Thread by @jonworth

As my mind turns to the conclusions of #CrossBorderRail, damn I can’t escape how much of a mess pretty much every 🇫🇷 border is…

🇫🇷 🇪🇸
Hendaye-Irún - SNCF used to run to Irún, doesn’t any more. Use Euskotren instead, but data not in international timetables

Pau-Canfranc - missing link, French haven’t rebuilt a damaged bridge since 1970s

Latour du Carol-Puigcerda - timetables a mess, service minimal, trains Spanish side not in international timetables

Perpignan-Figueras Vilafant - high speed line but only 2 trains a day year round, 4 in summer

Cerbère-Portbou - many French trains terminate at Cerbère, Spanish ones at Portbou, less goes through tunnel between them than did a decade ago

🇫🇷 🇮🇹
Nice-Ventimiglia - no long distance services, and timetables for regional trains don’t match, meaning Marseille-Genova is 2 hours slower than necessary

Breil-Ventimiglia & Tende-Cuneo - very minimal services, and no through services Nice-Torino as there used to be

Modane-Bardonecchia - good long distance services (TGV & Frecciarossa) but no regional services *at all* - French TERs stop at Modane, Italian Regionale end at Bardonecchia

🇫🇷🇨🇭
Chamonix-Martigny - slow narrow gauge line, but at least it runs - change at the border needed

Évian-St Gingolph - track exists, but no service

Annemasse-Genève - new tunnel. One of the very few that work well!

Bellegarde-Genève - reasonable regional and TGV service, but TGV tickets to cross border are v expensive (also on Interrail) because it’s TGV Lyria

Frasne-Vallorbe - really limited service (3 TGVs and 2 TERs a day, weekdays), TGVs expensive because Lyria

Pontarlier-Neufchâtel - limited regional service (4 trains a day)

Besançon-La Chaux de Fonds - limited regional services (4 trains a day)

Belfort-Delémont - solid service from Belfort Montbeliard TGV station to Switzerland, but very poor timetable from Belfort Ville to Switzerland

Mulhouse-Basel SBB - good regional service, but TGVs very expensive (also Interrail) because it’s TGV Lyria

🇫🇷🇩🇪
Mulhouse-Müllheim - limited regional service that uses diesel trains on an electrified track

Colmar-Freiburg - bridge never rebuilt after WWII at Breisach, so no cross border service

Strasbourg-Kehl - good long distance TGV and ICE service uses this line, but regional trains v limited capacity and are diesel despite line being electrified

Roppenheim-Rastatt - missing link, nothing runs

Lauterbourg-Wörth am Rhein - diesel line with slow speeds and a limited service

Sarreguemines-Saarbrücken - only the cross border section electrified, towards Strasbourg a minimal diesel service French side

Forbach-Saarbrücken - some long distance service here, but minimal regional service is diesel on an electrified line

Thionville-Perl - dual track electrified line but no passenger trains weekdays, and a few diesel ones weekends

🇫🇷 🇱🇺
Thionville-Luxembourg - works well, has regular regional trains and some TGVs

Volmerange-Luxembourg - Volmerange is only connected to Luxembourg and not to anywhere else in France

Audun Le Tiche-Esch - Audun is only connected to Luxembourg and not to anywhere else in France

Longwy-Pétange - service to Luxembourg is regular, but Longwy has v few services to elsewhere in France

🇫🇷 🇧🇪
Givet-Dinant - line closed in the 1980s, now a missing link

Maubeuge-Charleroi - 2 trains a day with a poor timetable, rumoured to be improved next year

Aulnoye-Mons - 2 trains a day with a poor timetable, rumoured to be axed completely next year

Valenciennes-Quiévrain - missing link, nothing runs

Paris/Lille-Bruxelles - high speed line. But Thalys, Eurostar and TGV services are horribly expensive and capacity limited - meaning Paris-Brussels still has buses running, taking 3x as long

Lille-Tournai - reasonable regional service, but poor connections beyond Tournai

Lille-Kortrijk - reasonable regional service, but poor connections towards western Flanders

Dunkerque-De Panne - missing link, nothing has run since the 1980s

(NOTE: only the most important missing links listed)

There you have it

@CBeaune you have work to do!

/ends