Jon WorthMar 11

Welcome to today's thread - #CrossBorderRail 2026 Tour Day 12 - 11 Mar - Ljubljana - Koper - Mlini - Koper - Trieste

New borders:
Secovlje 🇸🇮 - Savudrija 🇭🇷
Muggia 🇮🇹 - Spodnje Škofije 🇸🇮

Borders already crossed:
None

It’s quicker to take the bus to get to the coast of Slovenia, but that’s never my choice! So the train it is, and then two former Perenzana narrow gauge lines – one to Croatia, the other to Italy, and then to Trieste to end the day.

Today's routes mapped:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#10/45.762254/14.054260

Show threadJon WorthMar 11

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 36 of 86
IC 503
09:10 Ljubljana - Koper 11:40
SŽ

Train type: Stadler EMU, 3 double deck carriages
⚡️ (3kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free if station allows)
🛜: ⛔ (it's installed but I can't get it to work - it's either broken or too slow to be useable)
🍽️: ⛔
🧳: 🙂 (decent multi use areas, OK for large bags)️
🧽: 🙂
Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Show threadJon WorthMar 11

IC 503
09:10 Ljubljana - Koper 11:40

Distance: 151.8km
Average speed: 61km/h

8 stops:
Borovnica
Logatec
Rakek
Postojna
Pivka
Divaca
Hrpelje-Kozina
Koper

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#10/45.777581/14.124298

#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 11

Digitisation of Slovenian railways

Chatting with a friend this morning in Ljubljana: "I think you can book online, but I never tried it"

I try it

Not the most logical interface, but it works, and it emails me a PDF with a QR code on it

I show this to the train manager, who scans it, and... prints me out a paper with the QR code on it!

What?

Why? 🤷‍♂️

Show threadJon WorthMar 11
Via @mcSlibinas there is one of the sort of motorised draisines I have on the cover picture for today's thread - for sale. Restored. For €8000! https://www.carandclassic.com/make-an-offer/1960-fiat-500-draisina-motocarrello-nr-2550-nrM9mg
1960 Fiat 500 Draisina 'Motocarrello' Nr. 25/50 | Car & C...

Make an offer on this Fiat 500 currently up for offer via Car & Classic Auctions

Car & Classic
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
Just downloaded some of my photos from yesterday, these approaching and at Zidani Most
Show threadJon Worth

My timing to come to Koper this week was not bad 🙂

https://www.railfreight.com/infrastructure/2026/03/03/divaca-koper-new-railway-to-open-for-tests-next-week/?gdpr=accept

I am told it might even be today the first test train runs on the new tunnel line

Although I am unlikely to be able to see anything I think...

Mar 11 at 9:46amWeb
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
Koper 🇸🇮
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
Interrail at Koper 🙂
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
First: two buses to the border to Croatia
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
The buses work. But they’re annoying. I might cycle the whole way from Croatia to Trieste instead 🙂
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
This one they covered in ads so you can’t see out 😡
Show threadJon WorthMar 11

Regional buses like this are the worst with lots of luggage

City bus: get on at the multi purpose area, easy

Inter city bus: bags in the hold

Here there is a hold, but driver won’t use it as trip is too short

Show threadJon WorthMar 11

Aaaaaggghhhhh

More border control *****

I asked a border guard for directions. No one else to ask. And I was not even crossing the border.

And then the piece of 💩 demands my ID!

I’m so ridiculously tired of this

If I’d not spoken to him, he’d not even have been able to ask!

Show threadJon WorthMar 11

Thanks FlixBus 🎉

Border guards checking that bus didn’t bother me when I had to pass the border post again (despite not having crossed the border)

At Mlini Most, Slovenian side

Show threadJon WorthMar 11
And the Slovenians have the cheek to have an EU flag flying at their border station *that shouldn’t effing exist any more* because Schengen
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
Anyway that’s what I needed to find: the Parenzana crossed into today’s Croatia here
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
Anyway spring has started here. And I’m going cycling to clear my head from the border shit.
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
Parenzana rail route now cycle route. A few works made it complex in places, but it’s interesting
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
Between Isola and Koper. Parenzana railway ran here
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
Koper bike roundabout! (Koper has a lot of road roundabouts too)
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
And after all the fuss at the other border, here Slovenia - Italy on the Parenzana there’s nothing. No police. No control.
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
These chickens were 50m from the border though 🙂
Show threadJon WorthMar 11

Sod you Trieste really

Designated bike route. Even has a bike store along it. But it’s a disaster. Either no pavement or a terrible one.

Show threadJon WorthMar 11

And there it is!

(See earlier in the thread)

Show threadJon WorthMar 11

And here’s today’s summary video

https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/o3PHF2Y77vrr4xUjQ55tFM

I’m aware the thread today was missing some data, but I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to update all that.

#CrossBorderRail live stream - 3/11/2026, 8:20:20 PM

PeerTube
Show threadacbMar 11
@jon Is that the old Trieste railway station that’s now a (closed) railway museum?
Show threadsamuele963Mar 11
@acb @jon Yep. The museum is currently under renovation and afaik its operations will also be transferred to Fondazione FS
Show threadacbMar 11
@samuele963 @jon I walked past it when interrailing through Trieste last year. I should visit again once it’s open.
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
@acb Yes. But the museum is closed for renovation.
Show threadAstridMar 11
@jon 🤩
Show threadmcSlibinasMar 11
@jon i see fast ladders too 😎
Show threadQuixoticgeekMar 11
@jon unfortunately it's not a very cycle friendly place at all. Tho still better than Ljubljana. At least in Trieste drivers didn't seem to be aiming for me.
Show threadsamuele963Mar 11
@quixoticgeek @jon Unfortunately on par with most of FVG minus Pordenone... bike infra is really bad here
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
@quixoticgeek Ljubljana is quite aggressive indeed. But I only had 2km there and 10km in the city here!
Show threadQuixoticgeekMar 11
@jon i was trying to cycle from one to the other. The punishment passes in Ljubljana were a shock. Not had to deal with them for a while.
Show threadJon PENNYCOOKMar 11
@jon Reminds me of #Farnborough and #Aldershot !
Show threadMihaMar 11
@jon Cycling in Trieste is so-so. Only few bike lanes, very few. And ex-Parenzana is a joke.
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
@olokolo Italian side Parenzana is indeed a complete joke.
Show threadMárton SalomváryMar 11
@jon I think I've been to that part of Trieste, trying to get out to start riding the Parenzana. Remember the horrors of riding through that ugly port and industrial zone, no bike paths, lots of elevated highways. No fond memories about that city.
Show thread🔏 Matthias WiesmannMar 11
@jon Did the chicken have any ID?
Show threadRiku VoipioMar 11
@jon Borders as God intended
Show threadxirahMar 11
@jon Jon shrugging at the border needs to be its own series. 😁
Show threadJean-Baptiste 1.2.TrainMar 11
@jon I absolutely love following your wanderings!
Show threadmariusMar 11
@jon the bad people don't ride bikes... obviously.
Show threadHughMar 11
@jon That sign is missing a Nett Hier sticker!
Show threadChris LMar 11
@jon cool! seems like video would be fabulous.
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
@jayalane was totally empty. Sorry! 🙂
Show threadTuukka RMar 12

@jon

Never really understood the point of bicycle roundabouts. There are some of them in Helsinki area, and they seem to bring no benefits.

Show threadJon WorthMar 12
@Tuuktuuk Right. Same. I don’t get it.
Show threadGabrieleSorgeMar 11
@jon
🆒🚲🌥️
Show threadMJ RayMar 11
@jon that's a bit "we like the theory, but can't quite put it into practice fully" #Slovenia #EU #border
Show threadFab AtaqeMar 11
@jon yes, now that I read it, I realize why I like the new low floor buses on a regional line way better!
Less hassle for the passengers with large suitcases
Show threadednl 🇪🇺Mar 11
@jon Don't they work like one-way mirrors? (I.e. they're semi-transparent and looking from dark interior to bright exterior kinda works.) Hopefully they do and once you're in you can still look out.
Show threadMichael KohneMar 11
@ednl @jon The ones I've seen before are a sort of mesh - when you are close to it (inside) you can see through, but from any distance, you see the image. Can't tell if that's what is going on here or not, but it's a thing that can work.
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
@ednl no! They let some light in, but you can’t see out properly.
Show threadNedžad BeusMar 11
@ednl @jon it's like looking through those pinhole glasses - if you try hard enough you can see through them, otherwise you just see the brightness and colours of the outside world.
Show threadMJ RayMar 11
@nedzad @ednl @jon Miles in Transit on YouTube frequently rants against dots covering bus windows, and rightly so! They are awful for passengers and loudly proclaim that you are in an area where mass transport users are not valued.
Show threadWrzlbrnftMar 11
@jon The view might be definitely better by bike than by (this kind of) bus.
Show threadM SchommerMar 11
@jon
I was once stranded at #Koper for 2 days on my way to Pula. Very nice town, very friendly people. Nicest unwanted stay I ever had.
Show thread波鉄 (Hatetsu)Mar 11
@jon The "for all generations" part does need emphasizing, doesn't it?
Show threadMihaMar 11
@jon Probably not, but you can see some sections, like splitting point at Divača, and new railway viaduct below the highway viaduct at Črni Kal. Happy trip!
Show threadJon WorthMar 11

@olokolo And I cycled past a few of the construction sites two years ago as well, when biking from Kozina to Trieste.

Overall though, I am glad this is nearly done!

Show threadsamuele963Mar 11
@jon I believe a test train has already run today using a FLIRT DMU (overhead wires haven't been installed yet)
Show threadJon WorthMar 11
@samuele963 Right. The wires are missing both ends. Masts are up!