Welcome to today's thread - 2025 #CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Day 12 - Bruxelles - Gent - Eeklo - Brugge

[jon@gruene.social]

Welcome to today's thread - 2025 #CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Day 12 - Bruxelles - Gent - Eeklo - Brugge

Today's new borders:
Former 1000mm tramway - Watervliet - Ijzendijke
Former 1000mm tramway - Maldegem - Eede
Former 1000mm tramway - Middelburg - Aardenburg

Borders map, inc. borders re-visited:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_935041#12/51.2514/3.5834

Today's trains on the routes map:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988?scaleControl=false&miniMap=false&scrollWheelZoom=true&zoomControl=true&editMode=disabled&moreControl=true&searchControl=null&tilelayersControl=null&embedControl=null&datalayersControl=true&onLoadPanel=datalayers&captionBar=false&captionMenus=true&datalayers=e7bf85fc-fb3a-4772-86fc-e8d083d6a40c#10/51.0336/3.8301

[jon@gruene.social]

Today is a bit silly…

I need to get to Brugge for a meeting at the College of Europe, but why not take in some extra borders on the way – including what will be the 400th border of the #CrossBorderRail project. But none of the three former cross border tramways I will visit has any real chance of re-activation.

[jon@gruene.social]

Here’s today’s #CrossBorderRail intro video. Today is all about getting to 400 borders https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/uU49DsPkV7KSKwcCh1E8a1

[jon@gruene.social]

Foul cycle ride from near Schuman to Bruxelles Midi. Car went through a red light, businessman who couldn’t control the speed of his e-bike cut me up, braked too hard, and bumped into another cyclist. And Brussels cyclists are taking on the traits of Brussels car drivers: selfish and odd, unexpected behaviours. #CrossBorderRail

[jon@gruene.social]

Interesting comment from another cyclist yesterday in the EU quarter. I was unlocking my tiny folding Birdy next to his massive electric long tail. “Is that electric?” he asked me about my bike. “No” I replied. “Oh you can’t be from Brussels then!” As if no one in their right mind would ride anything else. #CrossBorderRail

[jon@gruene.social]

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Train 38 of 74
IC 430
09:38 Bruxelles Midi - Gent St Pieters 10:06
SNCB

Train type: 2x Siemens 18 locomotive top-tailing 6 double deck carriages
️ (3kV dc)
: (loads of space)
🦽: (needs train manager to open a special door)
🛜: ️
️: ️
🧳: (hit and miss - get the right carriage and it’s ok as double deck designs go)
🧽:

Interrail: (accepted)

[jon@gruene.social]

(Stats from Central where I’d intended boarding it)

IC 430
09:28 Bruxelles Central - Gent St Pieters 10:06

Distance: 51.8km
Average speed: 82km/h

2 stops:
Bruxelles Midi
Gent St Pieters

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#11/50.9411/4.0121

#CrossBorderRail

[jon@gruene.social]

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Train 39 of 74
S51 759
10:14 Gent St Pieters - Eeklo 10:49
SNCB

Train type: Alstom AR41 DMU, 2x 2 carriages
️
:
🦽: (lift on platform)
🛜: ️
️: ️
🧳: ️ (high steps, some doors narrow, not great once you’re in either)
🧽:

Interrail: (accepted)

[jon@gruene.social]

S51 759
10:14 Gent St Pieters - Eeklo 10:49

Distance: 26.5km
Average speed: 45km/h

7 stops:
Gentbrugge
Gent-Dampoort
Wondelgem
Evergem
Sleidinge
Waarschoot
Eeklo

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#12/51.1052/3.6663

#CrossBorderRail

[jon@gruene.social]

These AR41 DMUs are among the weirdest rolling stock acquisitions in modern times. Built 2000-2002, they’re high floor (when low floor DMUs already existed), have few doors (but serve routes with many stops). The motor vibrations are quite bad too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Railways_Class_41?wprov=sfti1#

[jon@gruene.social]

And the high floor DMUs work especially well with the platforms along the route that weren’t renovated, so are about 30cm above the rail

[jon@gruene.social]

Cashier at Lidl, Eeklo gets arsey that I have three bike panniers with me in the store

Do tell me in our car dominated shopping culture how I am supposed to do any different? I can’t leave valuables on the bike!

Edit: to be clear - the cashier wasn’t annoyed by panniers per se, but wanted to search them to check I wasn’t shoplifting.

[jon@gruene.social]

Ok. Destination 400 #CrossBorderRail borders!

#CrossBorderRail Conclusions Tour Bike 10 of 17
Eeklo - Brugge, via 3 former tramway borders

Distance: 53.7km
Est. duration: 4:00

This bike route, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-conclusions-tour_1266988#12/51.2303/3.4099

[jon@gruene.social]

So @Pepijn wanted pics of grey Flanders. Voila! #CrossBorderRail