Jon WorthMar 3

Welcome to today's thread - #CrossBorderRail 2026 Tour Day 06 - 3 Mar - Ravières - Paris - Lille - Orchies - Tournai - Bruxelles Midi - Almere

New borders:
Bachy 🇫🇷 - Tournai 🇧🇪

Borders already crossed:
Antwerpen Centraal 🇧🇪 - Rotterdam Centraal 🇳🇱

France to Netherlands, taking in one of the final #CrossBorderRail lines I am missing at the France-Belgium border, the former Orchies to Tournai line.

Today's routes on the routes map:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#7/50.108607/3.781875

Show threadJon WorthMar 3
Here's today's #CrossBorderRail intro video https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/q43wxMi1MiPck4MhZM2qZT
#CrossBorderRail live stream - 3/3/2026, 5:14:08 AM

PeerTube
Show threadJon WorthMar 3

Also here's a bit of reading material for you this morning, with plenty of #CrossBorderRail themes in it: my extra newsletter, sent out yesterday https://jonworth.eu/tgv-les-laumes-alesia-asterix-is-having-a-laugh/

Stories from France, Czechia, Germany and Denmark!

TGV Les Laumes-Alésia? Astérix is having a laugh

In the Extra Newsletter this week Analysis: Astérix has a view on TGV stations Gadgetbahn of the week: Urbanloop Good week: This RegioJet is going straight to hell Bad week: Berlin's new trams are too heavy Very bad week: Fehmarn disputes Photo of the week: Postcards to the Transport Commissioner

Jon Worth
Show threadJon WorthMar 3

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 13 of 80
TER 17750
06:21 Nuits-sous-Ravières - Paris Bercy 08:38
SNCF for TER Mobigo

Train type: Alstom Régiolis EMU, 2x 6 short carriages
⚡️ (1.5kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free if station allows, Nuits doesn’t, Bercy does)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 😐 (grimy windows)
Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Show threadJon WorthMar 3

TER 17750
06:21 Nuits-sous-Ravières - Paris Bercy 08:38

Distance: 224.5km
Average speed: 98km/h (reduced average as it uses the slow line Montereau-Melun)

6 stops:
Tonnerre
St-Florentin-Vergigny
Laroche-Migennes
Joigny
Sens
Paris-Bercy

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#9/48.287249/3.297270

#CrossBorderRail

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour

Tours in Spring 2026. 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
Show threadJon WorthMar 3

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!

Show threadJon WorthMar 3

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 ?

Show threadJon WorthMar 3
Waving metaphorically to @ffeth at Sens
Show threadJon WorthMar 3

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

Show threadJon WorthMar 3
And while Paris Nord is often associated with nasty train boarding experiences, it is an amazing station if you have time and calm to appreciate it
Show threadJon WorthMar 3

#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)

Show threadJon WorthMar 3

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

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour

Tours in Spring 2026. 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
Show threadJon WorthMar 3

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? 😳

Show threadJon WorthMar 3

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?

Show thread210561 ✨ [Q]Mar 3
@jon [eye twitch at their title casing code messing up and capitalising Am]
Show thread💡 a problematic moth on fediMar 3
@q @jon the loss of the umlaut dots is far more annoying considering the french also got diacretics and shit
Show thread210561 ✨ [Q]Mar 3
@16af93 @jon oh didn't even see that. gods how do you even manage that, surely everything is UTF-8 these days...
Show threadnadjaMar 3
@q @16af93 @jon EBCDIC currently in the corner munching alternatingly on glue and half of all governments' and public infrastructure supporting code: HELLOW
Show threadCraftByte
@dequbed @q @16af93 @jon well, the MERITS data is in EBCDIC, but that at least does the proper substitution like MUENCHEN.
Mar 4 at 8:47amWeb