The redrawing of frontiers after either the First or Second World War created some headaches for railway operators. For instance, between Vojtanov (CZ) and Bad Brambach (D) which is about 6Km as the crow flies (though longer by train) the railway crosses the border no less than 5 times. 2 of those crossings are approx 200 metres apart. It then does two more before finally making up its mind that it’s now German.
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Most Interesting Border crossed by Train (Land)
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There's an extremely detailed 34-page PDF document in German on the DB InfraGO website about the infrastructure of this line:
https://www.dbinfrago.com/resource/...3c24255e7ca/Ril-302-3208Z01-INB-2026-data.pdf
On page 11 there's a diagram showing which section of line is in which country and including the 2 border crossings ('Staatsgrenze') north of Bad Brambach there are indeed 7 in total. Note however that there is only one infrastructure ownership boundary between DB Netz and its Czech counterpart Správa železnic which is at the first German-Czech border crossing going south from Bad Brambach.
Page 12 has a map showing the route and the course of the German-Czech border which also shows road level crossings - DB Netz has one Czech-type crossing north of Bad Brambach and ZS has 3 German-type ones to the north of Vojtanov.
One other interesting infrastructure related matter is that Czech 25kV OHLE extends north of Vojtanov over the German border by about 350m (section 3.5 on page 18) which looking at Google Maps satellite view seems to indicate that it allows shunting of electric trains between platforms.
There seems to be quite a lot of other interesting info in the document (such as how the signalling and GSM radio systems work) but sorry to say that my own knowledge of German isn't good enough for a proper translation.
This particular stretch of border predates the First World War by a few centuries:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Eger
It was the border between Austria and Saxony till 1871 when Saxony was integrated into the German Empire.
I travelled on it in both directions last year and the alignment seems to have more to do with topography.
According to the source for the map https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahnstrecke_Plauen–Cheb (in German) it was built in 1874 by the Royal Saxon Railway before it became part of the Reichsbahn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Eger
It was the border between Austria and Saxony till 1871 when Saxony was integrated into the German Empire.
I travelled on it in both directions last year and the alignment seems to have more to do with topography.
According to the source for the map https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahnstrecke_Plauen–Cheb (in German) it was built in 1874 by the Royal Saxon Railway before it became part of the Reichsbahn.
I stand corrected. Makes the alignment all the more remarkable given the complexity of the international treaties that cross-border construction usually entailed.This particular stretch of border predates the First World War by a few centuries:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Eger
It was the border between Austria and Saxony till 1871 when Saxony was integrated into the German Empire.
I travelled on it in both directions last year and the alignment seems to have more to do with topography.
According to the source for the map https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahnstrecke_Plauen–Cheb (in German) it was built in 1874 by the Royal Saxon Railway before it became part of the Reichsbahn.
Remarkable indeed.
The direct line between Moscow and Almaty crosses the Russian-Kazakh border 3 times. There is a rumor that russian border guards tried to bribe passengers by saying they needed double entry visas because of this.
Also, the direct - and electrified - line between Bihac (in Bosnia) and Knin (in Croatia), which used to be the fastest way between Zagreb and Split, hugs the border for most of its length, and crosses it several times. Heavily damaged during the war, Croatia and Bosnia never came to terms on how to repair and exploit it, so it remains out of use...
doc7austin
On Moderation
My favourite railway border crossing point:
Zamyyn-Uud (Mongolia) -> Erlian (China)
In the photo below we have already crossing into China (about 200 meters).
And in this photo below, you see the actual physical border.
Left: China (Chinese citizens only are allowed to visit this border park)
In the middle: this gray stone (looks like a grave stone) marks the physical border between China and Mongolia.
Right: Mongolia
One thing to note:
This border can be crossed by train - no problem.
Crossing that border by mini-bus (while pretending that taking the train was too complicated) is cheating in my eyes.
Zamyyn-Uud (Mongolia) -> Erlian (China)
In the photo below we have already crossing into China (about 200 meters).
And in this photo below, you see the actual physical border.
Left: China (Chinese citizens only are allowed to visit this border park)
In the middle: this gray stone (looks like a grave stone) marks the physical border between China and Mongolia.
Right: Mongolia
One thing to note:
This border can be crossed by train - no problem.
Crossing that border by mini-bus (while pretending that taking the train was too complicated) is cheating in my eyes.
izvor
Member
My first visit to Czechoslovakia, in 1991, was interesting. The train to Liberec (Cz) left from its own platform at Zittau (De) and to access it you had to pass through the border control, a hut a short way along the platform. I was a bit nervous, on my own and not speaking a word of Czech. The severe looking lady in the hut did not help this: after spending a minute or two puzzling over my UK passport, she then got up and took it into another room. However as soon as she got up I could see that on the wall immediately behind her was a large pin-up of a naked girl with big boobs. Said lady (the clothed one) then returned with a big smile, handed back my passport and said, "Welcome to Czechoslovakia!"
The train was also unexpected for an international (if really only local): 5 x 4-wheel railbuses joined together (probably motor+trailer+motor+trailer+motor), of the type now known as class 810 and once ubiquitous across former Czechoslovakia. As we bounced along the jointed track from Germany into Czechoslovakia, and brieflly in and out of a bit of Poland, I could see that the windows of our full carriage were plastered with children's drawings. A lovely and unusual introduction to a strange country.
Some time later another interesting border crossing was one of the two that sprang up around the turn of this century on either side of Sighetu Marmatiei in the far north of Romania, to encourage travel to newly independent Ukraine. The one to Rakhiv to the east had already closed after a very brief life, but the line to Teresva to the west was still clinging on with two train pairs on (I think) 2 days a week. The train was a UZ dmu (the tracks were dual gauge within Romania for historical reasons) and it was reasonably full. My ticket was, unbelievably, an Edmondson, the last one I ever received on a "normal" railway, and probably the only one still issued at Sighet which had gone "computer" by then.
At the Romanian border post our passports were collected, and returned after the usual wait. However mine was personally delivered by a stunningly gorgeous (young, female) official who informed me, gravely, in immaculate English, that she would allow me to proceed but could not guarantee that I would be allowed entry into Ukraine. I said I would take the risk (resisting the temptation to get off and propose marriage) and off we set, across the river Tisa bridge which marked the border with Ukraine. However, immediately at the far side we stopped again and everyone alighted: this was the Ukrainian border control, which I was not expecting here so was last off and into the queue in the hut down the embankment. Passport check was rapid until it got to me; everyone else was a local with empty bags after selling their wares in Romania. However at this point a scruffy bloke entered the hut and shouted something; luckily I realised he was the train driver checking that no one wanted his train! I shouted "tak!", got my passport stamped quickly and hurried back onto the train. I was the only passenger for the rest of the trip to Teresva, all the rest having made their way on foot from the border point.
Shortly afterwards this service was withdrawn too, after reports of huge smuggling operations and damage to trains (as well as to the local economy, according to the mayor of Sighet). This was once a busy international crossing, in the days before WW2 when Teresva was part of Czechoslovakia. Last time I visited it was closed and derelict, though possibly since revived for transit since the start of the Russia-Ukrainian war? The line to Rakhiv certainly had a brief and well-publicised rebuilding, and led to a (very) brief, token passenger operation a year or two ago.
The train was also unexpected for an international (if really only local): 5 x 4-wheel railbuses joined together (probably motor+trailer+motor+trailer+motor), of the type now known as class 810 and once ubiquitous across former Czechoslovakia. As we bounced along the jointed track from Germany into Czechoslovakia, and brieflly in and out of a bit of Poland, I could see that the windows of our full carriage were plastered with children's drawings. A lovely and unusual introduction to a strange country.
Some time later another interesting border crossing was one of the two that sprang up around the turn of this century on either side of Sighetu Marmatiei in the far north of Romania, to encourage travel to newly independent Ukraine. The one to Rakhiv to the east had already closed after a very brief life, but the line to Teresva to the west was still clinging on with two train pairs on (I think) 2 days a week. The train was a UZ dmu (the tracks were dual gauge within Romania for historical reasons) and it was reasonably full. My ticket was, unbelievably, an Edmondson, the last one I ever received on a "normal" railway, and probably the only one still issued at Sighet which had gone "computer" by then.
At the Romanian border post our passports were collected, and returned after the usual wait. However mine was personally delivered by a stunningly gorgeous (young, female) official who informed me, gravely, in immaculate English, that she would allow me to proceed but could not guarantee that I would be allowed entry into Ukraine. I said I would take the risk (resisting the temptation to get off and propose marriage) and off we set, across the river Tisa bridge which marked the border with Ukraine. However, immediately at the far side we stopped again and everyone alighted: this was the Ukrainian border control, which I was not expecting here so was last off and into the queue in the hut down the embankment. Passport check was rapid until it got to me; everyone else was a local with empty bags after selling their wares in Romania. However at this point a scruffy bloke entered the hut and shouted something; luckily I realised he was the train driver checking that no one wanted his train! I shouted "tak!", got my passport stamped quickly and hurried back onto the train. I was the only passenger for the rest of the trip to Teresva, all the rest having made their way on foot from the border point.
Shortly afterwards this service was withdrawn too, after reports of huge smuggling operations and damage to trains (as well as to the local economy, according to the mayor of Sighet). This was once a busy international crossing, in the days before WW2 when Teresva was part of Czechoslovakia. Last time I visited it was closed and derelict, though possibly since revived for transit since the start of the Russia-Ukrainian war? The line to Rakhiv certainly had a brief and well-publicised rebuilding, and led to a (very) brief, token passenger operation a year or two ago.
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My most memorable border crossing was in 1983 from Romania to Yugoslavia, on an overnight train from Bucharest to Belgrade.
When I had first arrived in Bucharest a few days earlier, I had tried to book a bed in the sleeper for the trip, but none were available, so I just had to make do with a seat reservation. I discovered that I was sharing the compartment for the overnight journey with a young Romanian woman travelling by herself and three male East African students. Shortly after departure we all settled down to try to sleep as best we could.
Not having a bed for the night meant that I did not manage much sleep. At about 7am the train reached Timișoara, the city where six years later the Romanian revolution first began. Many people left the train here, but the young Romanian woman and the three East African students that I had been sharing with since Bucharest did not – they were going all the way to Belgrade. This train was the only train of the day to make the border crossing between Romania and Yugoslavia (whereas now there are no trains at all).
The young woman told me that she was on her way to Rimini in Italy for a holiday. I thought that she must be very well connected, probably related to a senior government official, to be allowed such a privilege. Once we left Timișoara she produced a packet of cigarettes and proceeded one-by-one to empty the tobacco from each cigarette, then roll a large denomination US Dollar bill inside the paper case of each, before replacing the tobacco. When she had finished only close examination would reveal that this was anything other than a normal packet of cigarettes. Nonetheless, I was astonished that she should do this in full view of strangers and I had nervous anticipation of what might happen at the border.
We reached the Romanian border station of Stamora Moravita about an hour after leaving Timișoara. Here Romanian border guards entered our compartment. First they checked that everyone’s papers were in order to leave Romania – the visa I had obtained on entering the country was duly cancelled with another illegible stamp. Then the compartment, its occupants and our bags were thoroughly searched. I had placed my most disgustingly smelly dirty washing at the top of my bag, which made my searcher recoil when he first opened my bag and proceed rather more gingerly than before. Despite a lengthy search, my travelling companion’s stash of US Dollars was not discovered – she must have had nerves of steel, as she showed no emotion as her handbag containing the compromised cigarettes was rummaged through.
We eventually left Romania and a short time later crossed into Yugoslavia at Vrsac (now in Serbia), where further border formalities were to be conducted. Unlike for Hungary and Romania, I did not need a visa to enter Yugoslavia, so after a few questions an entry stamp was placed in my passport. The young Romanian woman’s papers were carefully scrutinised, but they were all in order. However, it became apparent that the three East African students did not have the visas that they required. A lengthy argument ensued and when it appeared that they might be escorted off the train, one of them delved into his belongings and produced a number of bags of coffee and offered them to the border guard. The border guard looked shocked and stormed out of the compartment. Some considerable time later he reappeared, accompanied by another official that I assumed to be the top man (judging by the amount of gold braid and ribbons on his uniform), with two armed guards either side of him. I thought that things might turn rather ugly at this stage. The original border guard seemed to be relating what had happened to his superior, who asked for the bags coffee to be produced again. The top man opened the bags and carefully smelled the contents – after some consideration he pocketed the coffee and gave the order that the necessary papers for the East Africans could now be issued!
After a lengthy delay we eventually left Vrsac and proceeded to Belgrade Danev station where we arrived at lunchtime about two hours late.
When I had first arrived in Bucharest a few days earlier, I had tried to book a bed in the sleeper for the trip, but none were available, so I just had to make do with a seat reservation. I discovered that I was sharing the compartment for the overnight journey with a young Romanian woman travelling by herself and three male East African students. Shortly after departure we all settled down to try to sleep as best we could.
Not having a bed for the night meant that I did not manage much sleep. At about 7am the train reached Timișoara, the city where six years later the Romanian revolution first began. Many people left the train here, but the young Romanian woman and the three East African students that I had been sharing with since Bucharest did not – they were going all the way to Belgrade. This train was the only train of the day to make the border crossing between Romania and Yugoslavia (whereas now there are no trains at all).
The young woman told me that she was on her way to Rimini in Italy for a holiday. I thought that she must be very well connected, probably related to a senior government official, to be allowed such a privilege. Once we left Timișoara she produced a packet of cigarettes and proceeded one-by-one to empty the tobacco from each cigarette, then roll a large denomination US Dollar bill inside the paper case of each, before replacing the tobacco. When she had finished only close examination would reveal that this was anything other than a normal packet of cigarettes. Nonetheless, I was astonished that she should do this in full view of strangers and I had nervous anticipation of what might happen at the border.
We reached the Romanian border station of Stamora Moravita about an hour after leaving Timișoara. Here Romanian border guards entered our compartment. First they checked that everyone’s papers were in order to leave Romania – the visa I had obtained on entering the country was duly cancelled with another illegible stamp. Then the compartment, its occupants and our bags were thoroughly searched. I had placed my most disgustingly smelly dirty washing at the top of my bag, which made my searcher recoil when he first opened my bag and proceed rather more gingerly than before. Despite a lengthy search, my travelling companion’s stash of US Dollars was not discovered – she must have had nerves of steel, as she showed no emotion as her handbag containing the compromised cigarettes was rummaged through.
We eventually left Romania and a short time later crossed into Yugoslavia at Vrsac (now in Serbia), where further border formalities were to be conducted. Unlike for Hungary and Romania, I did not need a visa to enter Yugoslavia, so after a few questions an entry stamp was placed in my passport. The young Romanian woman’s papers were carefully scrutinised, but they were all in order. However, it became apparent that the three East African students did not have the visas that they required. A lengthy argument ensued and when it appeared that they might be escorted off the train, one of them delved into his belongings and produced a number of bags of coffee and offered them to the border guard. The border guard looked shocked and stormed out of the compartment. Some considerable time later he reappeared, accompanied by another official that I assumed to be the top man (judging by the amount of gold braid and ribbons on his uniform), with two armed guards either side of him. I thought that things might turn rather ugly at this stage. The original border guard seemed to be relating what had happened to his superior, who asked for the bags coffee to be produced again. The top man opened the bags and carefully smelled the contents – after some consideration he pocketed the coffee and gave the order that the necessary papers for the East Africans could now be issued!
After a lengthy delay we eventually left Vrsac and proceeded to Belgrade Danev station where we arrived at lunchtime about two hours late.
StephenHunter
Established Member
810s are still in service today - ČD call them "RegioMouse". Other operators use M 152.0s too, like GWTR.
The iron ore train in Mauritania is an interesting border crossing. It passes through Western Sahara (a country that is claimed by Morocco and only partially recognised as independent) for a couple of miles. This train is quite famous for being one of the longest in the world (often claimed to be the longest) and lots of tourists who visit Mauritania ride on it in the iron ore wagons. But almost nobody realises that they leave Mauritania for a couple of miles. There is no border control despite no Schengen style agreement being in place.
doc7austin
On Moderation
This is Forbach (fr) !
Foreground: Germany
Background: France
The border is situated right in a perpendicular line between the graffiti shed on the left side (in Germany) and the "11"-marker on the right-side of the track (in France).
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
This is Blaine (Gr) !
The photos were taken aboard the Amtrak Cascades train from Vancouver, Canada to Seattle, United States.
You can clearly see the border markers, leading to the Peace Arch.
Foreground: Germany
Background: France
The border is situated right in a perpendicular line between the graffiti shed on the left side (in Germany) and the "11"-marker on the right-side of the track (in France).
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
This is Blaine (Gr) !
The photos were taken aboard the Amtrak Cascades train from Vancouver, Canada to Seattle, United States.
You can clearly see the border markers, leading to the Peace Arch.
The line used to go through the Choum Tunnel which allowed it to stay within the borders of Mauritania rather than take a far easier route through Western Sahara. Eventually the tunnel was abandoned in 1991 and the railway routed the way it should have gone in the first place. The tunnel appears in an episode of The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime when Jeremy Clarkson drives through it only to find his way supposedly blocked by a border fence with a minefield. Needless to say the border is fictional but it makes for a good story!
Cloud Strife
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The huts were still there until very recently. I was there not long before they sadly removed them.
As a border crossing, it was one of the more interesting ones for the fact that travellers, even during the days of Communism, would 'enter' Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic there despite having to cross through Poland first. I'm not 100% certain on this, but I believe that trains to Varnsdorf from Liberec also used the border crossing here, with travellers staying on the train being allowed to pass through Poland and (East) Germany without control, but those entering/leaving Germany would pass through the controls here.
Yugoslavia really was quite an oddity in those times. I believe the only neighbouring country to them that they required visas from was Albania, although by the 1980s, they had started to impose a kind of 'exit deposit' for Yugoslavs which would only be returned after a year. Of course, with 25% inflation, the government was making use of the money by only returning the same amount in dinars as they took from travellers. I believe that the 'exit deposit' also increased with the amount of trips made, the theory being that the more you went shopping, the more you could afford to pay. That probably explains why they were more than happy to take the coffee as a bribe!
The topic comes back every couple of years, but the general problem is that Knin is home to a lot of very hardcore Croat nationalists, while Bihać is very much a Bosniak-dominated city, and so there's not much travel between the two. The line has huge potential for tourism, as the Una National Park is beautiful and becoming increasingly good with tourist infrastructure. As far as I remember, the line in Croatia has been maintained and is in decent condition, while the Bosnian part of the line would need some work to bring it back into service.
I don't remember if it's still the case, but Martin Brod certainly was an official railway border crossing until recently.
izvor
Member
Thanks so much for posting these photos! It takes me back to such different times. Of course, back in 1991, with the end of the DDR &c so recent, I did not dare take any shots.
Between Zittau and Liberec the brief transit of Poland did not involve stations (I don't think there ever were any, even when it was part of Germany pre-WW2) so there were no passport issues here. I think you are correct about the Varnsdorf trains.
Yes they have proved to be long-lasting, and many have been refurbished, had low-floor sections or articulations added, converted to DOO etc. A tribute to Czech engineering. Many people credit the survival of so many Czech branch lines to their presence, and I have spent many happy hours exploring rural Czechia in them.
And what did we get here? Pacers. Designed for economy rather than durability. Here the awards go to the mechanics who kept them going for so long.
Still, we did better than Romania, whose 4-wheel railbuses of the 1980/90s fell apart almost within weeks! So they keep struggling on with the Malaxas of the 1930s, which look likely to be reaching their centenary soon.
StephenHunter
Established Member
Milan has trams from the 1930s still in passenger use.
Gag Halfrunt
Member
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The Hankai Tramway in Osaka, Japan still operates trams built in 1928.
izvor
Member
Look no further than the Manx Electric, oldest car 1899 I think? Getting a bit off-topic here...
Howardh
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Are there any rail border crossings between the US and Canada or Mexico? If so, has anyone done that recently and if so, how difficult/easy is it these days?
No such services exist. There are plenty of railway lines crossing the USA and Mexico border but they are all for freight only. The last time a cross border passenger train ran was over fifty years ago. I believe the late 1960s was when such services last ran. Unfortunately no plans for any passenger services in the future so we are unlikely to ever see cross border services.
Howardh
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Thanks, I wondered if that was the case. Rather a shame that the only option for them is road or air!
It is a real shame as a huge amount of people cross the USA and Mexico border every day and the tracks are already there. It would be such a useful popular service but neither country has any interest in passenger trains. The passenger railway network in Mexico was almost non existent until a few years ago. There is a slow revival of passenger services on a couple lines but still nothing major.
Amtrak still runs cross-border trains to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
10 years ago I took the White Pass and Yukon from Carcross, Yukon, Canada to Skagway, Alaska, US. We didn't stop at the border, but in Skagway, we had to remain in our seats, with our passports held up and open, while an agent walked briskly through the car and glanced at everyone.
AlastairFraser
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Although the San Diego Trolley light rail system reaches the San Ysidro border crossing, where you can cross the border on foot pretty easily and Tijuana is supposed to be building a mass transit system to meet it directly on the other side. I appreciate that it doesn't constitute a heavy rail border crossing though.
I remember that being shown on Amtrak maps.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
And I believe that each one uses a different process at the border.
At Vancouver immigration is carried out at the station.
On the Montreal train (when it actually runs) it's done (with the train stationary) with passengers on board.
And at Niagara Falls everyone is turfed out and essentially it's a change of trains that just happens to use the same stock.
FormerBritInMe
Member
Until 1981 one could ride the Amtrak Inter American to Laredo then connect to the Aguila Azteca (Aztec Eagle) in Nuevo Laredo operated by NdeM.
Mexico abolished all of its existing passenger trains as part of the privatization of NdeM into FerroMex, FerroSur etc.
Only exceptions were the Copper Canyon train from Chihuahua to Los Mochis which is basically a tourist train, and suburban trains out of Mexico City.
Of course the country is now in the process of adding additional passenger trains such as the new line in the Yucatan. There is even talk of resurrecting an Aztec Eagle to the US border, although the connecting Amtrak train is long gone.
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