Welcome to today's thread - #CrossBorderRail 2026 Tour Day 03 - 18 Feb - Ravières - Dijon - Culmont Chalindrey - Paris – Genève
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I’ve seen some pretty weird stuff on #CrossBorderRail but for the sheer “no one even thought about the passengers”-ness this is one of the most extreme cases I’ve seen. Anywhere.
@jon another fine installment in the chronicles of the Société nationale des chemins de Fuck You
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🤯
So @12train makes it clear
The train is COMPULSORY RESERVATION
AAAAGGGGHHHHH
It’s a regional train for a 47 minute trip
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@jon A couple of years after the wall came down we toured round Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary by train, as that was the preferred mode of transport for all the eastern bloc spy movies.
@TimWardCam you should have bough a Trabi. Obviously!
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#CrossBorderRail 2026 Spring Tour Train 7 of 80
TER 39552
09:26 Culmont Chalindrey - Paris Est 12:16
SNCF for TER Fluo Grand EstTrain type: Alstom Coradia Bi-mode MU, 6 short carriages
️, 
️ (25kV ac)
: 
🦽: (step free if station allows)
🛜:
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️: ️
🧳:
🧽:
Interrail:
(needs compulsory reservation, costs €1,70)
TER 39552
09:26 Culmont Chalindrey - Paris Est 12:16Distance: 307.1km
Average speed: 108km/h8 stops:
Langres
Chaumont
Bar-sur-Aube
Vendeuvre
Troyes
Romilly-sur-Seine
Nogent-sur-Seine
Paris EstThis train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#9/48.361724/3.900146
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@_Hemmschuh fuck off SNCF really. Let’s make it extra hard for irregular travellers, just the ones we need to entice to take the train!
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@TimWardCam you should have bough a Trabi. Obviously!
@jon
We saw plenty - they were still around. -
TER 39552
09:26 Culmont Chalindrey - Paris Est 12:16Distance: 307.1km
Average speed: 108km/h8 stops:
Langres
Chaumont
Bar-sur-Aube
Vendeuvre
Troyes
Romilly-sur-Seine
Nogent-sur-Seine
Paris EstThis train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2026-spring-tour_1361108#9/48.361724/3.900146
I’m too German. I can’t tolerate this sort of bullshit
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@drnoble I know @technicalotter knows a lot about railways. I think they’re confused why a regional train needs this!
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@drnoble I know @technicalotter knows a lot about railways. I think they’re confused why a regional train needs this!
Yep. I am unfortunatly burdened with too much knowledge of the railways (occupational hazard of the PhD project/neurospicy).
I'm amazed that you not only have to have seat reso's on a regional, but that one has to PAY! I already paid for the damn ticket!
I criticise the British ticketing a lot, but at least our reservations are free and (mostly) work!
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I’m too German. I can’t tolerate this sort of bullshit
@jon I don't understand why anyone puts up with this bollocks
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I’m too German. I can’t tolerate this sort of bullshit
@jon Looking forward for a potential future holidays of yours in Trenitalia
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I also asked why these trains are compulsory reservation anyway
“There’s too much demand!”
My response: “So run more trains!”
“But that’s the Région’s responsibility!”
But what if my plans change? I asked the employee
“Then you have to change your ticket in the app”
️@jon you’ve probably heard a million similar stories, but I was an a TGV International and a Swiss Interrail user was there with no reservation. There was this long back and forth of
“But the Interrail is a valid ticket? On every train I’ve taken before I can just get on and ride, I don’t care about reserving a seat, just being on the train”
“The contract says a reservation is required! Didn’t you read the contract!? You’re lucky I’m not throwing you off!”Went on for 5–10 minutes
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@jon I don't understand why anyone puts up with this bollocks
@wnd because everyone drives instead?
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@jon Looking forward for a potential future holidays of yours in Trenitalia
@rafa_font it’s not as stupid in Italy. Not quite.
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@jon you’ve probably heard a million similar stories, but I was an a TGV International and a Swiss Interrail user was there with no reservation. There was this long back and forth of
“But the Interrail is a valid ticket? On every train I’ve taken before I can just get on and ride, I don’t care about reserving a seat, just being on the train”
“The contract says a reservation is required! Didn’t you read the contract!? You’re lucky I’m not throwing you off!”Went on for 5–10 minutes
@h0m54r Right. Exactly. Leaving Switzerland for France is a shock!
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@wnd because everyone drives instead?
@jon I do wonder what the most motonormative country is here? I had always gone with the UK or Germany but the French are making a strong claim here. Certainly outside of the major urban centres.
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@jon I do wonder what the most motonormative country is here? I had always gone with the UK or Germany but the French are making a strong claim here. Certainly outside of the major urban centres.
@wnd Outside Ile de France it’s MUCH worse in France than Germany. I think it’s worse here than the UK too.
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And discovering this sort of total ridiculous shit is why there’s no substitute for going to the places and testing the trains on #CrossBorderRail
You only *get this* once you’ve experienced it
@jon We're getting to a point where SNCF employing staff for pre-boarding ticket/reservation checks on regional trains doesn't sound completly unrealistic. 🫣
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I’m too German. I can’t tolerate this sort of bullshit
Rail in Germany: we have a solid idea about what trains we’d like to run, we welcome people taking them. But it might all break down because we didn’t invest
Rail in France: why would you possibly take a train other than between big cities? And the state knows better than you do when you want to go, and where. And in fact it’d all work better if you just drove instead. But if you do get a ticket to go, you will get a seat
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@jon I do wonder what the most motonormative country is here? I had always gone with the UK or Germany but the French are making a strong claim here. Certainly outside of the major urban centres.
