#CrossBorderRail

#CrossChannelRail now has its own site

Throughout 2025 I have been investigating the future of long distance trains through the Channel Tunnel. This work now has its own dedicated website!

Go to the #CrossChannelRail website

#CrossBorderRail Finale 2025 has concluded

Between 6th June and 5th August I went to more than 80 more international railway lines, at some of the most forgotten corners of central and eastern Europe, and the EU's external borders to Ukraine and Moldova. It was more than 30000km of rail routes, and more than 1000km on the folding bike. And it was the last #CrossBorderRail large tour - as there are not that many more borders to visit now! The conclusions will be written up in August.

More about the 2025 Finale

#CrossChannelRail research trip concluded, report research ongoing

This project in early 2025 is slightly different to the #CrossBorderRail projects to date. Rather than multiple borders, this time I am assessing the potential to run trains to the UK from destinations in Continental Europe, and gauge whether better use of the Channel Tunnel for through trains is possible. The journey is complete, drawing the conclusions is ongoing.

Find out more

#CrossBorderRail South East Europe 2024: 26 May - 1 July

Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo.
The borders between them, and their borders with the EU.
5 weeks. 66 trains. 35 bike stages. More than 30 cross border rail lines to investigate...

Find out more about the South East Europe project

#CrossBorderRail Autumn 2023

At least 20 more #CrossBorderRail lines. 99 trains. More than 10 events. A speech on the Kulturzug to Wrocław, and a ferry and train trip to Ireland. The Autumn 2023 project has now concluded.

Read the first reflections about the 2023 project

#CrossBorderRail 2023 - all of Germany's rail borders - has now concluded

2nd-15th May 2023 - the first month of the new Deutschlandticket - I travelled to all of Germany's borders to its neighbouring countries, with a focus on the places I did not visit in 2022. In total I explored more than 30 more cross border railway lines.

Find out about the 2023 project

Top 20 projects - #CrossBorderRail 2022 conclusions

After more than 30000km on trains, and 95 borders crossed, the first conclusions of the #CrossBorderRail project were presented 29th August 2022 in Berlin - 20 places where change is needed and could be implemented fast!

Read about the Top 20

#CrossBorderRail 13 June - 1 August 2022

Anyone who has ever tried to cross borders within the EU by train has seen the problem: international trains (if they even run!) are often less regular, have worse timetables, and are harder to book than trains in one country. I want to highlight these issues, and show ways to solve them in this project.

407

#CrossBorderRail lines
visited and investigated

166310km

on 1086
trains

5623km

by bike, across
229 bike stages

12594km

by bus, ferry
tram, metro, car

News

10.08.2023

Belfort-Delémont – yes, #CrossBorderRail to France can always get worse

It was one of the weirder experiences of my #CrossBorderRail project last year. I had arrived in Belfort in eastern France from Besançon, and needed to get to Delémont in Switzerland. There is a line between the two, but Swiss […]

12.07.2023

Deutschlandticket nach / à / to Strasbourg

Zur deutschen Version des Artikels | Aller à la version française de l’article | Go to the English version of the article Es gibt eine französische Großstadt mit 300 000 Einwohnern in der Stadt selbst (und 800 000 im Stadtgebiet), […]

10.07.2023

Border stations in national tariff systems – a simple change with a meaningful impact

At opposite ends of Germany there are two cross border railways where tickets for the trains are wonderfully simple – from Gronau (Nordrhein-Westfalen) to Enschede (Netherlands), and from Freilassing (Bayern) to Salzburg (Austria). At two other borders – Kehl (Baden-Württemberg) […]

03.07.2023