Thread by @jonworth

Welcome to #CrossBorderRail Day 12 twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Ok here we go. Berlin Hermannstrasse S-Bahn. Trains are disrupted. But I should still get to Spandau in time for my ICE.

Here’s today’s route map

Hmmm. This isn’t starting well. No live data for a ICE is never good. And for mobility reduced passengers it’s even worse…

Also note the price here - it’s €129 if you walk up and get on. But I booked 13 May and paid €32,90, 1st class, for a ticket Berlin-Offenburg-Kehl (with BC25). That’s a super price I think! I’m only using Interrail for the France part today.

Westkreuz. Roof support beams date from 1928…

The slight change this morning in Berlin is now reflected in the #CrossBorderRail route map - every train mapped as precisely as I can on uMap here: umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossbo…

#CrossBorderRail Train 39
S41 05:54 (approx) Berlin Hermannstrasse - Berlin Westkreuz 06:13
Ave speed: 41 km/h
Operator: @db_bahn @SBahnBerlin

Train type: 480
⚡️
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (just about level boarding)
📶: ⛔️
🍽: ⛔️

#CrossBorderRail Train 40
S41 06:23 Berlin Westkreuz - Berlin Spandau 06:37
Ave speed: 38 km/h
Operator: @db_bahn @SBahnBerlin

Train type: 481
⚡️
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (level boarding)
📶: ⛔️
🍽: ⛔️

#CrossBorderRail Train 41
ICE 277 06:46 Berlin Spandau - Offenburg 12:30
Ave speed: 135 km/h
Operator: @db_bahn

Train type: ICE4 (long version)
⚡️
🚲: ✅
🦽: ⛔️ (normally accessible with ramp, is broken today)
📶: ✅
🍽: ✅ (only bistro open, restaurant closed)

This morning’s obligatory Wolfsburg pic. Inc. an electric van built by… StreetScooter I think!

(I am on a ICE that’s currently running on time. For the first time in *ages*. Ok, I still have to pass Frankfurt and Mannheim today, so loads can still go very wrong, but for now it’s really nice. As it’s supposed to be!)

The air in the ICE meanwhile is not great. The air con is blasting air out from the vents in the roof, but I assume it’s circulating air, not drawing in new from outside.

Thanks for the follow @riesemuller 💪

#CrossBorderRail wouldn’t be possible without the old Birdy bike that’s taking me across the borders at the places where trains no longer run!

Kassel Wilhelmshöhe. I don’t like the late 1980s architecture (it finally opened in 1991), but this station on the Hannover-Würzburg high speed line works for the city in a way pretty much no dedicated high speed station in France does… Background: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassel-Wi…

Sadly on the wrong side of the ICE arriving in Frankfurt (Main). The Main is nice nevertheless!

My ICE is 14 mins late leaving Mannheim. Meaning I’ll miss my connection at 12:35 in Offenburg for Strasbourg. Which means I’ll miss the 13:36 TGV to Lyon…

The problem is there’s no way to book this trip with 1 ticket. DB will sell it in 1 transaction, but with 2 tickets… that means no through passenger rights

There is an alternative - to take a later TER from Strasbourg to Mulhouse, pick up a TGV towards Paris there, and catch up my TGV in Dijon - 2nd option in this screenshot

The problem is I’m not formally allowed to do that… not least as the TGV between Mulhouse and Dijon is compulsory reservation

But I’ve also likely not got time to go to a ticket office in Strasbourg or Mulhouse

But there ARE spare seats on the Mulhouse - Dijon TGV (that’s operated by Lyria) so I’m going to chance it - get on and go find the train manager an explain. And see what happens

#CrossBorderRail Train 42
SWE 87432 13:05 Offenburg - Strasbourg 13:36
Ave speed: 55 km/h
Operator: SWEG / bwegt

Train type: RS1 Regio Shuttle
⛽️ (even though whole line is ⚡️)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (just about step free German side)
📶: ✅
🍽: ⛔️

Well I never! Run a cross border train every 30 mins… and people use it!

Problem is it’s only 2 railbuses, so it’s standing room only in here

Kehl. The last station German side…

There’s life in the old legs yet!

Quick sprint across Strasbourg station (it helps I know the station well!) and I’m onto the right TGV with 30 secs to spare 💪

Thanks @Lenny_du_Nord for the extra timetable info - about how the train from Offenburg can arrive early. It did!

#CrossBorderRail Train 43
TGV 2239 13:36 Strasbourg - Lyon P.D. 17:56
Ave speed: 118 km/h
Operator: @SNCFVoyageurs

Train type: TGV Réseau
⚡️
🚲: ⛔️ (only boxed)
🦽: ✅ (needs lift)
📶: ✅
🍽: ✅

📸 Boris Arbogast - TGV Réseau n°512 - Gare de Strasbourg - 18.12.2015 - BY-NC-ND

And sorry to not be able to have a pic of my own of the TGV, but I was running to jump on

But given how *insanely long* the dwell times are at all the interim stops I ought to be able to hop out at one of them!

TGV: fast when it runs, very slow at stations…

Thanks to @coco_rennes & @partialcontent I was wrong above - this 8 carriage TGV can convey 4 bikes, in this small second class area… that’s at the end of the first 1st class coach. It’s better than it used to be!

Easily the fastest speed on #CrossBorderRail so far… LGV Rhin-Rhône approaching Besançon Franche Comté TGV

Dijon. This is the closest I get to #Ravières on #CrossBorderRail. No detour to say hello to Josette today!

Meanwhile a new passenger has got on, sitting in front of me, and is coughing a lot. No mask. Ugggghh.

I’ve taken refuge in the bar. And there’s a woman here, confused. “Ce train ne va pas à Paris?” Eh, non. That’s why it’s marked Nice Ville at every door, and that’s the other way from Paris. Oh and she had 20 mins to work it out in Dijon! 😆

Bourgogne time lapse

I don’t really like the bar on TGVs as a @_DiningCar but the high windows are perfect if you want to stand and look out and you’re over about 1m 70 tall!

As my train nears Lyon, a few thoughts about what I’m doing there…

Today and tomorrow are #ConnectingEurope Days, an event organised by @Transport_EU

This evening at 19:00 there’s a cycle ride from the conference centre to the Hôtel de Ville and I’ll go along

Tomorrow I get to go to the press conference with Adina Valean, and a Q&A with DG Hololei

I wonder what I should ask Valean?

“What one thing will you do between now and the end of your term as Commissioner that will improve passenger rail in Europe?” perhaps?

Suggestions v welcome

I’m looking forward to meeting @carlusbo of @EURail_JU and perhaps also @KarimaDelli too, to talk about #CrossBorderRail

It’ll be good to see old friends @psettembri & @BrusselsGeek too

If you’re in Lyon (whether at the event or not!) do say hello!

Lyon

#ConnectingEurope bike ride into Lyon is due to start. We’ve even got a police escort!

#ConnectingEurope bike ride around Lyon…