Another day, and another stream of railway news pops up in my social media feed. On the hell side – unsurprisingly from Germany – comes news that the situation for passengers at München Hbf continues to worsen, while DB has closed the Hamburg-Berlin line for 4 months for works, something […]
Quick takes
What good is live tracking data if I cannot act on it? (and how to subsequently claim compensation from Flixbus, in some circumstances)
This morning I was meant to take Flixbus 1324 from Amsterdam Sloterdijk to Berlin ZOB, booked because Deutsche Bahn train drivers are striking today. Needs must and all that. The timetable for the service is departing Sloterdijk at 06:10 and arriving ZOB at 16:20, before the bus continues onwards to […]
Bad Muskau – Łęknica, and the joys and tensions at the Germany – Poland border
It’s one of the many joys of my #CrossBorderRail project – it takes me to these amazing and sometimes slightly odd border places, and I never know quite what I am going to find when I get there. This was the case when I went to Bad Muskau – Łęknica […]
Mannheim-Bruxelles in 1972, and what it tells us about Mannheim-Bruxelles today
I stumbled across this little gem on Facebook – posted by Peter Osten (one of my predecessors as President of JEF Europe) and reproduced here with his permission. It is a rail ticket from April 1972 Mannheim Hbf – Bruxelles return, and it cost DM 95.20. Look at it closely […]
Please look after your activists when they are alive – the Natenom case
Cycling activism is not really my thing – I am a regular cyclist in cities in Germany, know plenty of people who campaign for better cycling infrastructure, and follow a bunch of activists on social media. But I’ve never been more than a participant in Critical Mass or other protest […]
Why Berlin can’t just do as Paris does on cycling and parking policy
Paris is to hold a referendum in February 2024 to triple parking charges (to €18/hour) in parts of the city, and double them (to €12/hour) in some of the outer parts of the city. Details of exactly what is proposed here. Great idea, I am all for it. The news […]