Jon Worth

EU politics and sustainable transport, especially railways Brit who became German & lives in a village in France. When he's not escaping it on a train or a folding bicycle Teaches at College of Europe, still writes a blog, photographs with a drone

Analysis

Villo! + MOBIB = 6 months of free cycling in Brussels

I recently saw an advert in the Brussels Metro offering 6 months of free membership of the Villo! cycle share scheme. At the time of writing this offer is valid for the next 3 weeks (until the end of September 2014), but may be repeated. Villo! is the communal hire

Analysis

What does it take for the Commission to take a Schengen complaint seriously?

Back in May I was subjected to the most extraordinary border control identity check at Perpignan station. I have blogged the transcript of the encounter here, and sent this to the European Commission, hoping they see this as non-Schengen compliant. The redacted letter of response from the Commission is here:

Analysis

Targus replacement wheels

Just over three years ago I purchased a Targus TEV001EU Business Roller Notebook Case. The case had good reviews on Amazon and the price was good as well. After two years of frequent use, one wheel on the case broke and the other has worn down to the extent it

Analysis

Price discrimination in car hire Belgium-Germany

I want to rent a car in Brussels for 4 days at the end of August, for a trip to Germany for Rhein on Skates. The round trip will be about 900km, with 2 drivers. We need a small car - Polo or Clio or something like that. I have

Analysis

The evolution of bicycles in Beijing

Beijing is a city known for its bikes. Despite the Chinese obsession with the car, and the city's smog problem, cycling still seems to work quite well in China's capital city. Most large streets have cycle paths on the sides, used by regular cyclists and a

Analysis

The Great Wall of China at Shanhaiguan

I have just returned from 10 days spent in Beijing. One day the friend there I was staying with and I planned a trip to the Great Wall of China, and decided to make the journey to Shanhaiguan, 300km east of Beijing, where the wall meets the sea for a

Analysis

Non-Schengen (and non-French law?) compliant border control at Perpignan, 31st May, 1106

Three officers of the French Police Nationale boarded TGV 9702 at Perpignan at around 11am on 31st May, reaching my seat at 1106. The TGV was still stationary in Perpignan at this time, due to an obstacle on the tracks further north that held the train in the station approximately

Analysis

Commission replies to my Rzepin Schengen complaint

Back on 11th March I documented an interesting incident at the Polish-German border between Rzepin and Frankfurt(Oder) where a Polish border guard demanded my passport and would not accept a driving license as I was about to cross the border. For me this crossed the border between what is

Analysis

Non-Schengen compliant border control between Rzepin and Frankfurt (Oder), 11th March 2014, 2156

3 police officers or border guards, 2 Polish and 1 German as far as I could tell (the one who spoke to me was Polish) boarded train EC 40, the Warszawa - Berlin express, at Rzepin on 11th March 2014. I was in the front carriage of the train, where

Belgium

A rail postcard from Liège

Dear Siim, I'm writing to you today from Liège. In one way this is a surprise, in that I am not supposed to be in Liège, but judging from experience I suppose it was inevitable I was going to have to write to you from here at some

Quick takes

A rail postcard from Göteborg

Dear Siim, I hope you liked my last e-postcard from Hendaye. Today I am writing to you from Göteborg, Sweden. I’m only writing this from the comfort of the train south of Sweden’s second city because I’m lucky – my train from Oslo arrived 2 minutes early, at

European Union

A rail postcard from Hendaye

Dear Siim*, Although we have never met, you seem familiar to me. I follow all your upbeat reports on Twitter about the bright future of European rail, and your great liberalisation plans, and investments in trans-European networks. Well Siim, for me as a traveller, I'm not feeling it.

Guides

The worst international train service I've taken for a long time – in Switzerland! (OK, with an Italian train)

The Cisalpino joint venture between the Swiss SBB and Trenitalia no longer exists, wound up in 2009 due to failing service quality and problems with an order of new trains. The sad news is that now, with the EuroCity trains between Switzerland and Italy using some of the same railsets

Analysis

Taking the train rather than the plane for business travel in Europe: does it work?

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know I take the train for almost all my journeys, and many of these are business trips. Sean Hanley has asked me to sum up my experiences in a blog entry, so here goes. This post should be read in conjunction with the

Analysis

Torn between a retro past and an uncertain future: is the sun setting on Romanian rail?

The two guards on the EN472 “Ister” between Bucuresti Nord and Budapest Keleti pu. set aside their fading hats with the silver trim and the CFR logos and tuck into the dinner they have brought from home in the bar carriage. They crunch what look like home grown, gnarled gherkins,

Analysis

Bike boxes at traffic lights - a little eye witness example

I've been sat for 30 minutes at a café on the corner of Great Smith Street / Great Peter Street in Westminster. This is the view of the cycle box on Great Peter Street, going westbound. More than half of the times the lights were red cars stopped more

Analysis

The future of channel tunnel long distance passenger railway services

A small step forward step in the prospect of long distance high-speed train services using the channel tunnel was taken this week, with Deutsche Bahn granted a 'Certificate B' to operate trains through the tunnel. This has been a long time coming - in 2010 DB was talking

Analysis

Five types of railway market in Europe

I travel a lot by train. On all kinds of services, all over Europe. As Europe's rail market supposedly opens up to competition with the 4th railway package, what can I conclude about where competition does and does not work? 1) The profitable long distance route This is

Analysis

Are reservation fees and private railways killing the allure of Interrail?

Knowing how much I travel by train some friends have rather flippantly said I would be better booking Interrail tickets for my trips than the individual tickets separately. So with a trip København - St Malo, and then Par - Trieste - Brussels - København, and a week later København

Analysis

The Lille Loophole - stop London checks on all except 3 trains

What is the Lille Loophole? It is a means by which people without the correct identification papers necessary to enter the UK can do so thanks to a loophole in the Schengen rules, as applied at Gare du Midi in Brussels, and to the Eurostar rail service. News about the

Analysis

A little Brussels-London security paranoia case study - this coming Friday

I have not taken Eurostar recently, but judging by comments posted on my previous blog posts about the service, it seems that the security paranoia that afflicts the route has not diminished. Anyway, for the first time in months, I am going to be on Eurostar on Friday this week,

Switzerland

A border control dressed up as a customs control, inside Schengen. Buchs, Switzerland, 1020, 14 March 2013

Switzerland is in the Schengen Area. But it is not part of the EU Customs Union. Therein is the newest excuse I’ve heard for a border control within the Schengen area. I was a passenger on Railjet 362, departing Feldkirch* (Austria) at 0948 this morning, and scheduled in Buchs

Analysis

Non-Schengen compliant border control at Puttgarden, 21st January 2013, 1244

Today I'm at least as angry at myself as a blogger (who was not adequately prepared) as I am about yet another breach of EU law and Schengen. My ICE train had just left the ferry, heading into Germany at Puttgarden at 1244, and was stationary at the

Analysis

Non-Schengen (or non-Danish law?) compliant border control at Padborg, 16th January 2013, 0651

Back in spring 2011, when Denmark still had a centre right government supported in parliament by the populist Dansk Folkeparti, the country drew sharp criticism from the European Commission with a plan to reintroduce border controls. The centre right lost the election later in 2011, and the borders plan did

Analysis

Odd and cool videos about Denmark

A few things roughly related to Denmark that I've come across recently... Via @sorenhave - a fun way to advertise a bus company Reminded by @iaindale - a bus flash mob (I've even been on a bus in København with this guy driving) A very elegant