Verrückte Zeiten! Die CDU macht auf Instagram jetzt Wahlwerbung für Grüne und Linke 🤔

While this week I have mostly looked at the 🇩🇰🇩🇪 #CrossBorderRail, there is a problem at the 🇩🇰🇸🇪 border as well - SJ’s rebuilt X2000 trains are still not allowed to cross the Öresund bridge to reach København

See: https://jarnvagar.nu/fler-tag-pa-sparen-2027/

But I still don’t know WHY this is. Typical Danish rail bureaucracy headaches, or something more serious?

@ignaloidas

> the railway has to be really shit to not have the new timetables ready by November 15th

and in contravention of EU law i believe. but when has that ever stopped anyone :)

@jon

And today we have an *extra* bullshit meter, although this is more like gaslighting than bullshit

Talgo claims its trains for DSB are reliable, while in reality they are the least reliable trains in the company’s entire fleet

https://jonworth.eu/bullshit-meter-dsb-talgo-230-trains-are-reliable/

It’s not that complicated

1) You cannot re-gauge all of 🇪🇸 and 🇵🇹 railways to 1435mm in a cost effective & timely manner, and you should not try

2) So if 🇵🇹 is to build a HSL, you *either* have multiple breaks of gauge nationally, and have to buy Talgo trains, *or* you leave the break of gauge somewhere in 🇪🇸 where fewer of your passengers go (and Renfe doesn’t give a shit about 🇵🇹 anyway)

So 1668mm HSL makes sense

And *of course* 🇵🇹 building a broad gauge high speed line got all the whingeing going

Here’s why re-gauging lines probably makes no sense:
https://jonworth.eu/why-you-probably-should-not-re-gauge-railways-in-europe/

And *were* Portugal to build a 1435mm HSL, then they’re going to need gauge changing trains, and look at Talgo’s mess currently

Mitigations against a bad week: RegioJet has backup plans in case its new Pesa EMUs are not ready in December

Photo of the week: Frecciarossa at Gallese Teverina

Calendar: TGV-M launch 6 November

Also a good week: Portugal starts building a broad gauge high speed line

Unexpectedly good week: New high speed line opens in European Türkiye

Bad week: More than a Renfe AVE 100 power car in danger of going up in flames

Today's newsletter is prepared, ready to go at 14:00 CEST

Signup at https://jonworth.eu

This week:
Analysis: Wunderline turns to farce, and accountability collapses

Bullshit Meter: Croatia - Greece trains on an EU funded coast line

Good week: Battery trains for Niedersachsen, new tracks for Brandenburg

I cannot live with the letter spacing/kerning of this logo.

And really SNCF TER Fluo Grand Est, if you are going to do something stupid like compulsory reservation for *part* of a TER line, can you at least make your data about this abomination consistent please?

Whatever train trip you take, there is *always* a new data headache

Next week I need to take a TER train Culmont-Chalindrey - Mulhouse. This is the Paris Est - Troyes - Mulhouse line, which is compulsory reservation *only on the bit into Paris* according to this: https://www.sncf-connect.com/aide/reservation-bord-des-ter-fluo

But timetables and the Interrail app think its comp res throughout

I am going to try my luck without a reservation

SHOCK! 😳

Ah no, not a shock

Not many passengers on Tornio - Haparanda #CrossBorderRail trains
https://jarnvagar.nu/stort-intresse-men-fa-resenarer/

Because the timetable is total crap

All being well it should work better from 13 December onwards…

I’m being occupied by a schmoozy lazy cat here 🙂

@jon wir fordern die Magnetschwebetram!

Berlin’s maglev train idea is likely dead, as the CDU is likely out of power 🎉 https://www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/1203223.verkehrspolitik-sag-leise-servus-zur-berliner-magnetschwebebahn.html

Now can the next government get on with building some trams please? 🤔

The USB-C sockets on De Lijn busses are a scam, they use your battery to charge the bus!

5️⃣ Donja Borina 🇷🇸 - Karakaj 🇧🇦
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_935041#14/44.423605/19.142089

News: https://noviglas.info/2026/09/18/nova-veza-srpske-i-srbije-zvornik-i-beograd-prvi-put-svakodnevno-povezani-vozom/

A political sop from Vučić towards Republika Srpska, but technically this one will give Republika Srpska an international train connection. It will not be much more useful than walking across the border footbridge which is what locals do currently

/ends

3️⃣ Kurcums 🇱🇻 - Turmantas 🇱🇹
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_935041#13/55.695487/26.452074

I have lost track of all of the is it, is it not happening with this one. But extending Vilnius - Turmantas trains to Daugavpils has a solid chance of happening in 2027 as Pesa 730M DMUs currently used on Vilnius - Klaipeda services will be deployed to this line, and can easily be extended across the border.

4️⃣ Kelebia 🇭🇺 - Subotica 🇷🇸
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_935041#14/46.168538/19.624801

News: https://www.therailagenda.com/p/budapestbelgrade-passengers-due-in

Looks like Budapest - Kelebia finally has a working signalling system, so the whole corridor Budapest - Beograd can now open.