Welcome to #CrossBorderRail - Day 00, 2 May – Berlin – Kiel – Oldenburg

Today I’m not going to be crossing any borders! But there is an event in Kiel at 18:30, that will also be streamed

Taking 3 trains (total 368.3 km), and 1 bus. And two small bike legs in Berlin and Kiel

Today’s live blog page is here 👇
https://crossborderrail.trainsforeurope.eu/live-blog-day-00/

And this is the first toot of today’s Mastodon thread

Here’s the video summary
https://urbanists.video/w/pnZS1MBfFotz5tsnsvUNsK

The main project trip starts at 11:20 at Berlin Hbf, but I am in Leipzig!

I’ve finally found a second hand Birdy bike for my future #CrossBorderRail projects! So I collected it early this morning, then I’ll drop it off at home, put the panniers on the regular red Birdy, and head to Hbf to start

Every train I take will be assessed - like this:

#CrossBorderRail Train XX

RE 6 (66666)
11:20 Berlin Hbf - Bad Stadt 14:17
Ostdeutsche Bimmelbahn GmbH

Distance: 111 km
Average speed: 99 km/h

Train type: Stadler double deck EMU, 4 carriages
⚡️⛽️🔋
🚲: ✅ / ❓ / ⛔️
🦽: ✅ / ❓ / ⛔️
📶: ✅ / ❓ / ⛔️
🧳: 🙂 / 🤔 / 😡
🧽: 🙂 / 🤔 / 😡

#Deutschlandticket: ✅⛔️

This year: luggage 🧳 and cleanliness 🧽 added, and 🍽️ removed - I’m on regional trains, no dining cars 😢. 📶 is for wifi on board (I can’t assess mobile reception)

OK HERE WE GO!

CrossBorderRail Train 01

RE 8 (62015)
11:20 Berlin Hbf - Bad Kleinen 14:17
Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH

Distance: 226 km
Average speed: 77 km/h

Train type: Stadler double deck EMU, 4 carriages
⚡️
🚲: ✅
🦽: ✅ (step down inside, needs a ramp or lift)
🛜: ✅
🧳: 🤔 (double deck, but Stadler’s seats have place underneath)
🧽: 😡 (grimy inside, lots of graffiti outside, covers some windows)

#Deutschlandticket: ✅

And Peter Cornelius from @PRO_BAHN came to Berlin Hbf as I departed!

Here's today's route map

And the full zoomable version: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-de-2023_835860#8/53.378/11.783

This RE 8 train Berlin Flughafen - Wismar (I am taking it Berlin Hbf - Bad Kleinen, at least 80% of its route, 226 km) shows both the upsides and downsides of #Deutschlandticket

As regional trains go it's not bad. It's quite speedy. Modern. There's wifi. But because it stops all over the place it's a lot slower than the ECs and ICs that also run here

A EC manages Berlin-Ludwigslust in 1 hour 16, this takes 2 hours 5 mins for that section

But if your budget is tight, take this!

#FirstWorldDeutschlandTicketProblems 😅

When you've only got as far as Neustadt (Dosse) and your wifi data has already run out