Welcome to today's thread - #CrossBorderRail 2026 Tour Day 06 - 3 Mar - Ravières - Paris - Lille - Orchies - Tournai - Bruxelles Midi - Almere

[jon@gruene.social]

Made it across Paris in one piece

The city might have solid bike infrastructure, but damn many cyclists here are annoying, or have death wishes, or both

[jon@gruene.social]

And while Paris Nord is often associated with nasty train boarding experiences, it is an amazing station if you have time and calm to appreciate it

[ninedragons@mastodon.online]

@jon

C'est vrai!

[mario@eupolicy.social]

@jon "Monsieur vous ne pouvez pas attendre sur les quais!" is my typical gare du nord experience

[hopla@zug.network]

@jon oh they better... Or else: no 200 kph.

[jon@gruene.social]

#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 14 of 80
TGV 7025
10:12 Paris Nord - Lille Flandres 11:18
SNCF Voyageurs

Train type: Alstom TGV Duplex, 8 short double deck carriages, 2 power cars
️ (25kV ac)
: ️
🦽: (step free, then lift down inside)
🛜:
️: ️ (there is a dining car but it’s not open)
🧳: (it’s empty today, so it’s passable)
🧽:
Interrail: (needs compulsory reservation, costs at least €10)

[quixoticgeek@social.v.st]

@jon that is a very very big if.

[jon@gruene.social]

TGV 7025
10:12 Paris Nord - Lille Flandres 11:18

Distance: 225.2km
Average speed: 205km/h

1 stops:
Lille Flandres

This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#8/50.097679/2.449951

#CrossBorderRail

[jon@gruene.social]

I meanwhile wondered if SNCF Connect has finally put their problem of their lack of international booking right... so I tried Paris - Mainz

Type Mainz into DB and it gives you Mainz Hbf as the first option in the search

SNCF Connect calls Mainz Hbf "Mayence (Mainz)" but drops Hbf. Put Hbf and it gives you Hbf (Ersatzverkehr). What?

[jon@gruene.social]

And if you put Mainz and choose "Ville" from the list, not "Gare", it gives you routes to Mainz Römisches Theater, changing at Bad Munster am Stein

Obviously ‍️

I presume because Römisches Theater is closest to the geographical centre of Mainz?

[chesnutt_kangooroo@mastodon.social]

@jon Fact.

[jon@gruene.social]

But weirdly it does give prices... and even sort of Sparpreis. But with €15 price difference.

Why?

How?

[spaetzlesmasher@sueden.social]

@jon also Perl somehow belongs to the Région Occitanie now according to SNCF Connect

[f09fa681@digitalcourage.social]

@jon And if you hit "continue" will DB actually offer you a ticket?

[onterof@sueden.social]

@jon In this case I think it's not entirely SNCFs fault as DB also uses the "Ersatzverkehr" name in their system for the bus stop. Which is a bit odd and regulary confuses some passengers.

[jon@gruene.social]

Oh and this is an interesting one

SNCF Connect *will* give me a 13 min connection in Mannheim, off the France-Germany ICE

DB will NOT give me that connection, I presume because they know that Dobrindt's illegal non- #Schengen compliant border controls will almost certainly mean the connection is missed in Mannheim. DB puts you on a later ICE in Frankfurt instead

[jon@gruene.social]

@f09fa681 Of course. Why would it not?

[q@glauca.space]

@jon [eye twitch at their title casing code messing up and capitalising Am]

[jon@gruene.social]

@onterof But Hbf, and Hbf Ersatzverkehr would be OK. Station called Mainz (no Hbf) and then Hbf Ersatzverkehr leads to confusion.

[_hemmschuh@zug.network]

@jon
Because of different contingents for the international train probably.