European Rail News & Notes

Your source for updates on European train travel
News
published on 13 June 2020
by Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries
Railjets bring Europe together. Every day, they set off from Zürich for distant Bratislava and Budapest, the latter a journey of over a thousand kilometres. Each route takes in four countries (including tiny Liechtenstein). And now there is a new service linking Graz and Berlin.
News
published on 22 May 2020
by Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries
Reggio di Calabria has already had its taste of Frecce trains, but only the lesser grades – Frecciargento (FA) and Frecciabianca (FB) rather than the posh Frecciarossa. But that's about to change in June 2020 when the first Frecciarossa will make its way from Turin to Italy's far south.
Notes
published on 15 May 2020
by Paul Scraton
As a response to the pogrom against the Jews in Nazi Germany, the British Jewish community organized the Kindertransport which brought nearly 10,000 mostly Jewish children to Britain in 1938 and 1939. One of the children who came to Britain was Frank Meisler, then a boy of thirteen. He would grow up to become a sculptor.
News
published on 8 May 2020
by Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries
As France tentatively relaxes its Coronavirus restrictions, a process known as déconfinement, more train services are being introduced from Monday 11 May 2020. On some regional rail routes, intending passengers will need to secure a boarding card (coupon d'accès) prior to travel.
History
published on 6 May 2020
by Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries
Macron's demand that Air France trim French domestic air services ups the game for rail operator SNCF. The move set us thinking about which French president of the last 100 years has been the most ardent supporter of rail travel.
News
published on 20 April 2020
by Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries
It's going to take a long time for Europe's long-distance international train services to get back to normal, but many local trains across frontiers are already running again.