Here's the proposed timetable for when the Hungarian section of Budapest - Beograd finally opens, possibly this autumn:

https://menetrend.kti.hu/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2.-150-menetrend-tervezet-2.pdf

8x a day Budapest - Beograd, trains wait 30 mins for border controls at Kelebia

Let's see when exactly it will open though!

#CrossBorderRail

In this edition

Analysis: The #CrossBorderRail method

Bullshit Meter: Arriva NL to run international high speed trains

Good week: Leo Express manages to run to Przemyśl

Also a good week: Italy and Austria able to do what France and Germany cannot - getting Alstom EMUs to work cross border

Why is the first Perpignan - Paris of the day at 7am? That's TOO LATE. FFS. Early trains are useful, damn it. #LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail

(Note all of this not for me, but for someone who might come along to film #LongestTrainEU) #CrossBorderRail

You can get from Berlin to Helsinki reliably by train and ferry in 2 days and 1 night (Berlin - Warszawa - Vilnius, night there, Vilnius - Tallinn - Helsinki)

But you cannot sensibly get from Lagos to Berlin in the same time, despite, oh, about 2000km of high speed infra to use

You *might* just do it with buses Lagos - Sevilla, and Barcelona - Perpignan, and the rest with trains, and a night in Perpignan

#LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail

AAAGGGHHAHHAGAGHAHAGAHHAGHAH

Look how many EFFING BUSES there are between Barcelona and Perpignan

WHERE THERE IS A HIGH SPEED EFFING TRAIN LINE WITH 4 TRAINS A DAY EACH WAY ON THE BORDER SECTION

#LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail

This is why Spain and France (and especially the border between them) make me so hopping mad. How you can spend billions and billions on new infra, and STILL not get to your destination when your trip is something a fraction more complex than Sevilla - Barcelona or Lyon - Lille

I can forgive Romania being crap

I cannot forgive France or Spain being crap

#LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail

FFS Spain is such a pile of abject shit when it comes to rail timetables

Sure, the trains are fast *if and when they go*, but nothing connects properly

#LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail

I am now testing #LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail routes on some portals like Railfinder

But this also gets interesting

Take this part

Railfinder leans so heavily towards direct trains it leaves you with a *very tight* connection in Hamburg

But change in Lund and Copenhagen in addition, and everything is much safer...

So I *think* I have an answer?

Kemijärvi - Lagos is 18 trains

To do this with normal railway websites (i.e. DB, SJ etc.) you would need 12 bookings, and there would be 9 changes where you would lose passenger rights (the other you can just take the next train)

Ticket costs

Seat 2nd class
€586.93

1st class and sleeper ÖBB, shared sleeper SJ
€1016.31

2nd class, shared sleeper SJ, mini comp ÖBB
€726.23

#LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail