hidden europe 47

Keeping track

by hidden europe

Summary

It is that time of year when Europe prepares to introduce new train timetables. The 2016 schedules come into effect on Sunday 13 December 2015. As usual, there are winners and losers. We look at some new services.

The 2016 European rail timetables come into effect on Sunday 13 December 2015. As every year, there are winners and losers. Here is some of the good news. There will be a new Moscow to Sofia service, replacing the service via Ukraine which was axed last year. The new train runs via Warsaw and Belgrade, and becomes the first European train to serve seven capital cities on its journey.

The number of direct daily trains from Hamburg to Prague doubles (from two to four), and the journey time is trimmed by 20 minutes. There will be a new direct daytime train between Budapest and Warsaw, complementing the existing overnight service on the route. The new train will be a Eurocity service called the Varsovia; travel time from Budapest Keleti to Warsaw Centralna will be 9 hrs 35 mins. There will also be a new daytime train from Belgrade to Sofia.

Related article

Lost at sea: a Frisian tale

There are two sides to Sylt. The east has soggy edges as tidal flats and salt marshes separate Sylt from the German and Danish mainland. The other side can be wild and treacherous, a place where shrapnel spray pounds the beach and bodies are washed ashore.

Related article

Frisian shores: the island of Sylt

On the tidal flats that surround the North Frisian island of Sylt there are millions of lugworms. On the island itself there is a peculiar sub-species of homo sapiens. hidden europe explores both!

Related blog post

At the harbour wall: port cities and the ties that bind

Port cities often have a very special feel. Hamburg, Genoa, Liverpool and Bergen have much in common by virtue of their connection to the sea. Berlin writer Paul Scraton explores the quaysides of the Norwegian port of Bergen and reflects on the cultural, economic and social ties which enliven port cities across Europe.