe the same should happen to roads and other infrastructure - surely that will work out.

pglux.bsky.social Sep 29

Teminating in Cologne would raise capacity issues in Hbf, so, operationally it makes sense to extend it to Aachen. Perhaps a further extension to Maastricht or Brussels could make sense, with Velaro stock.

Lyle Solla-Yates Sep 29

@jon I benefit from train service just beyond a popular regional line that runs on the same trains just a little farther and longer. The funny thing about using the existing service but a bit more? It’s already paid for! You’re just squeezing some more money from existing service

Quixoticgeek Sep 29

@jon Why are SNCF so shit? What do they hope to achieve with such an insular approach ?

Pepijn Sep 29

@quixoticgeek

I think @jon has elaborated a lot with examples on why SNCF is so shit and appears to dislike running trains.

To me it seems to originate in both staff and management having a massive resistance to change.

Staff (via unions) as they fear of loosing what they have. Management as they appear to find flashy fast trains on a handful of airline style glamorous routes easier to deal with than the messy reality of getting as much people as possible to their destination in Bumfuckville.

AnneH Sep 29

@jon Do SNCF actually want to run a railway, one wonders?

@annehargreaves it often feels that no they don’t want to.