Today’s live text updates
Here’s today’s #CrossBorderRail summary video. https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/pCYE14wsXjtcaL49uLar8T
Ask the train manager why it’s always such a mess travelling by train in Sweden
She 🤷
Why did you use buses not Norrtag?
Not my responsibility. I only work on the train 🤷
Basically SJ is lazy and complacent
On screens it says departure 17:15 (delayed because the replacement buses took ages)
Train pulls into the platform
Announcement? No
Announcement on board about when we will leave? Forget it
We're going to have almost 2 hours of delay - it's at these moments a little reassurance to passengers wouldn't go amiss
IC 96
15:30 Kiruna - Narvik 18:30
Distance: 166.5km
Average speed: 56km/h
12 stops:
Abisko Östra
Abisko Turiststation
Björkliden
Laaktatjaakka
Vassijaure
Katterjaakk
Riksgränsen
Bjoernfjell
Soesterbekk
Katterat
Rombakk
Narvik
This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#9/68.1619/18.8127
#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 44 of 155
IC 96
15:30 Kiruna - Narvik 18:30
SJ
Train type: ASEA Rc6 locomotive, 4 carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ⛔️ (SJ didn't score badly in European Cyclists' Federation ranking for nothing, and there'd easily be space for racks)
🦽: ✅ (very cranky ramp on board)
🛜: ⛔️
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🙂 (good space once in, steps are quite wide)
🧽: 😐 (worn and grimy)
🎫 Interrail: 😐 (needs compulsory reservation, costs SEK 40)
There’s a train! 🎉
It says Narvik on the doors 💪
Ah
It’s going to depart at least 75 mins late… because it’s got to wait for delayed rail replacement buses! 🚌
Ah that’s nice 😂
SJ is telling me there’s no food on board the train… that I’m not yet on but should have been on (because it’s part cancelled)
But the real issue: we don’t know when it’ll even leave Kiruna for Narvik as the replacement buses are delayed
And also - as @tml reminds me - both the night train Stockholm to northern Sweden AND the Norrtag trains in northern Sweden are both run on PSO contracts, albeit one national and one local.
But they still cannot get their act together to get passengers onto the other one in the case of a disruption.
So SJ - rather than negotiate to put its passengers on someone else's train *that was running already*, instead chose to hire buses *that will take longer than the train and likely cost more to organise*
And SJ has known about this issue since about 18:00 yesterday
Abject
‼️ It's a Swedish rail liberalisation mess ‼️
What a SURPRISE 🙄
I just went to chat to the Norrtåg train manager.
"Could a passenger from the part-cancelled SJ IC 96 take this Norrtåg without an extra ticket?"
"No. The ticket is not accepted."
"But could SJ have arranged it with Norrtag, instead of arranging buses?"
"They could have, but they did not."
FFS.
And this is a... train replacement train! 😀
SJ IC 96 Luleä - Boden - Kiruna - Narvik that I was meant to take will run only Kiruna - Narvik. Passengers from it were meant to take a bus to Kiruna instead.
But as I have Interrail I can take this Norrtåg R 7152 train to Kiruna instead, that gets me there at the same time as IC 96 would have done.
Meanwhile a hundred others are in a crappy bus...
R 7152
11:45 Boden - Kiruna 15:02
Distance: 273.7km
Average speed: 83km/h
4 stops:
Murjek
Nattavaara
Gällivare
Kiruna
This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#7/66.850/21.418
#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 44 of 155
R 7152
11:45 Boden - Kiruna 15:02
Norrtåg
Train type: Bombardier Regina EMU, 2 carriages
⚡️ (15kV ac)
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step free, then passenger operated lift up inside the train)
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ✅
🧳: 🙂 (enough space for all sorts of luggage, incl. skis)
🧽: 🙂
🎫 Interrail: 🙂 (accepted)
It gets a top score!
How about #Deutschlandticket to Strasbourg *FOR EVERYONE*, just as most Bundesländer do at their borders, but you don't, BaWü? #CrossBorderRail
Oh and while we're at it, where are the cross border Régiolis trains and when will they start?
(Sorry, temporary youth tickets might look nice but are not good transport policy)
https://xn--baw-joa.social/@VerkehrsministeriumBW/114703015003979149
Here’s today’s intro video, streamed using the night train wifi. I hope this worked! 😀 https://peertube.netzbegruenung.de/w/tzfcaReikvVPhd7mmyUjrZ
I have been informed by SJ that it’s a bus not a train Boden - Kiruna, then a train Kiruna - Narvik
But there *is* a train, however operated by Norrtåg not SJ, that seems to run Boden - Kiruna 🤔
So can I take that (as I have Interrail) while SJ customers cannot? Or are encouraged not to?
Here's today's #CrossBorderRail music track
Ensam lång väg hem
Kent
I have had Kent in my list of MP3s for years, and this is the closest they have to a train song.
Probably the longest trip for one border I have taken! Even the part of the trip across northern Sweden and crossing the Arctic Circle takes almost a full day. With works ongoing on the line to Narvik - so as to permit heavier iron ore trains - disruption is likely!
Welcome to today's thread - 2025 #CrossBorderRail Finale Day 10 - 18 June - Arrival of night train, Boden – Narvik
Today's new borders:
Riksgränsen 🇸🇪 - Bjørnfell 🇳🇴
Borders map, inc. borders re-crossed:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-all-the-borders_935041#10/68.4595/18.2607
Today's trains on the routes map:
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#7/67.176/19.578
Text updates are auto-generated from Mastodon – follow me on Mastodon @jon@gruene.social
Some updates will also be occasionally be posted on Bluesky – follow me @jonworth.eu
Today’s introduction and summary videos
All the #CrossBorderRail daily videos are on my Peertube channel
Today’s borders & background
New borders crossed today:
Cieszyn 🇵🇱 – Ceský Tešín 🇨🇿
Zwardon 🇵🇱 – Skalité-Serafínov 🇸🇰
Mosty u Jablunkova zastávka 🇨🇿 – Svrcinovec zastávka 🇸🇰
Ceský Tešín and Cieszyn, a town divided by the PL-CZ border, but there is a railway line. Today I aim to work out if there’s potential to improve it. Then onwards to the borders north of Čadca (SK) – the best SK-PL border crossing, mostly because all the others are terrible!
Today’s music track
Drinking Song
Adam Makowicz
The singer born in today’s Czechia in Hnojník near Ceský Tešín, is Polish, lives in Canada – that’s a good story!
Today’s route
The full zoomable and scrollable map, including today’s route, is on uMap here.
Today’s photos
