And why am I heading towards Netherlands (other than to visit more #CrossBorderRail borders, obviously!)

Tomorrow I am speaking at RailTech Europe in Utrecht (about my #CrossChannelRail work) and then meeting the other founders of @erpu (@redjives @patrick @partim) in Utrecht - public meeting, others very welcome!

Musing about bumpy ride quality on trains this morning

As ever I am on a Régiolis EMU to Paris this morning - an Alstom design, now owned by CAF

These trains have a rather jerky, bumpy sort of ride, and the suspension makes clanking noises all the time (not just today)

Are the jabobs bogies between carriages poorly designed?

Wdyt @hopla @wrzlbrnft ?

Made it across Paris in one piece

The city might have solid bike infrastructure, but damn many cyclists here are annoying, or have death wishes, or both

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 14 of 80
TGV 7025
10:12 Paris Nord - Lille Flandres 11:18
SNCF Voyageurs

Train type: Alstom TGV Duplex, 8 short double deck carriages, 2 power cars
⚡️ (25kV ac)
🚲: ⛔️
🦽: ✅ (step free, then lift down inside)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ⛔️ (there is a dining car but it’s not open)
🧳: 😐 (it’s empty today, so it’s passable)
🧽: 🙂
Interrail: 😐 (needs compulsory reservation, costs at least €10)

TGV 7025
10:12 Paris Nord - Lille Flandres 11:18

Distance: 225.2km
Average speed: 205km/h

1 stops:
Lille Flandres

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#8/50.097679/2.449951

#CrossBorderRail

I meanwhile wondered if SNCF Connect has finally put their problem of their lack of international booking right... so I tried Paris - Mainz

Type Mainz into DB and it gives you Mainz Hbf as the first option in the search

SNCF Connect calls Mainz Hbf "Mayence (Mainz)" but drops Hbf. Put Hbf and it gives you Hbf (Ersatzverkehr). What? 😳

And if you put Mainz and choose "Ville" from the list, not "Gare", it gives you routes to Mainz Römisches Theater, changing at Bad Munster am Stein

Obviously 🤷‍♂️

I presume because Römisches Theater is closest to the geographical centre of Mainz?

But weirdly it does give prices... and even sort of Sparpreis. But with €15 price difference.

Why?

How?

Oh and this is an interesting one

SNCF Connect *will* give me a 13 min connection in Mannheim, off the France-Germany ICE

DB will NOT give me that connection, I presume because they know that Dobrindt's illegal non- #Schengen compliant border controls will almost certainly mean the connection is missed in Mannheim. DB puts you on a later ICE in Frankfurt instead

Also the other day I found a Germany-France case where SNCF would not give me a tight connection in Strasbourg, but DB would

Now here is a case where SNCF will give me a tight connection in Mannheim, and DB will not

Vive la coopération !
Es lebe die Zusammenarbeit!

But back to what I was *trying* to work out, before SNCF Connect's weird takes on German stations confused me...

SNCF *CAN* sell a bunch of connections in Germany again

But it *CANNOT* sell a Paris - Brugge 🇧🇪 or Marseille - Genova 🇮🇹. There it tries to sell me half the journey

I also really appreciate that - although it cannot sell me a ticket for it - SNCF *can* show me the Bruxelles - Brugge train, but does not know what type of train it is, so just puts EMPTY in the result

Like DB has been able to do this correctly in a web search since I did I first Interrail trip in 2001 (and yes that is not a typo)

SNCF Connect cannot do what DB search has been doing for at least 25 years

Right then

Calm and on time TGV to Lille Flandres

Finally getting close to today's target: the border north of Orchies 🇫🇷

And the Ma Gare SNCF App - about the only SNCF app with a passable UX - tells me my next train is on Platform 6

And passengers can share electric plugs 🔌

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 15 of 80
TER 41911
12:05 Lille Flandres - Orchies 12:20
SNCF for TER Hauts de France

Train type: Alstom 2N NG EMU, 3 double deck carriages
⚡️ (25kV ac)
🚲: ✅ (well designed space)
🦽: ✅ (step free)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂 (ok for a commuter service)
🧽: 🙂 (bit worn, but orderly)
Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

TER 41911
12:05 Lille Flandres - Orchies 12:20

Distance: 22km
Average speed: 88km/h

1 stops:
Orchies

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#12/50.556961/3.159943

#CrossBorderRail

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Bike 6 of 15
Orchies - Tournai

Distance: 26km
Est. duration: 2:00

This bike route, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#12/50.552816/3.310318

Bachy

La Gare

No trains

But there is covoiturage. Just as SNCF likes it! 🤪

#CrossBorderRail

Whoosh #CrossBorderRail

(This was the boring option I didn’t take!)

And I got to Tournai. Nice cycling. Hopeless for #CrossBorderRail

No hope for

Bachy 🇫🇷 - Tournai 🇧🇪

Too long gone

Now moving.

And there’s a… Siemens Velaro for Egypt parked up beside the HSL between Ath and Silly.

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 16 of 80
IC 3214
15:04 Tournai - Bruxelles Midi 16:12
SNCB

Train type: Bombardier/Alstom M7 Power Car, 5 double deck carriages, driving control car
⚡️ (3kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free if station allows, Tournai isn’t)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😐 (large vestibules, but no good space for large bags)
🧽: 🙂
Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

IC 3214
15:04 Tournai - Bruxelles Midi 16:12

Distance: 81.1km
Average speed: 72km/h

6 stops:
Leuze
Ath
Silly
Enghien/Edingen
Hal
Bruxelles Midi

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#11/50.713635/3.868561

#CrossBorderRail

So the line Mechelen - Antwerpen is blocked, near Duffel

I could wait for it to clear, OR go to Antwerpen via Gent… 🤔

Let’s try Gent

We‘re rolling, but the train has an alarming air leaking sound…

Must be said information provision from SNCB has been quite horrible today

Yes they tell you what is/isn‘t running

But what to DO instead, there’s nothing

I’m risking this via Gent myself and it might save me…

These are the ways

❌ is what’s blocked

Going via Gent (what I’m trying) is map 1. You could try via Leuven (map 2). Bruxelles - Lokeren or St Niklaas take longer