Notices by Jon Worth (jon@gruene.social), page 10

Finally into Belgium

Ok. I’d prefer it was still a #CrossBorderRail line. But this wonderful cycle lane on the old track bed is the next best thing! 🙂

#CrossBorderRail 2024 Extra Days 19 September Bike 2 of 2
Eindhoven Centraal - Neerpelt

Distance: 35km
Est. duration: 2:00

This bike route, mapped on Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/1787785653

Meanwhile MORE problems with hydrogen trains in Germany. Last week it was a shortage of hydrogen in Niedersachsen, this time it’s missing spare parts and malfunctioning fuel cells in Hessen https://www.hessenschau.de/wirtschaft/rmv-muss-im-taunusnetz-auf-notfahrplan-setzen-v2,taunusnetz-notfahrplan-100.html

Dinslaken

Works to add the third track between Oberhausen and the DE-NL border well underway here. Going for 3 rather than 4 tracks is a rather uninspiring upgrade though.

Ok, this upgrade makes sense the more you travel along the route here. Between Oberhausen and Wesel there are things lining the whole route - houses, warehouses, streams, farms. Fitting anything more than 1 extra track in here would be damned hard!

Beyond Wesel there are no signs of works. But this Wesel Feldmark stop definitely needs an upgrade!

And in Haldern there are works again. This all seems very piecemeal!

And at Empel Rees again nothing. And they’re employing the Romanian bush cutting technique (let the trains running keep the bushes down / back)

I’m getting out in Emmerich (still Germany) but this is meant to be a #CrossBorderRail train to Arnhem but it’s not. There’s a shortage of multi-system EMUs so everyone has to change in Emmerich for a shuttle to Arnhem.

The Vias train manager is a jovial guy though. He’s making people laugh when explaining the problems! #CrossBorderRail

Aaaand there’s the border. German police: none. But you better watch out for ducks! 🦆 #CrossBorderRail

#CrossBorderRail 2024 Extra Days 19 September Bike 1 of 2
Emmerich - Zevenaar

Distance: 24.9km
Est. duration: 1:30

This bike route, mapped on Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1787746116

A12 Arnhem towards Oberhausen. All clear. Unfortunately I couldn’t fly the drone, but the total disruption here looks minimal

The motorway German side near Emmerich was normal too

There was a police van at Emmerich earlier. They were having a lunch break though

#CrossBorderRail 2024 Extra Days 19 September Train 3 of 7
30740
14:25 Zevenaar - Arnhem Centraal 14:40
Breng

Train type: Stadler GTW DMU, 3 carriages
⛽
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 🙂
🧽: 🙂

30740
14:25 Zevenaar - Arnhem Centraal 14:40

Distance: 13.9km
Average speed: 56km/h

4 stops:
Duiven
Westervoort
Arnhem Velperpoort
Arnhem Centraal

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-extra-days-2024_1030682#13/51.9546/5.9865

Trip down #CrossBorderRail memory lane. Approaching Nijmegen - start point for one of the very first border crossings (to Kleve) of my first project in 2022. That was border 5. I’m now on 272 🙂

Quick coffee with @StOnSoftware in s’Hertogenbosch and now onwards towards Eindhoven and the 3rd #CrossBorderRail border of the day