# EUROPE | Local cross-border railway lines



## Baron Hirsch (Jan 31, 2009)

Coccodrillo;143033552[url said:


> http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/53.9140/14.2514[/url] (the Polish town of Swinoujscie has no fixed link at all with the rest of Poland)


That is not so. As your map clearly shows, Świnoujście has two railway terminus stations that do not connect, Świnoujście and Świnoujście Centrum. The former is a mainline rail terminus, connecting to the PKP grid and remaining on the mainland, a short ferry ride from the city proper (as downtown is on the German-Polish island of Usedom and there is no bridge). The Centrum station is the terminus for a minor line, the UsedomerBäderBahn (a subsidiary of DB), connecting the various seaside resorts on the German half of the island Usedom, before passing the border and terminating in Świnoujście. This one, yes, has no connection to PKP services, but to the DB mainline on the German mainland via a bridge. 
Świnoujście used to have another line and rail bridge to the mainland in its own right. This bridge lay in the south of the island and was destroyed and never rebuilt after WW II, as the new Polish-GDR border division of Usedom made the route inconvenient. 
There are initiatives to rebuild the bridge, as it would drastically shorten the travel times from Berlin to Usedom, but it has so far not been listed as a top priority.


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## x-type (Aug 19, 2005)

Gedeon said:


> Or via Murakeresztur-Gyekenyes-Koprivnica. This is the only electrified route, and today the only route trains take between Budapest and Zagreb.
> 
> But I remember that in the past there was a train that took Zagreb-Varaždin-Čakovec-Kotoriba-Murakeresztur route and onwards to Budapest.


there was also train Zagreb - Wien over Nagykanizsa, Szombathely and Sopron, quite recently. i don't know the route between Nagykanizsa and Szombathely probably over Zalaszentivan without diverting to Zalaegerszeg.


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## Gedeon (Apr 5, 2013)

x-type said:


> there was also train Zagreb - Wien over Nagykanizsa, Szombathely and Sopron, quite recently. i don't know the route between Nagykanizsa and Szombathely probably over Zalaszentivan without diverting to Zalaegerszeg.


How recently? I don't think so. There was one promotional ride (not open for passengers) of Gredelj DMU from Zagreb to Vienna and back via this route. Maybe you're remembering that.

Zagreb-Vienna trains have always been going via Maribor and Graz.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Gedeon said:


> Zagreb-Vienna trains have always been going via Maribor and Graz.


Interestingly enough, the travel from Zagreb to Vienna via Gyekenyes, Nagykanizsa and Sopron would take about 6 hours, while the fastest train via Maribor and Graz is slightly slower at present, with travel time 6 hours and 37 minutes.
The calculation is based on following data from the current timetable: Zagreb - Gyekenyes 1:31 (IC), Gyekenyes - Sopron 3:11 (regional), Sopron - Wien Hbf 1:13 (regional).
I don't mean that the present trains should be rerouted, but an additional connection would mean new customers (en route).


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

Gedeon said:


> How recently? I don't think so. There was one promotional ride (not open for passengers) of Gredelj DMU from Zagreb to Vienna and back via this route. Maybe you're remembering that.
> 
> Zagreb-Vienna trains have always been going via Maribor and Graz.


Yes, there were passenger trains between Zagreb and Vienna also through Hungary not so long ago (in addition to the route through Slovenia), but I don't think they were running for more than a few years. They cancelled them, because apparently one pair of trains per day was enough and I guess there were more passengers via Slovenia (although I think the route through Hungary was faster).


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## Gedeon (Apr 5, 2013)

x-type said:


> there was also train Zagreb - Wien over Nagykanizsa, Szombathely and Sopron, quite recently. i don't know the route between Nagykanizsa and Szombathely probably over Zalaszentivan without diverting to Zalaegerszeg.





Verso said:


> Yes, there were passenger trains between Zagreb and Vienna also through Hungary not so long ago (in addition to the route through Slovenia), but I don't think they were running for more than a few years. They cancelled them, because apparently one pair of trains per day was enough and I guess there were more passengers via Slovenia (although I think the route through Hungary was faster).


Yup, checked it now... my mistake.

There were direct wagons Zagreb-Koprivnica-Gyekenyes-Sopron-Vienna from 2009 till 2012 as IC 284/285.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

^^ The route via Koprivnica - Gyekenyes would be also the shortest way for a passenger train between Zagreb and Bratislava; from Szombathely along the newly refurbished Porpac - Hegyeshalom route and via Rajka to Bratislava Petrzalka. I don't know if it proved to be an economically feasible project, but after all, why in so many years Rajka - Rusovce border crossing has not been given an opportunity to carry passenger rail traffic at all is a viable question.


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## Gedeon (Apr 5, 2013)

eu01 said:


> ^^ The route via Koprivnica - Gyekenyes would be also the shortest way for a passenger train between Zagreb and Bratislava; from Szombathely along the newly refurbished Porpac - Hegyeshalom route and via Rajka to Bratislava Petrzalka. I don't know if it proved to be an economically feasible project, but after all, why in so many years Rajka - Rusovce border crossing has not been given an opportunity to carry passenger rail traffic at all is a viable question.


It would... problem is, there is not much interest for such a train. And coordinating 3 carriers is a pain in the ass... maybe after the passenger transport gets liberalised, we will see more cross-border trains.


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

eu01 said:


> ^^ The route via Koprivnica - Gyekenyes would be also the shortest way for a passenger train between Zagreb and Bratislava; from Szombathely along the newly refurbished Porpac - Hegyeshalom route and via Rajka to Bratislava Petrzalka. I don't know if it proved to be an economically feasible project, but after all, why in so many years Rajka - Rusovce border crossing has not been given an opportunity to carry passenger rail traffic at all is a viable question.


I work at the Ministry of Transport at the division responsible for rail transport and I can confirm that there are ongoing discussion with the GySÉV to put a line between Rajka and Petržalka into operation. The line is to be incorporated into the regional integrated transport system.


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## btrs (Jan 24, 2016)

Coccodrillo said:


> They are used only by passenger trains, but here are 4 other examples of cross border railways without track connection to other railways in one of the two states:


Another interesting one is Quiévrain (Belgium) - Valenciennes (France):
http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/50.4071/3.6737

The line on the French side is still used to transport new trains from the Bombardier factory in Crespin (ex-ANF Ateliers du Nord de la France) to Valenciennes.

There have been talks on both sides a few years ago to reopen the line, either as normal train or as a new line of the Valenciennes tram system (similar to Saarbahn in Sarreguemines).

Unfortunately, the transport secretary is still searching for a 2.3m EUR budget to get the line reopened (for just only 1600 m of rail on the Belgian side of the border):
http://www.lavenir.net/cnt/dmf20170...une-reouverture-de-la-ligne-mons-valenciennes


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## Kpc21 (Oct 3, 2008)

volodaaaa said:


> I work at the Ministry of Transport at the division responsible for rail transport and I can confirm that there are ongoing discussion with the GySÉV to put a line between Rajka and Petržalka into operation. The line is to be incorporated into the regional integrated transport system.


What about the connection with Poland through Muszyna? No trains from 2010. And there is practically no railway connection between Poland and eastern Slovakia.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

*Next short story...*

Once upon a time in tsar’s Russia, more precisely in the end of 19th century, a new railway project was born. 

About 120 years ago, Nikolai the Second, the last Emperor of Russia, has issued the guidelines concerning the improvement of a rail transport between Russia and an autonomous part in the North-West, the Grand Duchy of Finland, ruled by him. Tsar’s Governor Bobrikov in his attempt to assimilate the "alien non-Slavic race" of Finns, dissatisfied with the progress of his programme fiercely tried to strengthen the ties with the borderland not only by means of Russification, but also through the inter-development of economy and transportation. While Finland had the same rail gauge as Russia and its main line ended in Saint Petersburg, the networks were separated by the lack of a fixed bridge over the Neva river. The new project envisaged not only the new bridge, but also the construction of a new railway, parallel to the existing one, from St. Petersburg to Vaasa on the Gulf of Bothnia. It was very important also from the military point of view, to have an alternative if the existing coastal line via Viipuri (Vyborg) were cut off.

The new line had to run through Hiitola, Elisenvaara, Parikkala, Savonlinna, Pieksämäki and Jyväskylä, its construction started after 1899. The stretch from Elisenvaara to Savonlinna was ready in 1908, from Savonlinna to Pieksämäki in 1914, further to Jyväskylä in 1918. And in the same year Finland became an independent country, the border came just 70 km west of St. Petersburg, the communications between Finland and Soviet Russia ceased. 

Next came the World War Two, the border between Soviet Union and Finland shifted over 100 km to the West, the line were cut apart again, now between Elisenvaara and Parikkala. The modern history of the line, at least in the Eastern Finland, hasn't been rosy either. Its stretch between Savonlinna and Pieksämäki got even renovated in 2008 at a cost of 42 million euro, but didn’t see a single passenger train thereafter and became closed again a few years later.








Rebuilt and disused (Huutokoski - Savonlinna stretch, from Wikimedia Commons)

The line never served its original purpose and is broken in a couple of places. From the point of cross-border communication, the only hope for this picturesque and mostly straight line could become the planned development of so-called Midnordic Green Transport Corridor from Asia and Russia to Scandinavia and North America, where this line is seriously taken into consideration as a central part. What are the chances, the future will tell.







(image from midnordictc.net)​


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

Kpc21 said:


> What about the connection with Poland through Muszyna? No trains from 2010. And there is practically no railway connection between Poland and eastern Slovakia.


There was a first year of a seasonal line between Rzesow and Medzilaborce this year. But the operation has been terminated until the next summer. Maybe we should wait for the future demand development.

But the north-eastern Slovakia is generally the worst served part of Slovakia on account of rail transport.


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## Eulanthe (Dec 29, 2006)

volodaaaa said:


> I work at the Ministry of Transport at the division responsible for rail transport and I can confirm that there are ongoing discussion with the GySÉV to put a line between Rajka and Petržalka into operation. The line is to be incorporated into the regional integrated transport system.


About Petržalka station - can you tell me more about it? Was it intended for more trains than just trains coming from the Kittsee route after being rebuilt in 1994-1998, or was the station intended solely for trains from Austria? 

The other question - can you tell me how the passport/customs controls worked in Petržalka? I know that the Slovak passport controls were in the tunnel leading to the island platform, but I can't figure out how it worked - were passengers separated going to/from the platform, or was there just a single window used for both entry and exit? 

Any information would be appreciated


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

Eulanthe said:


> About Petržalka station - can you tell me more about it? Was it intended for more trains than just trains coming from the Kittsee route after being rebuilt in 1994-1998, or was the station intended solely for trains from Austria?
> 
> The other question - can you tell me how the passport/customs controls worked in Petržalka? I know that the Slovak passport controls were in the tunnel leading to the island platform, but I can't figure out how it worked - were passengers separated going to/from the platform, or was there just a single window used for both entry and exit?
> 
> Any information would be appreciated


Yeah, it is ridiculous that one of the newest stations in Slovakia is currently served by trains heading to Vienna (or Deutschkreutz) only. Of course it was intended for more trains but you know, political cycles are sometimes responslible for crazy things.

There were some plans to extend some trains operated between Vienna and the rest of the western Europe to Bratislava, to build a tunnel under the Danube to connect Bratislava main station (imho one of the strangest stations I have ever seen - built in a curve with tunnel at the station gridiron [hope I used the correct notion]) with Petržalka.

But the demand was quite low. There were some InterCity trains from Slovakia that continued from Bratislava main station to Vienna through Petržalka but this service was terminated due to even two locomotive replacements within Bratislava (the first at Bratislava main station where the train changed the direction, the second in Petržalka due to different supply system in Austria - this was extremely time consuming). There were also some local trains operated from Petržalka but these services were terminated in 2011.

No passenger train has been operated between Petržalka and BA main station ever since. But there are currently some negotiations ongoing. Because, basically, we have a perfect new electrified double-track line between these two stations running as a lower floor of a road-bridge across Danube that has been the most overloaded and congested road section in Slovakia ever. Moreover the line connects all attractive locations (business centres, malls, etpc.). Paradox.

About the second question, I don't know how the passport inspection was made. hno:

Here is the photograph of the departure table in Petržalka taken in 2007


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

When HSL between Spain and France was opened... it really had only tunnel.

From French side wasn't hard to operate due to same gauge but in Spanish side they still were u/c (HSL with standard gauge, classic ones with Iberian gauge).

Two daily trains Paris-Figueres operated and... they linked with two trains Figueres-Barcelona where to join with other trains.

These were all transits and duties that passengers had to do to go from a French train to a Spanish train when changing traing











Nowadays, in winter, five international services, up to seven in summer, depending of destinations without train changing. Most of them departs in Barcelona, one in Madrid and drive trhough this tunnel.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Today let me tell the story of a local narrow gauge line in Jura mountains that once linked communities in France and Switzerland, it's been the _Nyon–St-Cergue–Morez Railway_.








Images: morez1900.net, Wikimedia Commons, Dominics Bahnpics/Flickr.

On September 30, 1898, a new rail project became the subject of a Swiss federal concession application. It provided for the construction of a metro gauge railway from Nyon to Gimel, with an optional extension to St-Cergue and the French border. The concession for a metric railway line from Nyon to the French border was finally granted in 1912. The construction works began immediately, albeit delayed by the First World War. In France, the President of the Republic signed the declaration of public utility of the line between Morez and La Cure in 1913. The entire line from Nyon to Morez was completed in 1921.

Between 1921 and 1958, this new international line was operated by two companies: one Swiss and the other French. Before the WWII, the track improvements allowed to increase the speed to 30 to – 35 km/h in the steep mountainous terrain.

In 1958, after 27 years of operation, the French section became replaced by a bus service. On the Swiss side, in 1963 the significant aging of the rolling stock, infrastructures and installations prompted the NstCM to request a financial assistance for the renovation of the infrastructure. This request gave rise to several studies aimed at eliminating the railway and replacing it with a road service.
Only in 1982 the Federal Council has decided to maintain the railway and to carry its complete modernization. In 2004 works were was completed in Nyon, giving a new route within the city as well as a new Nyon underground station.

On the French side of the former line some attempts were made to reconstruct the line over the French border to the village of Les Rousses, In spite of a short distance, just over 2km, the communities involved rejected these projects due to the prediction of its insufficient cost-effectiveness.

The same railway, two different countries, two different fates of the tracks. One could say: Switzerland is a bit richer. Even if true, it's not a complete explanation, at least in my opinion. There are also two different attitudes in question...

More photos here.


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

^^ the most famous railway loop in Europe  isn't it?


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

^^ Well, quite a few similar exist, like French "La ligne des Hirondelles" (Dole - St. Claude), Swiss Bernina (St. Moritz to Tirano), Glacier (St. Moritz to Zermatt), Arlberg and Semmering in Austria, Centovalli and so on


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## Slartibartfas (Aug 15, 2006)

@ volodaaa
Petrzalka is a fascinating station indeed. To be fair the service to Vienna ist at least an hourly one also well used if I am not mistaken. But as you said, Bratislava could use some better utilization of its railway network. 


More interesting in the near future than the Petrzalka line is the Marchegg line to Hl.St. though, as far ast it comes to intercity connections between Vienna and Bratislava. Finally the upgrade of the Marchegg corridor is on track, even if they still take their sweet time (another 6 years or so). Finally there will be a 160 km/h electified corridor between those two cities, if the short connecting track on the Slovak side is adapted as well (is that on track as well, within that time frame?)

So I hope to see Railjets being extended from Vienna to Bratislava in 7 years or so. That would finally connect the Austrian long distance rail directly to the Slovak rail network. By then it would be nice to see some Bratislava Hl.St. upgrade.

EDIT:

The upgraded corridor is the longest absolutely straight rail corridor in Austria. It is one damn straight line from the branching point within Vienna to shortly before the border, yet it is one of the few non-electrified lines. It is really mind boggling. At least by 2023 it will be electrified and upgraded to allow for 160 km/h (perfectly sufficient for the distance, more than that would not grant much advantage for the short overall length).









http://infrastruktur.oebb.at/de/pro...nt?datei=Streckenkarte_Ausbau+Wien-Bratislava


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## Chris80678 (Sep 2, 2007)

Here is the photograph of the departure table in Petržalka taken in 2007







[/QUOTE]

Train to Warsaw East (Warszawa Wschod) station shown on it :cheers:


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## Kpc21 (Oct 3, 2008)

Many international connections from Poland disappeared in the last years, unfortunately. But the trains between Poland and Bratislava still exist.

What is Trnatslava? Google finds no such word at all.


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

Slartibartfas said:


> @ volodaaa
> Petrzalka is a fascinating station indeed. To be fair the service to Vienna ist at least an hourly one also well used if I am not mistaken. But as you said, Bratislava could use some better utilization of its railway network.
> 
> 
> ...


Perhaps some fresh info:

The Slovak side of the project is not that complex. Only a mere curve ended in the Devínska Nová Ves station. As far as I know, no activities except electrification are planned in Slovakia.

The project is included in the project pipeline of the Operational Programme Integrated Infrastructure (the cohesion fund of the EU).

Currently the project documentation for the building permit has already been finished.

The track runs on 7 metres tall rail embankment. The gantry is to be settled on the right side of the track (in the direction to Devínska Nová Ves). The left side is to remain reserved for further construction of the second track. The electrification supply system is to be 25 kV 50 Hz. The whole project comprise 53 gantry poles.

The anticipated costs of the project adds up to 3.768.234 € and the construction period should not exceed 7 months.


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## Eulanthe (Dec 29, 2006)

Slartibartfas said:


> More interesting in the near future than the Petrzalka line is the Marchegg line to Hl.St. though, as far ast it comes to intercity connections between Vienna and Bratislava.


The problem is that the fares need to come down before the line can really be utilised properly. A flat 5 Euro fare from Bratislava to Vienna each way would really open up both the Marchegg and Kittsee lines, but it seems obvious that neither Austria nor Slovakia take the connection particularly seriously.

The other problem with the Marchegg route is that even with 160km/h running, the Slovak side still presents problems with the line speed, especially with the tunnel into Hl.St.


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## dysharmonica (Dec 3, 2015)

Eulanthe said:


> The problem is that the fares need to come down before the line can really be utilised properly. A flat 5 Euro fare from Bratislava to Vienna each way would really open up both the Marchegg and Kittsee lines, but it seems obvious that neither Austria nor Slovakia take the connection particularly seriously.
> 
> The other problem with the Marchegg route is that even with 160km/h running, the Slovak side still presents problems with the line speed, especially with the tunnel into Hl.St.


once they build a proper connection, I would count on one of the private operators jumping in within 2 years (Regiojet most likely)


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

Eulanthe said:


> The problem is that the fares need to come down before the line can really be utilised properly. A flat 5 Euro fare from Bratislava to Vienna each way would really open up both the Marchegg and Kittsee lines, but it seems obvious that neither Austria nor Slovakia take the connection particularly seriously.
> 
> The other problem with the Marchegg route is that even with 160km/h running, the Slovak side still presents problems with the line speed, especially with the tunnel into Hl.St.


The tunnel is the real pain in the ass. Seriously. It is neat that it was the one of the first railway tunnels in continental Europe, but anyway, it just causes more troubles even for local transport.


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

eu01 said:


> In 1958, after 27 years of operation, the French section *became replaced by a bus service.*


Yes...theoretically. Last year I wanted to do a round trip from Geneva, going to La Cure by train, then by bus to Morez, then by train to Andelot, Morez (again), Oyonnax and from there by bus to Geneva. It was a Saturday, and although there was a train every hour to La Cure, from there the only bus service connecting to the train from Nyon was around midday and needed to be reserved in advance. The connection to Andelot was also bad, and I didn't ever bother to search for trains to go back via Oyonnax.

Note that the track still continues a few metres into France to allow shunting, although the station itself is in Swiitzerland.

https://map.geo.admin.ch/?lang=it&t...5.56&Y=495142.07&zoom=13&catalogNodes=457,510

http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=18/46.46546/6.07300

Here are today's timetables of the La Cure-Morez buss ervice that replaced the railway: http://www.jurabus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/702-MOREZ-BOIS-DAMONT-et-Doublage-màj-061016.pdf

3 or 4 buses per direction on school days, just one on Saturdays and during school holidays, and none on Sundays. Basically, they are just school buses that are open to everybody, and not only children. But given this poor service, it is obvious that 99% of passengers are children and maybe some elderly. Compare that with the hourly rail service on the Swiss side...

PS I ended going by car to Oyonnax, then taking a train to Andelot and back. That was the only practicable way to do that trip.

PPS I know that France is not Switzerland and it doesn't want to subsidize bus, but then, a minimum service for those who cannot drive should be offered. In Switzerland there is even a law that states that every village of 100 inhabitants or more has the right to have at least 4 buses a day to the outside world (I don't know the exact wording of the law but that's the concept).


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

It seems to be confirmed. The new connection Bratislava-Petržalka - Rajka - Győr to be launched at the 10th of December 2017.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

The new timetable will bring about an interesting change in regional cross-border transport between Czechia and Poland. After 16 years of absence local passenger trains will again use the Czech-Polish border crossing Meziměstí - Mieroszów. Plans are to launch new fast trains between Polish Wrocław and Adrspach. New trains will be operated by GW Train Regio at the request of the Hradec Králové Region. The connections will be provided every weekend from April 29 to September 2. In this period four pairs of trains will run on this route: the first morning train departing from Wrocław, the other three from Walbrzych. Reactivation of trains is a result of an agreement between Hradec Králové Region and the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Later, the Czech side has also plans to construct a new link to reduce the travel time from Broumov and Náchod via Hradec Králové to Prague by at least 30 minutes. This would also reduce travel times between Hradec Králové and Wroclaw.

Based on the information published by zdopravy.cz


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^^ Reminds me of the Slovenian-Croatian border where we reintroduced passenger traffic on 7 cross-border railways.


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

For a long time I have been noticing the following trend:
- a line is not attractive with few last people on board,
- the service is therefore abolished,
- people are furious over it,
- people are calmed down for a few years, line is abandoned,
- some political changes at the ministry of transport,
- the line is restored,
- people are happy and the demand is tremendously high 

Conclusion:
to make a line attractive, you have to just abort the service for a few years


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## Slartibartfas (Aug 15, 2006)

volodaaaa said:


> It seems to be confirmed. The new connection Bratislava-Petržalka - Rajka - Győr to be launched at the 10th of December 2017.


I can't find it in the timetable yet, haven't they finalized the entry yet? The new Regiojet connection from Prague to Vienna is already there. 

How fast would that direct train from Györ to Bratislava be? Currently the fastest connection takes 1:42 (2 transfers) and the common connections 1:56 (1 transfer). 

It would be certainly nice if Petrzalka got some usage upgrade.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

volodaaaa said:


> For a long time I have been noticing the following trend:
> - a line is not attractive with few last people on board,
> - the service is therefore abolished,
> - people are furious over it,
> ...


I don't know, trains between Slovenia and Croatia are pretty much empty, often you can't see a single passenger (except on the Ljubljana-Zagreb line, which is busy).


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

Yes, i will have sem you the timetablr by the end of the day


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## Kpc21 (Oct 3, 2008)

I have found an interesting place at the Czech-German border.

The border station Zelazna Ruda/Bayerisch Eisenstein. The national border... halves the train station. A half of the platforms length is located in Czech Republic, a half in Germany.

See:
https://goo.gl/maps/TpTe9udx3rw (Czech side)
https://goo.gl/maps/GwgEsofyr872 (the border - notice the difference in the platforms surface)
https://goo.gl/maps/bkszp2FDY2E2 (German side)
https://goo.gl/maps/FtC6VchZHGA2 (a German train on the German side and, in the background, a Czech train on the Czech side)

How did it work before Schengen? And how did it work in the socialism?


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

Therefore, trains stops only in their national side?. That will allow only small trains to call there


I remember case of Hendaye

https://www.google.es/maps/place/He...6d871e5a11f!8m2!3d43.359399!4d-1.766148?hl=es

(Irun, Port Bou and Cérbère are similar).

You will see a small building besides main station (and a stopped train). It is where Spanish trains arrives and they can be quite long. Former booths still remains. I guess that when HSL is opened, all trains will be through main station but at the moment it is terminus.

For a long time there was a night train Madrid-Paris. Nowadays, since April, it is out of service since S.Sebastian to be prepared for HSL link. Only trains coming from Vigo or Lisbon arrives till the border. Rest ones, only to S.Sebastian and link to Hendaye by commuter.


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

OK found these timetables from 1948 Casablanca/Lisbon/Madrid ==> Paris










Explanations

Daily (on night) train Paris-Irun / Hendaye-Paris

A&E: Direct train Lisbon-Paris three days per week. Rest of days, possibility to change in Madrid (different station)
1 and 2 class from Lisbon to Paris

C: Three days per week Lisbon-Madrid and Madrid-Hendaye. It is a Lisbon-Madrid indeed where in Medina you could get out and take a Madrid-Hendaye.
Lisbon-Madrid, only beds, Madrid-Hendaye, only seats (despite it is whilst night)
Hendaye-Paris, daily

B&G: Casablanca-Paris. It takes a ferry from Tanger to Algeciras. Doesn't allow passengers inside Spain. Only corner to corner. Once per week and took almost two days to Paris, more than 1,5 to Casablanca


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

Kpc21 said:


> I have found an interesting place at the Czech-German border.
> 
> The border station Zelazna Ruda/Bayerisch Eisenstein. The national border... halves the train station. A half of the platforms length is located in Czech Republic, a half in Germany.
> 
> ...


Massive :lol: Czechoslovak signals on the Czech gridiron and German ones on the German gridiron :lol:


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## Eulanthe (Dec 29, 2006)

Kpc21 said:


> How did it work before Schengen? And how did it work in the socialism?


During the Cold War, nothing particularly special. The station was walled off inside, while there was a barrier across the tracks and the car park outside. Trains didn't extend to that station on the Czechoslovak side, but the German trains went right up to the border fence. Standard process really - the Czechoslovak border was guarded deeper within the country, while appearing to be quite mild from a Western perspective.

Once the Cold War ended, the station was brought back into use on the Czechoslovak side, and border controls were conducted on the platform. 

There's a picture here showing the passport/customs hut on the border. At some point (I'm not sure when, possibly between 2000-2007), the fence was also removed in the car park, and it acted as an ordinary pedestrian tourist border crossing here

Inside the station, there was just a small barrier pointing people to the border crossing, you couldn't cross the border inside the station for some stupid reason. 

In general, from what I know, an agreement was signed in 1991 between Germany and Czechoslovakia that reopened the station properly and the border crossings (both pedestrian and rail).

As an aside, it seems that for operational reasons, the station is now considered to be only the German station - trains don't seem to stop at the Czech side only. I wonder how it is in practice?


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

The Iron curtain through rail station between Czechoslovakia and Germany - Železná Ruda

And the video:


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## Kpc21 (Oct 3, 2008)

It seems not to be impossible to rebuild it in the future.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

A study on a potential Arctic rail line connecting Finland with the Arctic Ocean was released on Friday, with a route from Rovaniemi to Norway's Kirkenes judged the most feasible. 






"The Arctic link is an important project, as it would more securely connect the continental countries of Europe with Arctic areas. A railway connection would improve the commercial prospects of several businesses in the northern area," the [Finnish Transport Minister Anne Berner] said.

The route connecting Rovaniemi with Kirkenes, via the Finnish city of Sodankylä, is estimated to carry a price tag of 2.9 billion euros. Finland would pay about 2 billion, while Norway would contribute 900 million.

Source: YLE News


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^^ Hmm, so the lines Kolari-Tromsø and Kemijärvi-Murmansk aren't enough?


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Verso said:


> ^^ Hmm, so the lines Kolari-Tromsø and Kemijärvi-Murmansk aren't enough?


Such lines do not exist, at present the northernmost line goes from Oulu to Rovaniemi and Kemijärvi (and not via Sodankylä; Kiruna -Narvik exists, but it is in Norway). All these dotted lines are just options considered in these plans and the red one has been selected.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

I have just visited one of the cross-border lines where the passenger trains have been re-introduced after many years of freight-only traffic. From December 10, 2017, the border crossing Rajka - Rusovce is served by 5 pairs of daily Gysev trains, most of them connecting Bratislava-Petrzalka with Hegyeshalom.

Here is my short photoreport. The travel is nice, total travel time Bratislava - Hegyeshalom being just 34minutes. My only concern is a small number of passengers, not sure if the connection has been sufficiently advertised?


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## Eulanthe (Dec 29, 2006)

Kpc21 said:


> Hm... It seems you are right. But it's difficult to explain now, in Schengen times, when all the borders can be, basically, crossed freely. So it seems that those "no entry" signs must be solely due to some railway regulations.
> 
> It's stupid that you have to cross some tracks to another platform, walk on it, and return to the platform on which you were crossing the same tracks.


I still don't have a good answer for this situation, but I've found a picture from the island platform looking into socialist Czechoslovakia here.

There are many more interesting pictures on the website. Probably the most interesting thing is how normal the Czechoslovak side looks - like an abandoned station, nothing more.

Probably the most interesting picture I've found so far is this one - as it shows the interior of the station. As far as I know, it remained like this during the Cold War, as the Germans had no interest in closing access to the border area. One of the corridors inside was also divided like this, as I've said above, you needed to cross the border either on the platform or at the tourist border crossing in the car park.

It also looks like something changed after the Czech Republic joined the EU here, as this photo is from 2005 and the border crossing on the platform no longer exists. 

There's also a beautiful picture from 1970 here from inside the station - showing clearly that the station was 'open' during the Cold War.


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## Ugo Fantozzi (Aug 27, 2013)

13rd July reopen Cuneo-(Nice)-Vintimille (but max speed 40 km/h :bash
Source:Ferrovie.info


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## Kpc21 (Oct 3, 2008)

"German UBB railway on Usedom Island" by Low-Floorer:






I put it in this thread because it provides connection with the Polish town Świnoujście - but without a direct connection (and any land connection) with the Polish railway network.


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## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

As of décembre 2018, there will be again passenger trains over the belgian/french border crossings of Quevy/Feignies and Erquelinnes/Jeumont. One train will leave Namur and Charleroi early in the morning (less so in the week-end) to connect to an SNCF train in Maubeuge to Paris, and another will leave from Mons to connect to the same train at Aulnoye. Same in the evening in the other direction. For the moment, the journey to Paris will require a change, but SNCB and SNCF work already on a solution to make that direct. Two SNCB séries 18 locos are currently undergoing certification tests on the SNCF network, but I don't know whether this is related.


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## Nerone.Au (May 23, 2017)

MarcVD said:


> As of décembre 2018, there will be again passenger trains over the belgian/french border crossings of Quevy/Feignies and Erquelinnes/Jeumont. One train will leave Namur and Charleroi early in the morning (less so in the week-end) to connect to an SNCF train in Maubeuge to Paris, and another will leave from Mons to connect to the same train at Aulnoye. Same in the evening in the other direction. For the moment, the journey to Paris will require a change, but SNCB and SNCF work already on a solution to make that direct. Two SNCB séries 18 locos are currently undergoing certification tests on the SNCF network, but I don't know whether this is related.


Thanks for the info!
What's left is to open a connection between West Flanders (de panne) with Dunkirk


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## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

Nerone.Au said:


> Thanks for the info!
> What's left is to open a connection between West Flanders (de panne) with Dunkirk


Don't hold your breath for that, on the belgian side, the track has been lifted from Adinkerke to the border a few years ago. You know that in the past, there were up to 22 railway border crossings between Belgium and France ? Now only 6 active remain...


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## Theijs (Aug 15, 2012)

Slartibartfas said:


> @ volodaaa
> Finally the upgrade of the Marchegg corridor to Bratislava Hl. St. is on track, (...) yet it is one of the few non-electrified lines. (...) At least by 2023 it will be electrified and upgraded to allow for 160 km/h.
> 
> http://infrastruktur.oebb.at/de/pro...nt?datei=Streckenkarte_Ausbau+Wien-Bratislava


So what is the current state of affairs in upgrading this AT-SK cross-border line?


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## Baron Hirsch (Jan 31, 2009)

*(Udine-)Trieste C-Ljubljana Gl. to commence*

As of Sept 9, when all major tourist traffic has come to an end, the long-awaited direct rail link from Slovenia to Italy beyond the mere border station recommences. 

Ljubljana dep. 5.57 / 16.10
Trieste C arr. 8.39 / 18.43
Trieste C dep. 8.50
Udine arr. 9.52

Udine dep. ...... / 17.54
Trieste C. arr. ... / 18.58
Trieste C. dep 9.01 / 19.09
Ljubljana arr. 11.36 / 21.48

To be frank, this is not too impressive. The projected run to Venice has been shortened to Udine, which to my knowledge is not really a major attraction. There are some beaches and the Trieste airport on the way though. Departures and arrivals of the Udine train are also rather unattractive for travelers from/to Ljubljana. Due to these early and late departures, arrivals, there is not much hope of integrating these trains into onwards connections east of Ljubljana. However, there are some possibilities to travel onward same day to Venice and Milan with some not over-attractive connections. Plus there is a seemingly unnecessarily long pit-stop in the nowhere station of Villa Opicina on the border.
To be frank, if I wanted to kill the connection after one year of trial runs, I would have designed it exactly as it is now. It seems to be a perfect advertisement for taking the bus.


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## Ugo Fantozzi (Aug 27, 2013)

^^ There is many demand on this route. See Flixbus from Trieste to Lubjana, almost a metrò for frequence...


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## Eulanthe (Dec 29, 2006)

volodaaaa said:


> About the second question, I don't know how the passport inspection was made. hno:


I now know  I went there a few days ago, and it's actually almost all intact. When you go through the front door of the station, walk towards the platform doors. Don't go to the escalator or the doors, but turn right. The area to the right of the doors was used for passport control - there's two doors that (if you look through them closely) lead to a large empty area with some walls/furniture. You can see that it looks like an area where controls were carried out, though all signs have been removed. 

If you then go outside (through the doors next to the escalator) and look in the same area, you can see how it was used for passport control. Trains came into Platform 1, and you had to walk into the station building for the control. Slovakian entry/exit controls were carried out here, while Austrian controls were carried out on the train.

I figured it out because on one of the doors, there's a sign saying TRAINS TO WIEN <<<< - so it gave the game away that the door was previously used for trains to Vienna.


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## GENIUS LOCI (Nov 18, 2004)

Some Suburban lines of Milan S-lines network cross the border with Switzerland and the same do S lines of Canton Ticino network.





































Source>>> http://www.trenord.it/it/circolazio...-suburbano/servizio-regionale-e-malpensa.aspx


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

So I drove from Ljubljana (SLO) to Udine (I) and back. Besides me I saw 4 other people cross the border, lol. This train is really poorly occupied. It wouldn't be a problem, if it were poorly occupied just between Sežana and Villa Opicina. It's badly occupied from Sežana all the way to Trieste Centrale, which is quite a long way since the train has to go via Aurisina.


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## Ugo Fantozzi (Aug 27, 2013)

^^ This train is is advertised in the Slovenian press?


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## Kpc21 (Oct 3, 2008)

I believe the problem is simply the fact that this train is much slower than a bus. So it's probably chosen mostly either by railway freaks or by people who don't feel comfortable in buses for health reasons.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^^ That's right, it takes ages to get there since the line is really zig-zag and the train stops at every small station in Slovenia. Plus, I'd say Slovenes are more interested in Venice than Trieste or Udine, but Venice is in Veneto, not Friuli Venezia Giulia, which subsidizes this train. Otherwise it was quite well advertised in our press when it commenced. Fun fact: the train was full between the megacities of Sežana and Pivka, where everyone went out. :lol:


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## Gyorgy (Mar 11, 2009)

International passagers on this train in direction of Italy are mostly intreseted in:

Frecciarossa Trieste - Milan
Frecciarossa Venice - Naples 
Ronchi Airport


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## Augusto (Mar 3, 2005)

MarcVD said:


> Don't hold your breath for that, on the belgian side, the track has been lifted from Adinkerke to the border a few years ago. You know that in the past, there were up to 22 railway border crossings between Belgium and France ? Now only 6 active remain...


Hopefully the Kusttram will eventually go to Dunkirk one day..


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## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

Augusto said:


> Hopefully the Kusttram will eventually go to Dunkirk one day..


It already arrives at the latest belgian station (De Panne) so the old right of way could easily be re used. But is the potential ridership high enough to justify the costs ?


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Polish Koleje Dolnośląskie and Czech Railways are relaunching the cross-border connection between Sędzisław and Kralovec. This line has had passenger traffic just on some Summer weekends, now there will be as much as seven daily connections starting in December, according to this timetable.

Interestingly enough, the line from Sędzisław to Kralovec had been electrified and the power line existed there since 1921. After the World War Two Polish Railways started using the traction (in 1945), but later it had to be dismantled as war reparations to Soviets, never mounted again.


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## Wilhem275 (Apr 7, 2006)

This thread demonstrates so well how national borders within Europe are today just cages limiting development among people.

There are so many regions cut in half (or worse) by an arbitrary limit completely unrelated to personal and business connections.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^^ It also depends a lot on the language. For example, if you drive on Swiss motorways, you'll notice that there's a lot more traffic between cities speaking the same language, e.g. Bern-Zürich, Zürich-Basel or Geneva-Lausanne. There's a lot more traffic on these relations than e.g. between Bern and Lausanne/Geneva. But of course there would be even less traffic with an international boundary between them.


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## Slartibartfas (Aug 15, 2006)

There would be also a lot less traffic if the traffic infrastructure is a lot less developed.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Even well kept infrastructure will not protect railway tracks from the abandonment if the political situation changes. One example: the former Saint Petersburg–Warsaw Railway, built in the 19th century by the Russian Empire to connect Russia with Central Europe, one of the most important international lines also in the former Soviet Union, linking also Lithuania (Vilnius) and Belarus (Grodno). First served to maximum of its capacity, but then the Communist empire disappeared and instead of one border crossing, a few more emerged. Formerly one (USSR-Poland), after 1990 many more. Nowadays the line crosses the following borders: Russia-Latvia (also Russia-EU), then Latvia - Lithuania (EU internal), Lithuania - Belarus (EU external border) and finally Belarus - Poland (EU external again). What has happened to this line? Out of use on at least two stretches with very little traffic on some others. While the shortest Rail Baltica could have been planned directly via Grodno to Vilnius along the existing tracks exist but due to two EU borders in between, no way.

Fortunately in the EU itself several lines did get a new life, at least within the Schengen area.


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

Am I wrong or for railway passengers, Bosnia is isolated?


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^^ It's not isolated, there are passenger trains Zagreb-Sarajevo.


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

Thanks. Glanced to Croatia... but into coast and found nothing

How are custom deals?


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## Baron Hirsch (Jan 31, 2009)

Verso said:


> ^^ It's not isolated, there are passenger trains Zagreb-Sarajevo.


No, there are not. As the Croatian and the two Bosnian railway companies could not agree on the financing, this service remains suspended. From time to time, there are talks to restart the service, but nothing definite yet. 
To my knowledge, even the service across the border from the Sarajevo-Mostar line to its terminus at Ploce is suspended. 
A new local service extension in Serbia, Loznica - Zvornik Grad, which is to commence this Sunday, reaches the Bosnian town of Zvornik, although the station is on Serbian ground, just across from the city proper.
I am not a specialist on that region though and stand to be corrected.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^^ Oh, I didn't know that. I knew about Ploče, but not about Sarajevo-Zagreb. That's too bad, it really isolates Bosnia railway-wise.


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## BHT (Jan 27, 2017)

Chambers of commerce in Andorra and Pyrénées-Orientales consider building a underground line between Andorra and France. New 7 km long rail including 200 m viaduct is to connect Porta with Cas de la Paza and cut travel time between these two towns to 11 minutes. Estimated costs are 150 millions €.

https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2019/01/09/2937236-projet-fou-metro-relier-france-andorre.html

https://www.ara.ad/societat/metro-entra-projecte-connexio-Franca_0_2158584249.html


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

Amazing... Andorra wanna railway link and after seeing will not find from Spanish side (even to boundary towns, not expected at all) wanna use that there's no far away a French station

Ok, it is there but

- it is a regional line. Trains go quite slowly. Reckon doesn't deserve investment to go so slow
- Almost all Andorran territory has valley through south (Spain), only Pas de la Casa is located in the Northern side.

It has 100 more times interest to have an inner underground rather than a ski resort with nearest regional French station.
What to do after Pas de la Casa?. It has few population and serves for nothing if it doesn't reach Andorra la Vella


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## fajfer2003 (Aug 10, 2007)

alserrod said:


> Amazing... Andorra wanna railway link and after seeing will not find from Spanish side (even to boundary towns, not expected at all) wanna use that there's no far away a French station
> 
> Ok, it is there but
> 
> ...


Is this Google translation? My English is quite decent but I'm really struggling to understand your writing.


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

No, it isn't

Clearly I write fast and as an example, without subjects.

If it is suggested, I can write with more accuracy, of course


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## 437.001 (Mar 27, 2009)

BHT said:


> Chambers of commerce in Andorra and Pyrénées-Orientales consider building a underground line between Andorra and France. New 7 km long rail including 200 m viaduct is to connect Porta with Cas de la Paza and cut travel time between these two towns to 11 minutes. Estimated costs are 150 millions €.
> 
> https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2019/01/09/2937236-projet-fou-metro-relier-france-andorre.html
> 
> https://www.ara.ad/societat/metro-entra-projecte-connexio-Franca_0_2158584249.html


This sounds very strange.

a) only €150 million for a 7km tunnel including a new underground station at Pas de la Casa and a complete upgrade of Porta station, which hasn't seen any passenger train calling there for decades, and it was used only as a crossing point for trains (at least until the 2000's/early 2010's), but the village itself is tiny?

b) if the road congestion is on the Foix/Toulouse side (Ariège), why building it from the Perpignan side (Pyrenées-Orientales), as it will make the fundamental travel time (Toulouse-Pas de la Casa) longer than it could be if they built it from L'Hospitalet instead?

c) why Porta instead of Latour-de-Carol, which is not that far, but it has much better connectivity (trains to Barcelona, Toulouse, Paris, and Villefranche-de-Conflent for Perpignan)?

:dunno: Odd.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Last Sunday, after more than 26 years, a direct passenger connection between Aachen (Germany) and Maastricht (The Netherlands) has been re-established. During eight preceding months the line has undergone the electrification between Herzogenrath and Landgraaf. The route is served by AVV using Stardler's three-car trainset, equipped to drive on the route networks in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, each with different voltages.








The RE18 route is served by AVV every 60 minutes and the travel time between the two cities is 55 minutes, the ticket costs 11,80 EUR.


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## TrueBulgarian (Jun 20, 2009)

eu01 said:


> The RE18 route is served by AVV every 60 minutes and the travel time between the two cities is 55 minutes, the ticket costs 11,80 EUR.


I've done my LLM at Maastricht University, so I used to travel on the Aachen route quite regularly. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the bus connection between Maastricht and Aachen much cheaper, while taking again around 55-60 mins? Any plans to speed the train up a bit and/or make it cheaper?


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

^^ 


TrueBulgarian said:


> (connection between Maastricht and Aachen) Any plans to speed the train up a bit and/or make it cheaper?


Well, I would say it is very unfortunate that the RE18's route is not the shortest possible. In fact much shorter direct line exist(ed) and along this route (via Bocholz, Valkenburg aan de Geul and Meersen) the travel could be significantly faster, around 35 minutes (a total distance there is just 36,5 km). And indeed, the line "almost" still exists. In the Netherlands, some 15 kilometres of track is still in regular use and then the track continues serving the Museum Railway up to the German border and a bit beyond that point. In Germany there is a gap (to my knowledge the track is partially razed there, but only on the 1 km stretch). Plans for the reactivation existed or maybe still exist, but as you see so far the only thing done are these RE18 trains by a circular route.


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## davidaa (May 15, 2014)

Since 11/2/2018 passengers are allowed travel from Portbou to Cerbere in Sncf trains, a from Cerbere to Porbou in Renfe trains. 

http://rodalies.gencat.cat/web/.content/01_Actualitat/2019/NouR11Portbou/R11-Nuevo-servicio.pdf


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Looking at the timetable, it seems that on RENFE you can go only from Portbou to Cerbère, but not back(?), on SNCF both ways. 
Btw. Is there a double-gauge track?


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

Until now Spanish trains ended in Cerbère/F, went back empty to Port Bou/E, and departed with passengers only from there. And vice versa for SNCF trains. It was extremely stupid, but that was it. Now it is better, although timetables are still not coordinated (Cerbère-Barcelona trains wait a lot in Port Bou before continuing, and I'm sure it is the same on the French side).

Between each couple of Port Bou-Cerbère, Puigcerdà-La Tour de Carol and Irún-Hendaye there are two indipendent tracks, one of each gauge. However the standard gauge track to Puigcerdà is out of use since decades.


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

eu01 said:


> Looking at the timetable, it seems that on RENFE you can go only from Portbou to Cerbère, but not back(?), on SNCF both ways.
> Btw. Is there a double-gauge track?


All international trains Spain-France made this way

- go to the other country with passenger
- return empty to last national station
- depart back from own country

And all of them have both gauges.

There were several reasons. One, out of them, was ticket was sold (before euro) in local currency. This is, you could buy a ticket Madrid-Hendaye anywhere but always in Pesetas. A Paris-Irun always in Francs. Let's continue... Hendaye-Paris would be in Francs and Irun-Madrid would be in Pesetas.

There were booths in both stations. I remember a booth for one police, a yellow line and second booth besides. Even if no passport control I remember one random check in Hendaye by French police and another one in Irun by Spanish police

Hendaye - Irun are just 1 km away only, btw. Nowadays there's no service from San Sebastian due to works. Line is being prepared to receive high speed train. It will run until San Sebastian and will use current line even for standard gauge high speed trains, even for commuters. There are just a few services that can operate in a line with only one track and a lot of people working there. Should you have a ticket from Irun, you can get metric line commuter trains for free until San Sebastian and later your train.

AFAIK, in Puigcerda there's now only one gauge, thus this situation is no longer in that area


And, in the past, in Canfranc station, due to there was an 8 km tunnel designed more than one century ago and opened in 1928, only SNCF operate that tunnel. Station was binational and there were both customs, both ticket office, and a currency exchange office (as well as hotel, post office for both countries and so on).

That village had (and HAS) a binational status (not expired) where French workers could/can go to the village without crossing border. There were French officers even in the village and several French services for them (like a school for kids). They could have a visa to move around but in case they wanted to travel somewhere in Spain, they had to go to station, French customs, stamp as exit country (while they were in that town, they hadn't quit country and they could be arrested by French police), go to Spanish custom and check entry into Spain



Really... seeing that situation it was really weird that picture when first TGV arrived to Figueres and they had a Spanish train in the same platform waiting for commuting. Historical picture


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

This was one out of those images.

standard gauge arrived to Figueres from France (thus trains Paris-Figueres) and they waited several years for works in Spain (thus some provisional situation and only trains Figueres-Barcelona to commute, plus all local trains from a station located 1 km away)


These were all custom controls to go from one train coming from Paris (TGV Duplex) to another train going to Barcelona


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

alserrod, no siempre se entiende cuando escribes en inglés, por lo meno yo no, creo sería mejor si tu escribes directamente en castillano. Sino puedes escribir en castillano y utilizar Google Translate, y poner el mismo texto en original y en inglés. Como yo hablo un poco español, para mi y otros sería más facil.

I try to explain what allserrod means, adding what I already know:



> Hendaye - Irun are just 1 km away only, btw. Nowadays there's no service from San Sebastian due to works. Line is being prepared to receive high speed train. It will run until San Sebastian and will use current line even for standard gauge high speed trains, even for commuters. There are just a few services that can operate in a line with only one track and a lot of people working there. Should you have a ticket from Irun, you can get metric line commuter trains for free until San Sebastian and later your train.


The line Donostia San Sebastian-Irún is being partly regauged (one standard gauge track and one double gauge IIRC), so there are not passenger trains at the moment. Passengers must use the metre gauge line to Hendaye (this one might be the only railway border crossing in the world with trains of three dfiferent gauges). That way standard gauge trains from France will be able tor each Bilbao and Vitoria Gasteiz.



> (thus some provisional situation and only trains Figueres-Barcelona to commute, plus all local trains from a station located 1 km away)


The case of Figueres is different. When the Perpignan F-Figueres E HSL was opened the section Figueres-Barcelona was not completed (it opened a couple of years later). So standard gauge trains from France ended in Figueres high speed station (different from Figueres city station), where passangers had to change to broad gauge trains. Standard gauge freight trains could go to Barcelona port using the old railway, which had received one double gauge track (the other track remained broad gauge).

IIRC, and the picture posted by alserrod seems to confirm that, for a certain time after the opening of the Barcelona-Figueres HSL there were no through trains, and passengers had again to change from French to Spanish trains, although this time both standard gauge.

alserrod also said that from Figueres to Barcelona there were, and are, local trains.


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

That's correct

- San Sebastian-Irun is under works to have multiple gauge. Due to no works on French side for HSL, ADIF is preparing network only until San Sebastian and upgrading San Sebastian-Irun.

Nowadays only freight, plus two trains that would be hard to operate in San Sebastian plus several commuter trains are crossing there in a single track instead of double track (whilst under construction).

Any passenger is entitled to take a ticket in the metric line (managed by Basque government). If you come in a long distance train it is for free because included in your ticket.
If you come in commuter or regional train to San Sebastian (to a small eastern station for those cases indeed) I do not know if there are shared fares or just you would need to buy two tickets.

SNCF is ready to have, out of their services to Hendaye, 3 out of them enlarged to San Sebastian and one more to San Sebastian-Bilbao (that it means all trains would be enlarged???)


- Figueres/Port Bou. After all international traffic go through new tunnel, only local and regional trains have service in that area. They have decided to cross tunnel for both directions but it is a regional traffic only with train change in the border.


When Figueres-Perpignan tunnel opened... it was in international gauge. The same used in France, thus it was enough an homologation for French trains to reach Figueres (let's remember that several years later they have built to Montpellier but no further, HSL doesn't arrive to Perpignan).

Spain needed to built a new line. It was u/c yet. They made a little by-pass to operate trains to shuttle from French TGV to Barcelona. They were regional trains but called in Gerona only. The rest of journey was direct. It was known by local population that... should they weren't in hurry, in Figueres-centre, trains to Barcelona were a bit more slower but cheaper than direct ones.

Regional trains from/to Figueres-Vilafant (HSL instead of city centre) were only two, those to have a direct link with Paris trains in just 20 minutes.
I think it was possible to buy (in offices in station) French TGV tickets in Figueres for a while (nowadays they are shared services thus enough to local company to buy it)

I remember it was really criticised from French side they were regional trains and... they were best regional trains in Spain (and they used those ones because enough for a short journey to Barcelona)


About classic line to Port Bou, nowadays for instance Barcelona-Gerona.... I would bet it is the most used for regional (no commuters or long distance but trains calling in each town and medium distance) in Spain... anyway, surely in Top5


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

And... about Canfranc-Bedous (former Canfranc-Oloron) bus service to shuttle with regional trains to Pau, I remember a loooooong time ago, first time I was in that service... 

I arrived Canfranc by train, bus was waiting in the main gate. Strongly easy to find it... I asked for a ticket to just some km inside France because I was going for trekking to join some friends in the mountains.
Bus didn't accept local currency, only Francs, and my French was null in that moment. I remember fare was terribly cheap due to a so short journey. Someone translated me and payed in Francs


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Directly after the WW2 as much as 6 railway lines used to cross the border between the former Soviet Union and Finland. Two of them were dismantled soon thereafter (Elisenvaara - Simpele and Elisenvaara - Parikkala), most of others are used only for cargo (timber) and just one, main line via Vyborg and Vainikkala, is being used for passenger traffic. Somewhat surprisingly, RZD have announced their intention to introduce a new passenger connection from Saint Petersburg to Finnish Imatra via local line Kamenogorsk - Svetogorsk. The test ride of a new train will be performed on 28th September using new hybrid diesel-electric train set.

Overall, the international passenger traffic between Finland and Russia will certainly benefit from new visa regulations. Free electronic visas for tourists heading to Saint Petersburg are expected to intensify the travel to this historic city in the near future.


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## doc7austin (Jun 24, 2012)

> These were all custom controls to go from one train coming from Paris (TGV Duplex) to another train going to Barcelona


Customs control within the European Union? I think you misspelled something here?


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## alserrod (Dec 27, 2007)

Just glance above. One message written by myself one month ago about Figueres station at first


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Only now I came across a document prepared last year for the European Commission on the subject "Comprehensive analysis of the existing cross-border rail transport connections and missing links on the internal EU borders" where you can find missing and promising links shortlisted together with a high-resolution map, conclusions and recommendations. An interesting lecture.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

Interesting, but not exactly discovering hot water. Most cross-border links aren't promising, and most of those that _are_ already have trains running.


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## Stuu (Feb 7, 2007)

Verso said:


> Interesting, but not exactly discovering hot water. Most cross-border links aren't promising, and most of those that _are_ already have trains running.


I have always been surprised how poor Slovenia's links to Italy are though, wouldn't say Milan-Venice-Ljubljana be a reasonably popular route?


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## maginn (Mar 3, 2014)

Better railway links between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Lithuania/Poland would be nice. The Baltic region overall has very poor railway connections to each other, and the connections to mother Russia aren’t great either...


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## davide84 (Jun 8, 2008)

Stuu said:


> I have always been surprised how poor Slovenia's links to Italy are though, wouldn't say Milan-Venice-Ljubljana be a reasonably popular route?


I come from Venice, and IMHO Slovenia still suffers from having been on the other side of the iron curtain for so long. In terms of mass knowledge, the only Slovenian famous places are Nova Gorica casino, and maybe Kraniska Gora ski station. Slovenia is almost never mentioned in national or local newspaper, there does not seem to be much business going on.
In the early 2000s there was a daily Venice - Lubjana train operated by Slovenian Railways, got canceled after a few years.
I think this is one of the cases where demand should be stimulated by the offer... Which they are actually trying to do, with some new cross-border regional services.

From a freight point of view, in Italy the common opinion is that Slovenians mainly care about Koper port, and that would kind of make sense. Some new connections are being created, though.

I hope for better cross-border links as well, also culturally, not just with railways


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

davide84 said:


> I come from Venice, and IMHO Slovenia still suffers from having been on the other side of the iron curtain for so long. In terms of mass knowledge, the only Slovenian famous places are Nova Gorica casino, and maybe Kraniska Gora ski station.


Come to Ljubljana, you'll see as many Italian-plated cars as all other foreign cars combined  (and they aren't Romanians, those just bypass the city on motorways).



Stuu said:


> I have always been surprised how poor Slovenia's links to Italy are though, wouldn't say Milan-Venice-Ljubljana be a reasonably popular route?


I don't think more than Ljubljana–Venice is necessary (now it's just Ljubljana–Trieste–Udine though). The main problem isn't lack of communication between Slovenia and Italy (road border crossings are quite busy around Trieste and there're three motorways/expressways between the countries), the problem is that it takes over 2,5 hours to get by train from Ljubljana to Trieste. The railway from 1857 is so winding that you just can't get fast anywhere, not even with Pendolino, which for some time drove between Ljubljana and Venice (skipped Trieste though). And building an HSR through such a hilly terrain would be really expensive.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

maginn said:


> The Baltic region connections to *mother* Russia


You probably do not even realize how big offence to Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians your words are (different languages, culture and big part of history).


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## maginn (Mar 3, 2014)

You misquoted me, I’m referring to Kaliningrad having poor connections to mother Russia (since it is an exclaved region). This is largely because trans would have to cross through the entirely of Lithuania and Belarus first. 
There is also a monument called ‘mother Russia’ in Kaliningrad, so it was more of a joke. I’m fully aware of the attitudes towards Russia in most post-soviet states!


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

The only railway connecting Sweden to Finland, running via Haparanda and Tornio, has been completed in 1915 (thus actually connecting Sweden with Russia then). The line has not seen the regular passenger traffic after Summer 1992 and only in March this year after a 29-year break Swedish border town Haparanda has regained the access to the passenger services. Meanwhile the Swedish part of the Sweden to Finland railway, Haparandabanen, has been shortened, upgraded and electrified and a newly built section Kalix to Haparanda can support speeds up to 250 km/h.

In order to carry the passenger traffic further towards Finnish towns Oulu and Rovaniemi also Finnish part of the line must be upgraded.
As stated by YLE News, the concrete plans are expected to be completed during the coming winter with the aim of receiving final approval by next summer.
According to the current schedule, construction will start no earlier than the end of 2022. Most of the work will take place in 2023 and 2024, the overall estimated cost of the project is 24 million euros.


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

France and Belgium have signed two Declarations of Intent concerning the reopening of cross-border railway lines.
The 15km line from Givet, France to Dinant, Belgium, will be dedicated to passenger traffic. It follows the beautiful Meuse river and its valley and has a significant tourist value.
Another one is the 20km single-track line from Valenciennes, France, to Mons, Belgium. . The reopened line will allow Toyota to dispatch cars from its plant in Onnaing via Zeebrugge or Antwerp.

More details: International Railway Journal


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## doc7austin (Jun 24, 2012)

This cross-border route is served by three different operators: Trilex, Polregio Lubuskie, and Koleje Dolnośląskie.
What all three have in common. As passenger you do not have to have a ticket to ride with the train - it is completely free for this section Zgorzelec - Görlitz:







Enjoy!


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## doc7austin (Jun 24, 2012)

Last Sunday the new regional railway line RB 92 Guben - Zielona Góra (Germany/Poland) was reintroduced - after an absense of 20 years.
The POLREGIO Lubuskie diesel trainset runs via Gubin, Wałowice, Wężyska, Krosno Odrzańskie, Ciemnice, Laski Odrzańskie, Nietków, Czerwieńsk and Zielona Góra Przylep .
The PESA Link SA139-032 was operating the inaugural service.







Enjoy!


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## Pansori (Apr 26, 2006)

Jon Worth is currently doing a project to highlight problems of cross-border train travel in Europe. Lots of very accurate and highly researched information. The guy knows stuff about European railways


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## Srananbloke (Jan 9, 2005)

Some news from the Dutch-German border: last week, the RE19 service between Arnhem (NL) and Düsseldorf (DE) became the 4th local cross-border train service where you can travel with the Dutch OV-Chipkaart transport smartcard, more specific: to the Emmerich region (right across the border). In addition to the local verkehrsverbund tickets ofcourse.

The stations of Emmerich, Praest and Elten are all equipped with card readers. There’s also a ticket machine in Emmerich where you can top up your OV-chipkaart or check your balance.

With Emmerich now added, the following local Dutch-German cross-border services are also accessible with the OV-Chipkaart for short cross-border trips:



> Bad Nieuweschans (NL) - Weener (DE) - Arriva RS6 Groningen - Weener / Leer





> Enschede (NL) - Gronau (DE) - DB Regio RB51 & RB64 Enschede - Münster / Dortmund





> Arnhem (NL) - Emmerich (DE) - VIAS RE19 Arnhem - Düsseldorf





> Heerlen (NL) - Aachen (DE) - Arriva RE18 Maastricht - Aachen


Local cross-border services without OV-Chipkaart coverage (yet) are:



> Venlo (NL) - Kaldenkirchen (DE) - Eurobahn RE13 Venlo - Düsseldorf - Hamm





> Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim (DE) - Eurobahn RB61 Hengelo - Osnabrück - Bielesomething


Ofcourse, for trips beyond Emmerich, Aachen, Gronau etc, you will still need local verkehrsverbund tickets, or the 9 euro ticket at this moment 

There are also a handful of both Dutch and German bus services along the border region where the OV-chipkaart is valid, for example on line SB58 between Nijmegen and Emmerich and some bus services between southern Limburg and Aachen.


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## Baron Hirsch (Jan 31, 2009)

Macedonian Railways have announced that as of November, cross-border traffic between Bitola in (N.) Macedonia and neighboring Florina (in South Macedonia in Greece) will resume after 36 years. Coincidentally, this will also be Greece's only international train line, as the night train Istanbul to Thessaloniki was scrapped due to TrainOSE's attempts at saving money during the first years of the financial crisis and the trains to Skopje and Sofia have for a long time now been operating with bustitution when crossing the border.
The 17 km line had been reconstructed for 17 million Euros, with an EU grant of 6 million. The line was originally built in the Ottoman Empire in the 1880s between Thessaloniki and Bitola and was operated by a railway conglomerate dominated by the Deutsche Bank.
Newspaper Source


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

Baron Hirsch said:


> the trains to Skopje and Sofia have for a long time now been operating with bustitution when crossing the border.


What is the actual problem there? Certainly not the tracks; while crossing the border in Kulata a few years ago (yes, sitting in the direct train) I felt these were faultless. Traction? Lack of agreement? Something else?


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## Ghostpoet (Nov 29, 2016)

eu01 said:


> What is the actual problem there? Certainly not the tracks; while crossing the border in Kulata a few years ago (yes, sitting in the direct train) I felt these were faultless. Traction? Lack of agreement? Something else?


Strymonas - Kulata line is in VERY poor condition, with vmax of 10 km/h or so.

Ghostpoet


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## 437.001 (Mar 27, 2009)

Ghostpoet said:


> Strymonas - Kulata line is in VERY poor condition, with vmax of 10 km/h or so.



That's Greece's easiest rail connection to another EU capital (Athens-Thessaloniki-Sofia), and one of only two that Greece has with its only mainland EU neighbour (Bulgaria).


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## eu01 (Oct 14, 2005)

The Ukrzaliznytsia joint-stock company carried out the first trial run on the reconstructed section Rakhiv (Ukraine) - Dilove - Valea-Viseului (Romania). Soon the route will function in full mode.
Ukrzaliznytsia plans to operate two trips a day with the possibility of transferring passengers to trains of the Romanian railway CFR.
The net travel time from Rakhiv to the Romanian Valea-Viseului is about 40 minutes, excluding customs procedures.
Source: Ukrainian News​


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## AndreiB (Dec 2, 2009)

437.001 said:


> That's Greece's easiest rail connection to another EU capital (Athens-Thessaloniki-Sofia), and one of only two that Greece has with its only mainland EU neighbour (Bulgaria).


Seems useful to rehabilitate for freight traffic alone…


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