Aug 10, 2026, 7:02 AMRight then!
Record attempt: Longest train journey in the EU is live!
https://crossborderrail.eu/longestjourney/
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:02 AM
Replies
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:03 AM
What's the idea?
This is a bit of a crazy thing to try - taking trains as fast as possible between the two places the furthest apart in the EU that can be connected by multiple trains
It should show all the joys, and all the shortcomings, of Europe's railways
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:03 AM
The trip will start 7th Sept in Kemijärvi 🇫🇮 and end 11th Sept in Lagos 🇵🇹
Geodesic distance: 4008.33km
Route distance: 6165.8km
18 trains
Total trip time: 100 hours 9 minutes - Aug 10, 2026, 7:04 AM
The whole thing is mapped here: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/eu-longest-train-journey_1427743#4/54.502935/9.109205
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:07 AM
And of course I am taking trains *to* Kemijärvi, and *back* from Lagos, and going to 20 more #CrossBorderRail lines on the way. All of those are mapped here: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-autumn-2026-inc-longest-train-jour_1443266#4/55.776573/20.170898
This also is taking me to two of my least favourite countries in this project - Sweden and Spain. This trip is going to need some strong nerves 😀
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:08 AM
I am announcing all this today as this morning
Haparanda 🇸🇪 - Tornio 🇫🇮
finally re-opened, connecting Finland to the EU passenger rail network againThe last passenger trains ran here in 1988, before either Sweden or Finland joined the EU
Yle about the launch: https://yle.fi/a/74-20240125
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:08 AM
There are loads of ways you can participate or help out - including meeting me en route, organising events, joining me for a leg of the trip, or making a small financial contribution - all the details on the project website!
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:26 AM
P.S. As the mansplaining "wouldn't Narvik be further, geodesic" (no, it wouldn't, trust me I checked) and "wouldn't southern Finland to Portugal be more route km?" (yes it would, but there are reasons why that is a complete pain to calculate and I am not doing that) sorts of replies are coming already, then have a read of this:
https://jonworth.eu/the-longest-train-journey-in-the-eu/#the-third-option-but-southern-finland-to-portugal-would-have-more-route-km 
Aug 10, 2026, 8:23 AM@jon
The version where it's the Longest Train Journey but the goal is "only" to not ride on the same tracks twice, that would be the extreme version of maxing route km.
And that would be looong. And a true horror to try to calculate. Especially since one'd have to find actual train services for it all, not just look at a track map.
(more appropriate for e.g. the tram network in a city- Aug 10, 2026, 8:33 AM
@Gurre And it potentially changes too often as well. It is simply too much of a pain to try to do it!
🔞Amber🔞candi@kinkycats.orgAug 10, 2026, 5:47 PM@jon
Hello, Jon;
Enjoy your train travels.
Sounds like lots fun. 😊
Anton HunterHunterAnton@mastodon.socialAug 10, 2026, 7:46 AMThe tip link doesn't work... I just get the following message:
You're all done here
You've either completed your payment or this checkout session has timed out.
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:48 AM
@HunterAnton I think a Ghost update broke it. I have now corrected it! https://jonworth.eu/#/portal/support
Grégoiregrlodi@mastodon.socialAug 10, 2026, 10:24 PM@jon sounds very fun! I’ll myself be in the Snälltåget 300 headed to Stockholm on September 8, so I reckon we could say hi from the train window somewhere around Nässjö?
If timetables are held, which I’m not a firm believer of.
Donald Roydjr2024@mastodon.socialAug 10, 2026, 2:43 PM@jon The previous link carried a rather famous passenger in 1917! However when I crossed in 2006 there were a couple of rail replacement bus services and rather a long walk.
- Aug 10, 2026, 2:48 PM
- Donald Roydjr2024@mastodon.socialAug 10, 2026, 3:17 PM
@jon The famous passenger was one Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov - later known as #lênin - who was making his way to his ultimate destination - the Finland station in #petrograd - the then name for #saintpetersburg .
- Aug 10, 2026, 3:17 PM
@djr2024 which the plaque in my picture commemorates 😀
aceJacekacejacek@vivaldi.netAug 10, 2026, 7:10 AM@jon I’m super interested in leg Stockholm -Berlin. Will follow closely.
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:14 AM
@acejacek no Berlin. Only Hamburg. Sorry!
- aceJacekacejacek@vivaldi.netAug 10, 2026, 7:15 AM
@jon close enough!
Thorsten Rochelmeyerthorsten4future@climatejustice.socialAug 10, 2026, 12:44 PM@jon 'Deutsche Bahn' will definitely ruin your plans by delaying trains.
- Aug 10, 2026, 12:48 PM
@thorsten4future unlikely. I’m crossing Germany in a ÖBB night train with a solid buffer in Strasbourg after it!
Urix Turingurixturing@hachyderm.ioAug 10, 2026, 8:36 AM@jon as a Spanish citizen, I'm curious why you singled out these two countries. Be blunt, I have no emotional attachment to my citizenship 😄
- Aug 10, 2026, 8:37 AM
@urixturing because timetables are so thin, everything is compulsory reservation and nothing connects properly to Portugal.
Jonas BoströmJonas_Bostrom@mastodonsweden.seAug 10, 2026, 8:54 AM@jon It is even worse in Sweden, at least Spain has some trains to Portugal… @urixturing
- Aug 10, 2026, 8:54 AM
@Jonas_Bostrom @urixturing ha. At least Sweden has a few to Finland 😀
Riku Voipiosuihkulokki@society.oftrolls.comAug 11, 2026, 2:11 PM@jon You already had me when you said your coming to Finland 🇫🇮 (torille!), but you are also telling Sweden🇸🇪 is your least favourite country? Trying the hardest to get Finns subscribe?!
(it works, I just subscribed)
- Aug 11, 2026, 2:13 PM
@suihkulokki Finland has Europe’s best night trains. What’s not to like? 😀
Aug 10, 2026, 7:10 AM@jon A train line crosses France without stopping in Paris. Incredible
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:11 AM
@jaj Ha. It *is* possible. A sin I know, but still possible 😀
Carl-Henrik Barnekowstadsplanering.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gyAug 10, 2026, 7:12 AMWow. Impressive.
Would surprised if you will pass through Sweden without any delays. The reliability on trains in Sweden is sadly often imploding.- Aug 10, 2026, 7:13 AM
@stadsplanering.bsky.social I have a LOT of padding on that bit. Imposed mostly due to terrible timetables from Norrtåg it must be said.
Stefan Lindbohmstefanlindbohm@mastodon.socialAug 10, 2026, 8:31 AM@jon @stadsplanering.bsky.social Night train 91 and even X2000 Stockholm - Malmö are among trains that typically don’t get big delays though. On this itinerary and currently, there’s a lot higher risk of delays or even cancellations for the Talgo’d ECE connections through Denmark.
(Traveling daytime around Sundsvall or night train Stockholm - Hamburg would be a whole different story.)
- Jonas BoströmJonas_Bostrom@mastodonsweden.seAug 10, 2026, 10:15 AM
@stefanlindbohm Yes, the night trains have a bit of padding in their schedule so outside the winter season they are generally reliable. @jon @stadsplanering.bsky.social
Bonkersbonkers@nerdculture.deAug 10, 2026, 11:00 AM@jon did you add showers to your plan?
- Aug 10, 2026, 11:01 AM
@bonkers Swedish night trains have showers. But from Strasbourg it might be a bit stinky indeed.
- Bonkersbonkers@nerdculture.deAug 10, 2026, 11:04 AM
@jon some big railway stations have showers, but that needs longer breaks between the trains.
- Aug 10, 2026, 11:07 AM
@bonkers yes. I’ve used showers in Köln. But in Strasbourg there are none. I checked. (I’m oddly in Strasbourg right now)
- Bonkersbonkers@nerdculture.deAug 10, 2026, 11:10 AM
@jon nice vineyards over there :)
Benedikt Neuzweigbenedikt_lauenburg@norden.socialAug 10, 2026, 12:48 PM@jon On a related note, did you watch the video of that guy doing almost the same trip with Flixbus? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeribMuHfCc
- Aug 10, 2026, 12:49 PM
@benedikt_lauenburg no. Because I hate buses 😀
- Benedikt Neuzweigbenedikt_lauenburg@norden.socialAug 10, 2026, 12:51 PM
@jon That video won't cure you of your hate.
Although 50% of the bad experience with bus rides could be remedied by better driving styles.
- Aug 10, 2026, 12:53 PM
@benedikt_lauenburg that and bad boarding and luggage procedures.
I maintain there’s only one good bus company in Europe: LuxExpress in the Baltics. And forget the rest.
buwelbuwel@social.tchncs.deAug 10, 2026, 5:15 PM@jon too bad you have to cross Germany 🥴
- Aug 10, 2026, 5:39 PM
@buwel in a night train with loads of buffer after it. It’ll be fine.
- buwelbuwel@social.tchncs.deAug 10, 2026, 6:10 PM
@jon yeah. Too bad, actually since I checked if that Germany leg would be something I could join a bit
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:21 PM
@buwel sorry blame the Swedes for messing up their timetables!
- buwelbuwel@social.tchncs.deAug 10, 2026, 7:23 PM
@jon *shakes cane at Sweden*
- Aug 10, 2026, 10:03 PM
@jon What about Madrid-Irun-Paris-Brussels-Luxembourg-Trier-...
Wouldn't that be closer to the straight line? - Aug 11, 2026, 6:01 AM
@jaj read the blog post. I don’t care about the route km. I care about the time.
Aug 10, 2026, 12:59 PM@jon avg travel speed: 61.6 km/h (40.0 km/h Geodesic)
Would be interesting to analyse, how to speed up the trip: where are we losing time? And what could be a realistic optimum?
- Aug 10, 2026, 1:05 PM
@ba_eh 2 nights in hotels for a start. And Spain is stupidly inefficient, as is northern Sweden. I reckon if northern Sweden sorts its timetables, and Spain removes its post-Adamuz speed restrictions this might be reduced by 10 hours or so next year.
Aug 10, 2026, 1:17 PMSeeing these out of order (at least) in my client so may have missed it - is Geoff Marshall involved, somehow???
- Aug 10, 2026, 1:18 PM
@VE2UWY I don't know Geoff Marshall personally, so no.
- Aug 10, 2026, 3:10 PM
Once I got to see all the messages, yeah. It's you. :-) A cool quest!
