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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
I’m still, after all these years, astounded at how bad Germans are at basic negotiation with strangers

Train is packed

Family with a father with two huge bags comes through from the next carriage. He can’t go back (kids behind) or turn (doors too narrow)

But an impeccably dressed, obviously rich c. 70 year old guy coming the other way just stands there, blocks him. He needed to move c. 30cm, but didn’t think to do so. After the luggage guy gives him a stare he moves a fraction
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
The answer here is simple

The older well dressed dude steps aside

The next time, somewhere, roles will be reversed, and someone would better stand aside for him

If we can all see that ceding to another once in a while means others will cede to us when we need it, we all win

Why do so many Germans never do this?
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
2024 Extra Days - Berlin - Tantow - Gryfino - Godków - Wriezen - Berlin
Bus 1 of 1

Bus RB66
09:36 Angermünde - Tantow 10:47

Operator: DB Regio AG Nordost

Bus type: MAN’s City bendy bus
⛽️ (hybrid but you can’t charge it I think)
🚲: ❓(officially yes, but no guarantee, today it’d work)
🦽: ✅
🛜: ✅
🍽️: ⛔️
🧳: 😐 (city bus for a regional trip, could be better)
🧽: 🙂

Distance: 55km
Average speed: 57km/h
Purple DB Regio Bus
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
I might be on a dreaded Schienenersatzverkehr (SEV) (rail replacement bus) but I’m happy.

I’m off to the Germany - Poland border, one of the most fascinating borders in Europe and one I know quite well by now (although not the bit of it I’m heading for today)
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
Passow

Grand old station, now derelict

Tracks already renewed here (this bit was already electrified)
Passow station from the road
3 electrified tracks at level crossing
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
I’m getting a scenic tour of Uckermark as the road for the replacement bus doesn’t follow the railway! 🙂
Red line showing roughly the rail replacement bus route
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
And at Schönow and Casekow there are no signs of track works at all

I’ve heard the rebuilding plans here were delayed, but 🤯

(Was impossible to photograph from the bus)
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
Let’s build a straight road!

Pond!

Ok, no then
A straight road rounding a pond in Uckermark
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
There’s no sign whatsoever of any works in Tantow either (last German station)

The EU flag dates from a previous renovation

There is a Schlager night though
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
Honestly this is a mess

Given the works are only around Passow currently, you’re subjecting the people on the rest of the route to a torturous rail replacement bus for years while the railway is intact

Run trains Szczecin - Passow, and bus Passow - Angermünde?
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
I put up the drone to check I’m not missing something. There’s this digger in a field south of the station, but that’s it. Oh and a poster.
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
Something is really weird here. The question is what is wrong. I’ll pedal off towards Poland and see what I find to the north.

2024 Extra Days - Berlin - Tantow - Gryfino - Godków - Wriezen - Berlin
Bike 1 of 2
Tantow - Gryfino

Distance: 35.4km
Est. duration: 2:30

This bike route, mapped on Komoot:
https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/1800541672
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
There was a DB employee doing maintenance at Tantow Vorwerkallee. When will building start I asked him? Shrug 🤷‍♂️ But the track is still operable here
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
Border control zone 🐗#CrossBorderRail
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
So I’m approaching border 1 for the day
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
Internet has been useless in the border region. But the only important news is I’ve passed the Kwas border 😃
A bottle of Kwas like drink
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
So I’m in Gryfino 🇵🇱

I’m not going to see the weird trees it’s famous for - been there before https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gryfino-forest

I’ll head to the station and await my train - and process what I’ve (not) seen once there - and post more pics into the thread
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
So this is the picture. That’s

Poland left, Germany right - between Szczecin and Tantow
A drone pic of a single non electrified rail track. The track goes right across the picture. The left third of the sleepers (ties) are brown and are in Poland. The right two thirds are white and in Germany. There are border posts of the two countries are below the track to the left. There’s some sort of machinery above the track in the centre. Grass and bushes either side of the track
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
The problem is that while this looks orderly… it’s not really meant to be like this!

Nowhere at the border section did I see any sign of works happening. Something runs as the tracks are shiny, but passenger trains haven’t run for 8 months now

If you’re going to close a line to rebuild it, get on and rebuild it! There’s so little sign of works it’s worrying
Level crossing without barriers - Polish side of the border
Drone pic of the line German side of the border
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
Ah they have evil manufacturer (NEWAG) EMUs here in Gryfino - same series as the ones that were designed to brick themselves, but a different region https://jonworth.eu/newags-digital-sabotage-of-dolny-slasks-trains-what-were-they-thinking/
NEWAG Impuls EMU - blue white yellow livery
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Jeder neocat_floof_googly_woozy neocat_flag_agender 🔜 eth0 @jeder@miau.jeder.pl
2y
@jon not hard to see them everywhere over here, at that time pesa was not doing great
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Jeder neocat_floof_googly_woozy neocat_flag_agender 🔜 eth0 @jeder@miau.jeder.pl
2y
@jon and western trains are hella expensive
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Jon Worth @jon@gruene.social
2y
@jeder Stadler builds in Poland. And sure the trains are ok, but NEWAG is still evil.
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Jeder neocat_floof_googly_woozy neocat_flag_agender 🔜 eth0 @jeder@miau.jeder.pl
2y
@jon yes, Stadler builds here but their modern trains are only in Łódzkie, Mazowieckie and in intercity use (and Śląskie but these are quite old by now), they do not seem to send offers anywhere really, leaving them to newag and/or pesa
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Jeder neocat_floof_googly_woozy neocat_flag_agender 🔜 eth0 @jeder@miau.jeder.pl
2y
@jon i suppose that's because polish provinces really love to buy like 3 units at the same time
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