Finale Summer 2025 – crowdfunding open

Between 6th June and 5th August I will undertake the last large tour of the #CrossBorderRail project, examining a further 82 rail borders, mostly in central and eastern Europe.

Three short years ago when planning the first tour that was known as #CrossBorderRail, little did I know this would be the start of a project that would become a good part of my professional life in the years in between. That list of 95 rail borders investigated in 2022 has now grown to 289 at the time of writing, all of them mapped here. But that means there are not that many international railway lines in Europe that are still worth investigating.

But there are enough – over 80 more lines – for one final big tour, with the focus on the EU’s external borders (towards Ukraine and Moldova), and a bunch of central European lines that I am missing so far. The Hungary-Romania border, now Romania has joined Schengen, looks particularly interesting. And I am missing two Norway-Sweden borders, so I have added those as well. And having not been able to take it last year, I am even managing to ride on the the legendary Optima Express from Turkey to Austria.

The aim now, as in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 tours, is to identify shortcomings with international railway connections, and formulate proposals as to how to overcome those shortcomings. And do that by visiting the places, speaking to local people, and photographing what I discover in these places (also with the drone).

As ever I will take trains where I can, and use the folding bike and buses to reach the places the trains cannot take me.

How will this project be financed?

Like all the #CrossBorderRail projects before this one, the project will be crowd financed – so as to be independent of all governments and rail operators. Crowd funding is now open!

Can’t see the donation button? Click here to go straight to the donation page at Betterplace.org

Prefer to donate some other way? Yes, donations are possible via bank transfer to MitOst e.V. (the organisation I work with), but are administratively more complex, so only make sense for larger donations. Please contact me if you would like to donate via bank transfer.

The nature of this project – 44 travel days, many in hard to access corners of Europe and no way to get home for a break in between – means this project is the most expensive I have conducted to date. €3316 is needed to cover train tickets and accommodation (and is the minimum to make the project happen). A further €1210 will cover the costs of food en route, and a further €4964 will cover Jon’s minimum wage during the project. The total costs of the project are €10172.

Also offers of assistance in kind (a place for me to stay for example, or a venue for an event) are most welcome – please contact me.

What else can you do to help with the project?

My detailed route plan including a complete timetable can be found here – PLANNED.xlsx, tab “CentralEuropeFinale”, and the detailed zoomable map of the route is here. Am I passing your town or city? If so could you host me (saves having to crowd-fund nights in hostels or hotels), or organise a small event? Even just gathering a few people over a coffee or a beer is great. Is there something with the route that you think I could improve? Bear in mind this is research – any nice places I see are simply a bonus! Or do you want to come along for a few days of the tour? Or do you have something you think I ought to know about a particular border or particular line? Whichever it is, I’d like to hear from you!

When and where will public meetings take place?

Details of all the events en route, including how to sign up, are on the separate events page.

Want to help organise one of these events? Or suggest an event somewhere else? Please get in touch!

How can you follow the project?

Every day there will be a thread on Mastodon (follow me there @jon@gruene.social) and some posts at Bluesky (@jonworth.eu). Each day there will be a Live Blog on the #CrossBorderRail website, drawing in the content from other platforms, and featuring a live video at the start and at the end of each day. NOTE: there will be few posts about the project here on jonworth.eu!

This year – as one of the trains I am taking has a rather famous song about it – there will also be a “Song of the Day”. The full playlist is here, but you will have to wait for each day to get the connection between that day and its track!

Is there merchandise available?

You bet! There is a new #CrossBorderRail logo for this project, featuring a Bzmot / ČD 810 railbus – a type of train I will be using a lot this year! All the merchandise can be found in the Spreadshirt store. Every purchase results in a (very small!) donation to the project. It’s more for the fun of it this is available though.

Is this the end for #CrossBorderRail?

No. But it will be the last big tour for this project, simply because there are not very many borders in Europe to visit any more! But the #CrossBorderRail work will not stop. I am already working on a series of events for autumn 2025, drawing the conclusions from what I have learned. I will give a speech on the Berlin-Wrocław Kulturzug on 4th October, and there will be conclusions events in Bruxelles and Berlin as well. And – if I can bring myself to believe I can do it – I might write a book about international railways in Europe. And I would like to work more deeply on solving the problems at individual lines, getting involved in the nitty gritty of making a project really come to fruition.

So this will be the last big tour, but it is by no means the end of the work!

Approximate list of c. 80 further borders that will be investigated

Deutschkreutz – Harka
Hodoš – Bajansenye
Loipersbach-Schattendorf – Sopron
Lutzmannsburg – Répcevis
Mogersdorf – Szentgotthárd
Pamhagen – Fertőszéplak
Rattersdorf – Köszeg
Schachendorf – Torony
Spielfeld-Straß – Šentilj
Carei – Tiborszállás
Episcopia Bihor – Biharkeresztes
Episcopia Bihor – Nagykereki
Oar – Csenger
Peles – Zajta
Sacuieni Bihor – Létavértes
Salonta – Kötegyán
Valea lui Mihai – Nyírábrány
Borša – Sátoraljaújhely
Bušince – Nógrádszakál
Cieszyn – Ceský Tešín
Fratres – Slavonice
Glucholazy – Jindrichov ve Slezsku
Glucholazy – Mikulovice u Jeseníku
Hodonín zastávka – Holíc nad Moravou
Javorník nad Velickou zastávka – Vrbovce
Komárno – Komárom
Krzanowice Poludniowe – Chuchelná
Laa an der Thaya – Hevlín
Lenartovce – Bánréve
Lucenec – Ipolytarnóc
Lupków – Medzilaborce mesto
Miedzylesie – Lichkov
Mosty u Jablunkova zastávka – Svrcinovec zastávka
Pietrowice Glubczyckie – Krnov
Podczerwone – Suchá Hora
Šahy – Drégelypalánk
Šiatorská Bukovinka – Somoskoújfalu
Slovenské Nové Mesto – Sátoraljaújhely
Sudomerice nad Moravou – Skalica na Slovensku
Summerau – Horní Dvorište
Turna nad Bodvou – Tornanádaska
Unterretzbach – Šatov
Zwardon – Skalité-Serafínov
Kapitan Andreevo – Kapikule
Marasia – Karaagaç
Nea Vyssa – Karaagaç
Negru Voda – Kardam
Pythio – Uzunköprü
Bakosh – Eperjeske Rendező
Basarabeasca – 121 km
Basarabeasca – Serpneve
Câmpulung la Tisa – Teresva
Chop – Čierna nad Tisou
Chop – Záhony
Dilove – Valea Viseului
Dorohusk – Yahodyn
Falciu – Prut-2
Galati – Giurgiulesti
Giugiulesti – Remi Main
Halmeu – Nevetlenfolu
Hrebenne – Piddubne
Hrebenne – Rava Ruska
Hrubieszów – Izov
Krościenko – Smolnica
Malhowice – Nyzhankovychi
Mamalyha – Criva – Lipcani – Iwaniwzi – Ocnița
Medyka – Shehyni
Otaci – Mohyliv-Podilskyi
Rybnitsa – Klymentove
Tiraspol – Kuchurgan
Ungheni Prut – Ungheni
Uzhhorod – Maťovské Vojkovce
Vadul Siret – Vicsani
Werchrata – Rava-Rus’ka
Gries – Brennero
Griesen – Ehrwald Zugspitzbahn
Mittenwald – Scharnitz
Pfronten-Steinach – Vils in Tirol Stadt
Charlottenberg – Magnor
Riksgränsen – Bjørnfell
Future Line – Nauders – Reschen
Future Line – Nauders – Scuol-Tarasp

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Source: https://jonworth.eu/crossborderrail-finale-2025/