Thread by @jonworth

#CrossBorderRail Welcome to day 9 twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Ok video on the tripod is much better. Will more systematically do that!

Here’s the #CrossBorderRail Day 9 route map

#CrossBorderRail Train 33
802 Riga - Daugavpils
Ave speed: 63 km/h
Operator: PV

Train type: DR1AM
⛽️
🚲: ✅ (high steps, but plenty of bikes on board and space for them)
🦽: ⛔️
📶: ✅
🍽: ⛔️

Today is the same as yesterday - these trains in Latvia are heavily used, and the tickets are cheap enough to be accessible for all. But the train isn’t good - it’s a world away from the quality of the trains in Estonia

Some of the windows in this Riga-Daugavpils train open. But clearly not enough… the CO2 PPM value here is not good

The first new Škoda trains for Latvia are starting to be shipped to Latvia. These are for commuter routes from Riga first, and they can’t come a minute too soon!

https://twitter.com/lsmlv/status/1539458083449098240

#CrossBorderRail has now gone from Hell 🇳🇴 to Ogre 🇱🇻

And this perhaps explains the fear of opening the windows… But with 1401PPM CO2 in this train currently… I’d wish it weren’t so!

https://twitter.com/schwalbegustavs/status/1539477804689113088

Quick coffee break (and some clean air finally!) in Daugavpils. 🚲 to Turmantas Lithuania 🇱🇹 starts shortly!

The Lithuania rail site has been down for 2 days. And its trains aren’t in the international databases. Is there an earlier train from Turmantas to Vilnius than the one I plan to take? 🤔

Ah now solved. bilietas.ltglink.lt works. Main site doesn’t. Anyway there’s no earlier one. So I’ll cycle via the Daugavpils fort en route to Turmantas…

🥵

Border village Latvian side

The train line. If only there were (passenger) trains…

Turmantas 🇱🇹

The train to Vilnius is already here. LTG Link could *so easily* send it to Daugavpils and back in the time available

😡🤬😡 this makes me so angry. You could solve this one SO EASILY!

I’m crossing all the main borders here! Zemgale 🇱🇻 to Turmantas 🇱🇹

A few sights from the route… Zemgale bus station and train station now turned into a church

Public transport

Where tarmac turns to dust…

The LTG Link DR1AM at Turmantas in all its retro glory 😊

Turmantas - some aerial shots

Detail of the DR1AM. Built by RVR in Riga in 1988. These also have a weird suspension that looks like it’s upside down

#Breitspurland

More detail of the LTG Link DR1AM. It was renovated (I presume with a new engine) by MTU Friedrichshafen

The steps are super high. But there are bike racks. They’re Thule car roof racks, hung vertically! Odd, but I suppose it works. Theoretically there’s a wheel chair space, but how do you get someone up?

#CrossBorderRail Train 34
802 16:05 Turmantas - Vilnius 18:22
Ave speed: 78 km/h
Operator: LTG Link

Train type: DR1AM
⛽️
🚲: ✅
🦽: ⛔️
📶: ⛔️
🍽: ⛔️

Ignalina 🇱🇹

No nuclear ☢️ power plant in sight (it‘s actually 40km from the town of the same name)

Švenčionėliai

Location at In Vino - outside, red tables

Vilnius #CrossBorderRail meet-up - super discussions over a glass of wine. The next meeting is Friday morning in Warszawa…