Welcome to today's thread - #CrossBorderRail 2026 Tour Day 06 - 3 Mar - Ravières - Paris - Lille - Orchies - Tournai - Bruxelles Midi - Almere
-
@jon
The big cheminot privilege: I rarely buy regular tickets 🫣@_Hemmschuh The big travel as much as I do: I rarely buy regular tickets (Interrail does very well out of me)
But seriously, you've not forgotten what it's like to be a regular passenger, and that's important.
-
I also really appreciate that - although it cannot sell me a ticket for it - SNCF *can* show me the Bruxelles - Brugge train, but does not know what type of train it is, so just puts EMPTY in the result
Like DB has been able to do this correctly in a web search since I did I first Interrail trip in 2001 (and yes that is not a typo)
SNCF Connect cannot do what DB search has been doing for at least 25 years
Right then
Calm and on time TGV to Lille Flandres
Finally getting close to today's target: the border north of Orchies
-
I also really appreciate that - although it cannot sell me a ticket for it - SNCF *can* show me the Bruxelles - Brugge train, but does not know what type of train it is, so just puts EMPTY in the result
Like DB has been able to do this correctly in a web search since I did I first Interrail trip in 2001 (and yes that is not a typo)
SNCF Connect cannot do what DB search has been doing for at least 25 years
@jon From the point of view of a web user, saying "NO DETAILS AVAILABLE" would be far better than "EMPTY" since the latter would suggest to me "has no passengers on it".
-
@jon From the point of view of a web user, saying "NO DETAILS AVAILABLE" would be far better than "EMPTY" since the latter would suggest to me "has no passengers on it".
@jon …obv a second thought would be "Why are you saying that a train's empty if you're selling tickets for it?" but even as a sometime database person, I wouldn't interpret EMPTY as I'm supposed to here; I'd expect NULL which to me means "someone's not very good at building UIs that talk to not-always-populated databases".
ETA: ah, EMPTY is "it does have a value but it evaluates to a string with no content". (plus the "not very good at building &c. &c.")
-
-
I also really appreciate that - although it cannot sell me a ticket for it - SNCF *can* show me the Bruxelles - Brugge train, but does not know what type of train it is, so just puts EMPTY in the result
Like DB has been able to do this correctly in a web search since I did I first Interrail trip in 2001 (and yes that is not a typo)
SNCF Connect cannot do what DB search has been doing for at least 25 years
@jon Well, it‘s difficult, they just moved from Minitel to www in France!
-
Right then
Calm and on time TGV to Lille Flandres
Finally getting close to today's target: the border north of Orchies
There’s a sort of Takt here
-
I also really appreciate that - although it cannot sell me a ticket for it - SNCF *can* show me the Bruxelles - Brugge train, but does not know what type of train it is, so just puts EMPTY in the result
Like DB has been able to do this correctly in a web search since I did I first Interrail trip in 2001 (and yes that is not a typo)
SNCF Connect cannot do what DB search has been doing for at least 25 years
@jon So in the SNCF planner there are fully booked trains, and there are empty trains. Makes sense
-
There’s a sort of Takt here
And the Ma Gare SNCF App - about the only SNCF app with a passable UX - tells me my next train is on Platform 6
And passengers can share electric plugs
-
And the Ma Gare SNCF App - about the only SNCF app with a passable UX - tells me my next train is on Platform 6
And passengers can share electric plugs
#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 15 of 80
TER 41911
12:05 Lille Flandres - Orchies 12:20
SNCF for TER Hauts de FranceTrain type: Alstom 2N NG EMU, 3 double deck carriages
️ (25kV ac)
: 
(well designed space)
🦽: (step free)
🛜:
️
️: ️
🧳:
(ok for a commuter service)
🧽: (bit worn, but orderly)
Interrail: (accepted)
-
#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 15 of 80
TER 41911
12:05 Lille Flandres - Orchies 12:20
SNCF for TER Hauts de FranceTrain type: Alstom 2N NG EMU, 3 double deck carriages
️ (25kV ac): (well designed space)
🦽: (step free)
🛜:️️: ️
🧳: (ok for a commuter service)
🧽: (bit worn, but orderly)
Interrail: (accepted)TER 41911
12:05 Lille Flandres - Orchies 12:20Distance: 22km
Average speed: 88km/h1 stops:
OrchiesThis train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#12/50.556961/3.159943
-
TER 41911
12:05 Lille Flandres - Orchies 12:20Distance: 22km
Average speed: 88km/h1 stops:
OrchiesThis train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#12/50.556961/3.159943
This is the type of #CrossBorderRail that’s great. I’ve never been to Orchies. I’ll likely never go again. But I’m sure I’ll stumble on some interesting things between there and Tournai
-
This is the type of #CrossBorderRail that’s great. I’ve never been to Orchies. I’ll likely never go again. But I’m sure I’ll stumble on some interesting things between there and Tournai
Nord - Pas de Calais lives! #CrossBorderRail
-
Nord - Pas de Calais lives! #CrossBorderRail
#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Bike 6 of 15
Orchies - TournaiDistance: 26km
Est. duration: 2:00This bike route, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#12/50.552816/3.310318
-
#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Bike 6 of 15
Orchies - TournaiDistance: 26km
Est. duration: 2:00This bike route, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#12/50.552816/3.310318
-
The #CrossBorderRail line used to run where this house is located. This one isn’t returning.
-
The #CrossBorderRail line used to run where this house is located. This one isn’t returning.
Mouchin Douane #CrossBorderRail
-
Mouchin Douane #CrossBorderRail
Gotta get your priorities right! #CrossBorderRail
-
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?
@jon yes, Römisches Theater is directly at the Roman Theater and at the Altstadt (City Center). But there are only regional Trains stopping here.
-
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 I think ‚Ersatzverkehr‘ is the temporary stop for Schinenersatzverkehr at the main station. Our tram lines are currently renewed and there is a lot of construction work ongoing to the stations and stops.
