Jon Worth1d ago

Welcome to today's thread - #CrossBorderRail 2026 Tour Day 16 - 5 Apr - Xanten - Goch - Cuijk - Venlo - Eindhoven - Rotterdam - Paris - Ravières

New borders:
Hassum 🇩🇪 - Gennep 🇳🇱
Straelen 🇩🇪 - Venlo 🇳🇱

Borders already crossed:
Antwerpen Centraal 🇧🇪 - Rotterdam Centraal 🇳🇱 HSL
Lille 🇫🇷 - Bruxelles 🇧🇪 HSL

Two dismantled lines at the Germany-Netherlands border, the only former rail lines I am missing here

Today's routes on the routes map:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#7/49.873355/4.398453

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

Here’s today‘s #CrossBorderRail intro video. Damn I wasn’t really awake when filming this!

https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/5Qa9h1SgPABTnf9zKYnUbZ

#CrossBorderRail live stream - 4/5/2026, 4:53:41 AM

PeerTube
Show threadJon Worth1d ago

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Bus 6 of 11
X28
07:28 Xanten Bhf - Goch Bhf 08:09
Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe Ag

Bus type: Mercedes Citaro 2 axle
⛽️
🚲: ⛔️
🦽: ✅
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂

Show threadJon Worth1d ago
First bus on a Easter Sunday: not many passengers!
Show threadJon Worth1d ago

I‘m confused

I’m on the Boxteler Bahn and it’s a bus!

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Bike 10 of 20
Goch - Cuijk, via Gennep

Distance: 26km
Est. duration: 1:45

This bike route, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#13/51.705864/6.016903

Show threadJon Worth1d ago
No Gochness today! #CrossBorderRail
Show threadJon Worth1d ago
The Boxteler Bahn is blocked by an Absinth company #CrossBorderRail
Show threadJon Worth1d ago
Nice border! The Zollbeamter can’t control me as he’s made of wood #CrossBorderRail
Show threadJon Worth1d ago

There‘s #CrossBorderRail

Hassum 🇩🇪 - Gennep 🇳🇱

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 53 of 111
RS11 (32233)
10:22 Cuijk - Venlo 11:01
Arriva Nederland

Train type: Stadler DMU, 2 short carriages
⛽️
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😐 (door areas aren’t cleverly designed)
🧽: 🙂
Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

RS11 (32233)
10:22 Cuijk - Venlo 11:01

Distance: 46.7km
Average speed: 72km/h

5 stops:
Boxmeer
Vierlingsbeek
Venray
Blerick
Venlo

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#11/51.546154/6.022750

#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 Worth1d ago

So this first #CrossBorderRail of the day: Hassum 🇩🇪 - Gennep 🇳🇱

I‘d wondered if this would be an alternative to Nijmegen 🇳🇱 - Kleve 🇩🇪

It’s too long gone, and in and around Gennep too hard to reactivate

So I need to work out some other solution to the Groesbeek problem on the Nijmegen - Kleve route

Maybe a tram train is the best choice?

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Bike 11 of 20
Around - Venlo

Distance: 11.7km
Est. duration: 1:00

This bike route, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#14/51.382879/6.193242

Show threadJon Worth1d ago
Beyond the 🐎 is Germany. But no sign whatsoever of #CrossBorderRail Straelen 🇩🇪 - Venlo 🇳🇱
Show threadJon Worth1d ago

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 54 of 111
IC 3546
12:03 Venlo - Eindhoven 12:41
NS

Train type: Talbot VIRM EMU, 4 double deck carriages
⚡️ (1.5kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (ramp on platform)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😐 (weird design)
🧽: ☹️ (grimy outside, not cleaned inside)
Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

IC 3546
12:03 Venlo - Eindhoven 13:41

Distance: 51.6km
Average speed: 81km/h

5 stops:
Blerick
Horst-Sevenum
Deurne
Helmond
Eindhoven Centraal

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#12/51.420549/5.825395

#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 Worth1d ago
Really who the hell designed the air conditioning units in NS‘s ICNG trains? James Dyson?
Show threadJon Worth1d ago

I also discovered earlier you can go on jumbo benders in Venlo

Those British stag night parties must be queuing up!

I obviously didn’t partake

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 55 of 111
IC 1144
12:43 Eindhoven - Rotterdam Centraal 13:44
NS

Train type: Alstom Konstal ICNG EMU, 8 short carriages
⚡️ (1.5kV dc, 25kV ac, 1.5kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂
Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

IC 1144
12:43 Eindhoven - Rotterdam Centraal 13:44

Distance: 103.8km
Average speed: 102km/h

3 stops:
Tilburg
Breda
Rotterdam Centraal

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#10/51.685328/4.972687

#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 Worth1d ago

You can move to a different section of the ICNG where the air conditioning blasts less

But then you’re nearer the wheels / bogies. And similar to the cousins of these train - Régiolis in France - something incessantly clanks

As you might tell: I don’t really like these trains

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

The bender - it turns out - is not in Venlo (see earlier toot) but on this ICNG to Rotterdam

Thankfully the hen night group is not in my carriage!

Show threadJon Worth1d ago

Also ICNG runs more smoothly and quieter on the high speed line at 200km/h than on the old line through Tilburg at c. 130km/h

Here it doesn’t clank

Show threadJon Worth1d ago
To those complaining the ICNG pic wasn’t today’s train, here is today‘s at Rotterdam
Show threadJon Worth1d ago

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 56 of 111
EST 9358
14:58 Rotterdam Centraal - Paris Nord 17:40
Eurostar

Train type: Alstom PBA EMU, 2 power cars, 8 articulated single deck carriages (2nd set is to Marne la Vallée, splits Bruxelles)
⚡️ (1.5kV dc, 25kV ac, 3kV dc, 25kV ac)
🚲: ⛔️
🦽: ✅ (lift on platform)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅
🧳: ☹️ (there’s not a single rack for large luggage in this carriage - on a route full of tourists!)
🧽: 🙂
Interrail: 😐 (needs compulsory reservation, costs c. €30)

Show threadMoritz Kleine-Sendrail 🇺🇦1d ago
@jon is this the refurbished version?
Show threadJon Worth
@Moritz_Kleine but I’m in 1st class. There’s a coffee machine I think they don’t use where the luggage rack should be. Priorities!
Apr 5 at 1:22pmWeb