Jon Worth
Here we go!
Welcome to today's thread - #CrossBorderRail route to/from #LongestTrainEU Day -07 - 29 Aug - Ravières - Dijon - Strasbourg - Karlsruhe or Frankfurt - Berlin
New borders:
None
Borders already crossed:
Kehl 🇩🇪 - Krimmeri-Meinau 🇫🇷
Today's route map:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-autumn-2026-inc-longest-train-jour_1443266#7/49.944150/8.794556
Jon Worth
TGV 12188
10:07 Dijon - Strasbourg 12:24
Distance: 317.8km
Average speed: 139km/h
5 stops:
Besançon Franche-Comté TGV
Belfort-Montbéliard TGV
Mulhouse
Colmar
Strasbourg
This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-autumn-2026-inc-longest-train-jour_1443266#9/47.903216/6.380755
Jon Worth
#CrossBorderRail route to/from #LongestTrainEU Train 2 of 45
TGV 12188
10:07 Dijon - Strasbourg 12:24
SNCF V
Train: Alstom TGV Réseau, 8 short carriages, 2 power cars
⚡️ (1.5kV dc, 25kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (lift on platform)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 😐
🧽: 😐 (grimy)
Interrail: 😐 (needs compulsory res., costs €12)
Jon Worth
Waiting room, Dijon
Friendly guy asks me to keep an eye on his luggage while he goes to get a coffee
I’ve now had my eye on it for 15 minutes. The queue at Paul is long!
But it has a label on it, so I know it’s not dangerous 🙄
Jon Worth
And while I am waiting 90 minutes in Dijon for my TGV to Strasbourg, this rolled through here without stopping
Who’d have possibly thought someone might want to actually use it for a trip *within France* and not just to Switzerland? (I could have used it to Mulhouse)
Jon Worth
I logged into LinkedIn to post about this trip this morning
There is some dude who describes himself as a “thought leader” suggesting Paris Gare de Lyon as a terminus for trains from London 🤦♂️ #CrossChannelRail
And I am reminded why I do these projects: I check things on the ground. Others do not!
Jon Worth
All the background about my wider #CrossBorderRail work, and this specific project to take the longest journey by train in the EU #LongestTrainEU can be found here: https://crossborderrail.eu
The record breaking trip starts 7 Sept. Between now and then I am getting myself to Kemijärvi 🇫🇮 by 🚆🚌🚲, slowly
Jon Worth
TER 17787
07:39 Nuits-sous-Ravières - Dijon Ville 08:27
Distance: 89.5km
Average speed: 112km/h
3 stops:
Montbard
Les Laumes-Alésia
Dijon
This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-autumn-2026-inc-longest-train-jour_1443266#11/47.525488/4.619335
Jon Worth
#CrossBorderRail route to/from #LongestTrainEU Train 1 of 45
TER 17787
07:39 Nuits-sous-Ravières - Dijon Ville 08:27
SNCF for TER Mobigo
Train type: Alstom Régiolis EMU, 2x 6 short carriages
⚡️ (1.5kV dc)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 😐 (grimy inside and out)
Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)
Jon Worth
The threads for this project are a bit different than previously. *Everything* will be posted on both Mastodon and Bluesky (there will be no use for the old bridged accounts)
But especially those on Bluesky who don’t want lots of rail posts: you better mute #CrossBorderRail and #LongestTrainEU
Jon Worth
Here’s today’s intro video, explaining what’s coming up in the next few days on #CrossBorderRail and #LongestTrainEU
Jon Worth
P: “The Bundesregierung demands we control every train. If you think this is wrong, complain to them!”
M: “So it’s not random then as you said, is it. You’re deliberately doing this to train passengers.”
Police officer realises I’ve got them, and walks off
Jon Worth
P: “Every vehicle driver has to have ID”
M: I point at my bike “But you don’t control every vehicle. I cross by bike too and that’s not controlled”
P: “We can control every vehicle.”
M: “But you do not and you do control every train. Because every train is delayed. Look at DB Navigator!”
…
Jon Worth
Next stage of me pestering border control police. Conversation was in German, translated here.
Me: “Why do you control all passengers on all trains, and not all cars?”
Police: “The controls are random” (Stichprobenartig)
M: “No they’re not. You control every passenger on every train.”
…
Jon Worth
So I’m onto the train for which I don’t have a reservation 👍
German police on board ready to perform illegal non Schengen compliant controls 👎
Jon Worth
I’ve got the perfect bag with me for Dobrindt’s illegal border controls
Jon Worth
The slightly more diplomatic approach of course is to go find the DB train manager (all France-Germany high speed trains have a joint DB-SNCF staff) and explain my predicament to them
That of course if there are no SNCF guarding access to the platform (towards Germany there normally are not)
Jon Worth
“And this train you are boarding is compulsory reservation!”
“Yes I know. And that rule is sort of because axle loads on high speed lines. We’re not on a high speed line with that restriction, so I can stay, right?”
🤔
Jon Worth
This is going to be… interesting in Strasbourg
“Why are you on this trains 20 mins earlier than you booked?”
“Because my connecting train German side is cancelled”
“But the later one would connect!”
“Not it won’t because of Dobrindt’s illegal border controls”
Jon Worth
Sod
I messed up
Because of the cancellation of my Frankfurt - Berlin ICE later, I actually have to take a different cross border ICE Strasbourg - Karlsruhe than I had planned, and I don’t have a reservation for that one…
It’s one stop. Maybe it works?
Jon Worth
Besançon
Jon Worth
Damn this train is knackered. The internal doors don’t close so it’s noisy at speed. The air conditioning grille next to me isn’t screwed on so rattles. The windows are covered in grime. The seats are falling apart.
Ok, it’s an Alstom single deck TGV so it rides serenely. At least there’s that.
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