Jon Worth
@jonworth.eu
EU politics and sustainable transport, especially railways.
Brit who became German and 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.
Brit who became German and 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.
Listening to David Gilmour www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1v7... while adding all the photos into my #CrossChannelRail report that's out next week
Damn GPS is *good* to help me find all the photos in my totally chaotic photo library
"Köln Ehrenfeld"
Enter
Found 😀
Damn GPS is *good* to help me find all the photos in my totally chaotic photo library
"Köln Ehrenfeld"
Enter
Found 😀
November 11, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Listening to David Gilmour www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1v7... while adding all the photos into my #CrossChannelRail report that's out next week
Damn GPS is *good* to help me find all the photos in my totally chaotic photo library
"Köln Ehrenfeld"
Enter
Found 😀
Damn GPS is *good* to help me find all the photos in my totally chaotic photo library
"Köln Ehrenfeld"
Enter
Found 😀
You can't read much into a render, but the Virgin Trains Avelia Stream looks like it has a wider profile than a ETR610 or ED250.
November 11, 2025 at 3:42 PM
You can't read much into a render, but the Virgin Trains Avelia Stream looks like it has a wider profile than a ETR610 or ED250.
We now have the Régiolis bullshit asymmetry principle!
"The amount of energy necessary for Jon to refute Régiolis bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than for Grand Est to produce it"
Now it's Eurobalises: jonworth.eu/news-that-re...
"The amount of energy necessary for Jon to refute Régiolis bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than for Grand Est to produce it"
Now it's Eurobalises: jonworth.eu/news-that-re...
November 10, 2025 at 3:00 PM
We now have the Régiolis bullshit asymmetry principle!
"The amount of energy necessary for Jon to refute Régiolis bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than for Grand Est to produce it"
Now it's Eurobalises: jonworth.eu/news-that-re...
"The amount of energy necessary for Jon to refute Régiolis bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than for Grand Est to produce it"
Now it's Eurobalises: jonworth.eu/news-that-re...
CRRC Bison 🦬 are running already - I happened to see one the other day in Budapest hauling a freight train
November 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
CRRC Bison 🦬 are running already - I happened to see one the other day in Budapest hauling a freight train
Damn!
What will the same Peter Hanke say when he hears about the Chinese built CRRC Bison 🦬?
What will the same Peter Hanke say when he hears about the Chinese built CRRC Bison 🦬?
November 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Damn!
What will the same Peter Hanke say when he hears about the Chinese built CRRC Bison 🦬?
What will the same Peter Hanke say when he hears about the Chinese built CRRC Bison 🦬?
Rail hypocrite of the day: Peter Hanke, Austria's transport minister
It's about him and a bison 🦬 and a panda 🐼
(Photo credits - see ALT Text of each image)
It's about him and a bison 🦬 and a panda 🐼
(Photo credits - see ALT Text of each image)
November 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Rail hypocrite of the day: Peter Hanke, Austria's transport minister
It's about him and a bison 🦬 and a panda 🐼
(Photo credits - see ALT Text of each image)
It's about him and a bison 🦬 and a panda 🐼
(Photo credits - see ALT Text of each image)
Haaaaa. Can I present you the Hörlkofen signal box, the oldest in Germany, that is just next to Mühldorf stellwerke.info/stw/stw.php...
DB has had plans to upgrade and electrify there since the mid 1980s, and is only now starting the works 🤦♂️
Across Bayern it's like this!
DB has had plans to upgrade and electrify there since the mid 1980s, and is only now starting the works 🤦♂️
Across Bayern it's like this!
November 6, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Haaaaa. Can I present you the Hörlkofen signal box, the oldest in Germany, that is just next to Mühldorf stellwerke.info/stw/stw.php...
DB has had plans to upgrade and electrify there since the mid 1980s, and is only now starting the works 🤦♂️
Across Bayern it's like this!
DB has had plans to upgrade and electrify there since the mid 1980s, and is only now starting the works 🤦♂️
Across Bayern it's like this!
There’s this joke where a passenger is at Calais Fréthun station, staring at the “Londres, Ebbsfleet – Voie 3” sign
The passenger stops a SNCF employee, asks “How do I get to London?” (in French).
“Well I wouldn’t start from here!”
On wrong starting points in railways: jonworth.eu/we-have-no-i...
The passenger stops a SNCF employee, asks “How do I get to London?” (in French).
“Well I wouldn’t start from here!”
On wrong starting points in railways: jonworth.eu/we-have-no-i...
November 5, 2025 at 4:44 PM
There’s this joke where a passenger is at Calais Fréthun station, staring at the “Londres, Ebbsfleet – Voie 3” sign
The passenger stops a SNCF employee, asks “How do I get to London?” (in French).
“Well I wouldn’t start from here!”
On wrong starting points in railways: jonworth.eu/we-have-no-i...
The passenger stops a SNCF employee, asks “How do I get to London?” (in French).
“Well I wouldn’t start from here!”
On wrong starting points in railways: jonworth.eu/we-have-no-i...
Old stone wall at an old railway bridge
November 5, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Old stone wall at an old railway bridge
OK, this is better. We might actually get some workable system for upgrades, only not until 2026 or 2027.
November 5, 2025 at 10:16 AM
OK, this is better. We might actually get some workable system for upgrades, only not until 2026 or 2027.
Also this map may as well be someone scrawling with a pencil
A big chunk of Madrid - Paris is done already, and some of the lines that are supposedly done are not. Hell knows what this is supposed to explain.
A big chunk of Madrid - Paris is done already, and some of the lines that are supposedly done are not. Hell knows what this is supposed to explain.
November 5, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Also this map may as well be someone scrawling with a pencil
A big chunk of Madrid - Paris is done already, and some of the lines that are supposedly done are not. Hell knows what this is supposed to explain.
A big chunk of Madrid - Paris is done already, and some of the lines that are supposedly done are not. Hell knows what this is supposed to explain.
SOOOOO 🥁
Today the European Commission is releasing its action plan for high speed rail
Everyone excited?
No, me neither. Sorry. I fear it's going to be a load of nice words, and no way to make anything happen...
#CrossBorderRail
Today the European Commission is releasing its action plan for high speed rail
Everyone excited?
No, me neither. Sorry. I fear it's going to be a load of nice words, and no way to make anything happen...
#CrossBorderRail
November 5, 2025 at 8:31 AM
SOOOOO 🥁
Today the European Commission is releasing its action plan for high speed rail
Everyone excited?
No, me neither. Sorry. I fear it's going to be a load of nice words, and no way to make anything happen...
#CrossBorderRail
Today the European Commission is releasing its action plan for high speed rail
Everyone excited?
No, me neither. Sorry. I fear it's going to be a load of nice words, and no way to make anything happen...
#CrossBorderRail
Good morning!
Here’s an almost Bluesky in Ravières
Meanwhile on the social network Bluesky I’m being told something that’s 100% wrong with 100% confidence by a man (of course) who doesn’t follow me, about a topic I’ve been researching for months
Here’s an almost Bluesky in Ravières
Meanwhile on the social network Bluesky I’m being told something that’s 100% wrong with 100% confidence by a man (of course) who doesn’t follow me, about a topic I’ve been researching for months
November 4, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Good morning!
Here’s an almost Bluesky in Ravières
Meanwhile on the social network Bluesky I’m being told something that’s 100% wrong with 100% confidence by a man (of course) who doesn’t follow me, about a topic I’ve been researching for months
Here’s an almost Bluesky in Ravières
Meanwhile on the social network Bluesky I’m being told something that’s 100% wrong with 100% confidence by a man (of course) who doesn’t follow me, about a topic I’ve been researching for months
That's a... strange combo!
November 3, 2025 at 5:21 PM
That's a... strange combo!
Today’s pic at the Armançon at Nuits
The river is high, brownish. The sky grey. Some trees have already lost all their leaves. Late autumn
The river is high, brownish. The sky grey. Some trees have already lost all their leaves. Late autumn
November 3, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Today’s pic at the Armançon at Nuits
The river is high, brownish. The sky grey. Some trees have already lost all their leaves. Late autumn
The river is high, brownish. The sky grey. Some trees have already lost all their leaves. Late autumn
You know the SNCF rule, Richard? We don't want to run any more trains than the minimum we can get away with. But we're DAMNED SURE no one else should run any either!
#CrossChannelRail
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
#CrossChannelRail
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
November 3, 2025 at 12:55 PM
You know the SNCF rule, Richard? We don't want to run any more trains than the minimum we can get away with. But we're DAMNED SURE no one else should run any either!
#CrossChannelRail
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
#CrossChannelRail
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
I‘m going to write a blog post about things highly unlikely or impossible for future #CrossChannelRail long distance services
It’ll cover why these don’t work:
- stations in the UK beyond London
- night trains
- new single unit 400m trains
- re-opening the Waterloo terminal
Anything else to add?
It’ll cover why these don’t work:
- stations in the UK beyond London
- night trains
- new single unit 400m trains
- re-opening the Waterloo terminal
Anything else to add?
November 1, 2025 at 2:08 PM
I‘m going to write a blog post about things highly unlikely or impossible for future #CrossChannelRail long distance services
It’ll cover why these don’t work:
- stations in the UK beyond London
- night trains
- new single unit 400m trains
- re-opening the Waterloo terminal
Anything else to add?
It’ll cover why these don’t work:
- stations in the UK beyond London
- night trains
- new single unit 400m trains
- re-opening the Waterloo terminal
Anything else to add?
And as the media dreams up every place Virgin Trains is going to theoretically run, here's my #CrossChannelRail map - lines and stations. Click each station for details how/if it could be served.
For a start: CDG is a ❌
umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/cross...
For a start: CDG is a ❌
umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/cross...
October 30, 2025 at 6:15 PM
And as the media dreams up every place Virgin Trains is going to theoretically run, here's my #CrossChannelRail map - lines and stations. Click each station for details how/if it could be served.
For a start: CDG is a ❌
umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/cross...
For a start: CDG is a ❌
umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/cross...
😡
Hungary has closed a passenger railway to build a battery factory
The Debrecen – Nagykereki line used to continue as #CrossBorderRail to Oradea, although the border section is long gone
www.railwaygazette.com/passenger/hu...
Here's a pic at Nagykereki I took this summer!
Hungary has closed a passenger railway to build a battery factory
The Debrecen – Nagykereki line used to continue as #CrossBorderRail to Oradea, although the border section is long gone
www.railwaygazette.com/passenger/hu...
Here's a pic at Nagykereki I took this summer!
October 30, 2025 at 4:58 PM
😡
Hungary has closed a passenger railway to build a battery factory
The Debrecen – Nagykereki line used to continue as #CrossBorderRail to Oradea, although the border section is long gone
www.railwaygazette.com/passenger/hu...
Here's a pic at Nagykereki I took this summer!
Hungary has closed a passenger railway to build a battery factory
The Debrecen – Nagykereki line used to continue as #CrossBorderRail to Oradea, although the border section is long gone
www.railwaygazette.com/passenger/hu...
Here's a pic at Nagykereki I took this summer!
The one for whom this is really bitter is Gemini
Their bid was the most radical, the decision to order Siemens Velaro Novo a good one. But they could not convince ORR of their finances, and with no access to Temple Mills I cannot see what they can do from here. There's no Plan B AFAIK
Their bid was the most radical, the decision to order Siemens Velaro Novo a good one. But they could not convince ORR of their finances, and with no access to Temple Mills I cannot see what they can do from here. There's no Plan B AFAIK
October 30, 2025 at 11:25 AM
The one for whom this is really bitter is Gemini
Their bid was the most radical, the decision to order Siemens Velaro Novo a good one. But they could not convince ORR of their finances, and with no access to Temple Mills I cannot see what they can do from here. There's no Plan B AFAIK
Their bid was the most radical, the decision to order Siemens Velaro Novo a good one. But they could not convince ORR of their finances, and with no access to Temple Mills I cannot see what they can do from here. There's no Plan B AFAIK
And what of the rivals?
Trenitalia has the least to worry about. Now solidly established in France and Spain as well as Italy, it could try running Paris-Bruxelles-Amsterdam instead of London, or France-Spain cross border, or find a different maintenance solution other than Temple Mills
Trenitalia has the least to worry about. Now solidly established in France and Spain as well as Italy, it could try running Paris-Bruxelles-Amsterdam instead of London, or France-Spain cross border, or find a different maintenance solution other than Temple Mills
October 30, 2025 at 11:25 AM
And what of the rivals?
Trenitalia has the least to worry about. Now solidly established in France and Spain as well as Italy, it could try running Paris-Bruxelles-Amsterdam instead of London, or France-Spain cross border, or find a different maintenance solution other than Temple Mills
Trenitalia has the least to worry about. Now solidly established in France and Spain as well as Italy, it could try running Paris-Bruxelles-Amsterdam instead of London, or France-Spain cross border, or find a different maintenance solution other than Temple Mills
What about Eurostar, the incumbent?
It will order 30 Avelia Horizon double deck trains from Alstom, with an option for 20 more
But I expect that these 30 trains will be used on ex-Thalys routes, not Channel Tunnel routes
Explained 👇
jonworth.eu/working-out-...
It will order 30 Avelia Horizon double deck trains from Alstom, with an option for 20 more
But I expect that these 30 trains will be used on ex-Thalys routes, not Channel Tunnel routes
Explained 👇
jonworth.eu/working-out-...
October 30, 2025 at 11:25 AM
What about Eurostar, the incumbent?
It will order 30 Avelia Horizon double deck trains from Alstom, with an option for 20 more
But I expect that these 30 trains will be used on ex-Thalys routes, not Channel Tunnel routes
Explained 👇
jonworth.eu/working-out-...
It will order 30 Avelia Horizon double deck trains from Alstom, with an option for 20 more
But I expect that these 30 trains will be used on ex-Thalys routes, not Channel Tunnel routes
Explained 👇
jonworth.eu/working-out-...
Also unless the design is altered, Virgin's Avelia Stream will NOT have 15kV to operate in 🇩🇪🇨🇭
Running to southern 🇫🇷 is fraught, so no
Marne la Vallée, anyone?
But jokes aside, from here I reckon Virgin will get its service up and running by the early 2030s - to Paris, Bruxelles and Amsterdam
Running to southern 🇫🇷 is fraught, so no
Marne la Vallée, anyone?
But jokes aside, from here I reckon Virgin will get its service up and running by the early 2030s - to Paris, Bruxelles and Amsterdam
October 30, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Also unless the design is altered, Virgin's Avelia Stream will NOT have 15kV to operate in 🇩🇪🇨🇭
Running to southern 🇫🇷 is fraught, so no
Marne la Vallée, anyone?
But jokes aside, from here I reckon Virgin will get its service up and running by the early 2030s - to Paris, Bruxelles and Amsterdam
Running to southern 🇫🇷 is fraught, so no
Marne la Vallée, anyone?
But jokes aside, from here I reckon Virgin will get its service up and running by the early 2030s - to Paris, Bruxelles and Amsterdam
Virgin is ordering 12 200m long Avelia Stream trains from Alstom
First are due to run in 2030
👍 It's a proven design
👎 It's to have the carriages lengthened, speed upped to 300km/h (Stream so far is 250km/h), needs new suspension, Alstom never delivers anything on time
Will these run in 2030? 🤔
First are due to run in 2030
👍 It's a proven design
👎 It's to have the carriages lengthened, speed upped to 300km/h (Stream so far is 250km/h), needs new suspension, Alstom never delivers anything on time
Will these run in 2030? 🤔
October 30, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Virgin is ordering 12 200m long Avelia Stream trains from Alstom
First are due to run in 2030
👍 It's a proven design
👎 It's to have the carriages lengthened, speed upped to 300km/h (Stream so far is 250km/h), needs new suspension, Alstom never delivers anything on time
Will these run in 2030? 🤔
First are due to run in 2030
👍 It's a proven design
👎 It's to have the carriages lengthened, speed upped to 300km/h (Stream so far is 250km/h), needs new suspension, Alstom never delivers anything on time
Will these run in 2030? 🤔
Let's have a look into the #CrossChannelRail 🔮 and see where all this is heading after today's news Virgin Trains will have access to Temple Mills depot
This thread is speculative - please forgive that - but somehow I am left with a kind of impression we're missing some parts of the jigsaw still
This thread is speculative - please forgive that - but somehow I am left with a kind of impression we're missing some parts of the jigsaw still
October 30, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Let's have a look into the #CrossChannelRail 🔮 and see where all this is heading after today's news Virgin Trains will have access to Temple Mills depot
This thread is speculative - please forgive that - but somehow I am left with a kind of impression we're missing some parts of the jigsaw still
This thread is speculative - please forgive that - but somehow I am left with a kind of impression we're missing some parts of the jigsaw still