Welcome to today's thread - 2025 #CrossBorderRail Finale Day 8 - 16 June - Bruxelles- Köln - Hamburg, onto night train

[jon@gruene.social]

Welcome to today's thread - 2025 #CrossBorderRail Finale Day 8 - 16 June - Bruxelles- Köln - Hamburg, onto night train

Today's new borders:
None - I've been to Aachen a few times before

Borders map, inc. borders re-crossed:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_935041#18/50.71857/6.04204

Today's trains on the routes map:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#6/55.198/11.206

[jon@gruene.social]

Semi refreshed after a rest day, it's time to head towards the two hardest borders I am missing - both Norway-Sweden. First it's back to Germany to an event in Köln, then Hamburg, and then onto the SJ night train to Stockholm, a service I have been meaning to take for years now but haven't yet!

[jon@gruene.social]

Wave yourself up with this one this morning! Today's #CrossBorderRail music track

Nightrain
Guns N' Roses

I think I am going to need this to get myself to sleep on the SJ Night Train heading north later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMDljoM5JFI

[jon@gruene.social]

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 37 of 152
ICE 11
06:23 Bruxelles Midi - Köln Hbf 08:15
DB Fernverkehr

Train type: Siemens ICE3neo Velaro, 8 carriages
️ (3kV dc, 25kV ac, 3kV dc, 25kV ac, 3kV dc, 15kV ac)
: (needs reservation)
🦽: (lift on board or ramp on platform, but not step free)
🛜:
️:
🧳: (well designed)️
🧽: ️ (it wasn't cleaned overnight and is full of beer bottles, and I cleaned beer off my seat myself. Train manager was apologetic at least)

Interrail: (accepted)

[jon@gruene.social]

ICE 11
06:23 Bruxelles Midi - Köln Hbf 08:15

Distance: 222.9km
Average speed: 119km/h

4 stops:
Bruxelles-Nord
Liège-Guillemins
Aachen Hbf
Köln Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#10/50.7783/5.6476

[jon@gruene.social]

Hey Bundespolizei in Aachen!

We have a person on board with known connections to the Chinese secret service, and a proven record of trying to bring down the German state in an anti democratic manner

If your border controls are any use, this person should not be let through, surely?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Krah

[jon@gruene.social]

Here's today's intro video, filmed from Gare du Midi

But I was a bit sweaty from having cycled there!

https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/sM6yD7qkaDV2T9rLE5CEGk

[jon@gruene.social]

Meanwhile in France...

SNCF can now fine you up to €1500 for forgetting a bag somewhere

*YOU DO NOT STOP PEOPLE BEING FORGETFUL BY FINING THEM*

*AND NOT EVERY ABANDONED BAG IS A BOMB*

FFS

Let's make taking the train as nasty an experience as possible

https://www.journaldunet.com/patrimoine/finances-personnelles/1542323-hf1-nouvelle-amende-sncf/

[jon@gruene.social]

So either there were no border controls at all in Aachen, or the police are on board and boarded at the back and haven't got to me yet. But we're just about on time heading for Köln. Given the mess of the last week I'll take this, happily!

[jon@gruene.social]

Pottering around Köln for #CrossChannelRail this morning. Will complete the feed once I’m in the ICE to Hamburg shortly.

[jon@gruene.social]

Waiting my train to Hamburg at Köln Hbf, one of Europe’s great stations. Today all is reasonably calm here, delays minimal.

[jon@gruene.social]

On the point earlier in the thread about France's new fines for forgotten luggage, I think we should describe France has having a "passenger hostile railway" - as a term to describe how decisions are not taken in the passenger interest, the assumption of guilt, the hefty fines, the patronising announcements...

Is there a way to adequately translate this adequately into French? Wdzt @remi @tomtom @raph_v ?

[jon@gruene.social]

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 38 of 154
RE 1 (26810)
10:20 Köln Ehrenfeld - Horrem 10:28
National Express

Train type: Siemens Desiro HC EMU, 2x 2 single deck and 2 double deck carriages
️ (15kV ac)
:
🦽: (step free into single deck carriages)
🛜:
️: ️
🧳:
🧽:

Interrail: (accepted)

[jon@gruene.social]

RE 1 (26810)
10:20 Köln Ehrenfeld - Horrem 10:28

Distance: 14.7km
Average speed: 110km/h

1 stops:
Horrem

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#13/50.9345/6.8162

[jon@gruene.social]

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 39 of 154
S 19
10:59 Horrem - Köln Hbf 11:20
DB Regio AG NRW

Train type: Adtranz, Alstom LHB, ABB, Bombardier 423 EMU, 2x 4 short carriages
️ (15kV ac)
:
🦽: (step free, although not all trains on this line are)
🛜: (forgot to check, but I think only renovated trains have wifi and this wasn’t renovated?)
️: ️
🧳: (not the best design, door vestibules are more cramped than they need be)
🧽:

Interrail: (accepted)

[jon@gruene.social]

S 19
10:59 Horrem - Köln Hbf 11:20

Distance: 18.4km
Average speed: 53km/h

7 stops:
Frechen-Königsdorf
Köln-Weiden West
Lövenich
Köln-Müngersdorf Technologiepark
Köln-Ehrenfeld
Köln Hansaring
Köln Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#12/50.9360/6.8378

[jon@gruene.social]

#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 40 of 154
ICE 1020
12:11 Köln Hbf - Hamburg Hbf 15:51
DB Fernverkehr

Train type: AEG, ABB, Henschel, Krauss, Krupp, Siemens ICE 1, 2 power cars and 9 carriages
️ (15kV ac)
: ️
🦽: (needs lift on platform)
🛜:
️:
🧳:
🧽:

Interrail: (accepted)

[jon@gruene.social]

ICE 1020
12:11 Köln Hbf - Hamburg Hbf 15:51

Distance: 436.9km
Average speed: 119km/h

6 stops:
Düsseldorf Hbf
Duisburg Hbf
Essen Hbf
Münster(Westf)Hbf
Hamburg-Harburg
Hamburg Hbf

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#7/52.266/8.399

[jon@gruene.social]

The southbound EuroNight 345 from Stockholm to Berlin is still more than 2 hours away from Hamburg is currently +733, so over 12 hours late

They are NOT taking it to Berlin, it will be serviced in Hamburg

And this train ought to be departing north as EN 346 with me on it from Hamburg at 22:03

What is going to happen I wonder?

[jon@gruene.social]

One of the most dangerous things you can carry in a railway station

This is S-Bahn so third rail, they might be ok. But one platform over it’s 15kV ️