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Trivia: How many countries with a land border with at least one other have no cross-border passenger rail service?

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geoffk

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Not sure if this one has been discussed already. Israel and Albania are two which come to mind, the former for obvious reasons. I suspect there are quite a few others in Africa, South America and Asia.
 
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RT4038

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Not sure if this one has been discussed already. Israel and Albania are two which come to mind, the former for obvious reasons. I suspect there are quite a few others in Africa, South America and Asia.

Outside of Europe, I think it would be easier to list the countries with land borders that do have international passenger rail service
 

geoffk

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The lack of service, even where a cross-border line exists but is disused or used only for freight, would often be driven by concern about security and/or smuggling. Low demand would be also a factor, also delays at a border crossing would be greater on a train than for those who cross in cars or on foot.
 
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rg177

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Bosnia & Herzegovina doesn't have a cross-border service at present and hasn't for the past few years.
 

MarcVD

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Israel does not have any cross border line with their adjacent countries. Lines to Lebanon ans Syria were destroyed during the independence war, the line to Egypt during the 6 days war. Israel still uses a few Egyptian locos that were captured before this destruction. There never was a line to Jordan, but there are talks about one.
 

MarcVD

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Despite several lines crossing the border, no (more) passenger service between USA and Mexico.

Same situation in the baltics, although I do not know the details. Almost impossible to travel between those countries by train.

Still waiting for a service to reappear between Cambodia and Thailand.

No cross border passenger service between Turkmenistan and any other adjacent country.

No more cross border passenger service between Russia and Georgia, between Turkey and Armenia, between Azerbaijan and Armenia, but there the lines have been recently destroyed.

No more cross border service - also no more freight here - between Morocco and Algeria. I don't know the situation between Algeria and Tunisia.

Is the connexion between Egypt and Sudan still active?

There are (were ?) some cross border connections between Congo, Angola, and Zambia but I don't know the status. Certainly no more passenger trains, but I'm not even sure that freight trains still run there.

Most connections, if not all, between the ex South Africa countries have all disappeared, even the one over the Victoria Falls Bridge. Only the occasional luxury cruise train still goes on.

Even trains to Greece are most often replaced by a bus. Only the periodical night train from Bucharest to Thessaloniki is guaranteed.

It's rather depressing...
 
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Baxenden Bank

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4,002
1) define 'country'
2) draw up a list of those which are not single nation islands,
3) decide which countries don't have rail lines at all,
4) of those which do, how many have international links,
5) of those with international links, how many are operational at all,
6) of those how many are operational but have no passenger service.

Using a UN definition gives approximately 193 'member states', plus Palestine and Vatican City. Now there's a couple of complications before we even start to count!

Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tibet are regarded, by the UN, to be 'China'.

35 'member states' do not have any rail lines.

Your 'starter for 10' follows, with some data included - all member states with railway length taken from 'World Rail Transport Network Table' in Wikipedia. Sorry can't provide the link, the shortcut is on my other computer.

Good luck!

UN StatusCountry or other geographyCross Border lines - lifted, closed or out-of-useRailway length (km) - 2020 download
A UN member stateAfghanistan75
A UN member stateAlbania334
A UN member stateAlgeriaMorocco, Tunisia4,440
A UN member stateAndorra0
A UN member stateAngolaDR Congo (being refurbished)2,761
A UN member stateAntigua and Barbuda0
A UN member stateArgentinaBrazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay36,917
A UN member stateArmenia703
A UN member stateAustralia33,168
A UN member stateAustria5,527
A UN member stateAzerbaijan2,068
A UN member stateBahrain0
A UN member stateBangladesh2,835
A UN member stateBarbadosx
A UN member stateBelarus5,459
A UN member stateBelgium3,602
A UN member stateBelizex
A UN member stateBeninnone758
A UN member stateBhutan0
A UN member stateBoliviaArgentina, Brazil, Chile2,866
A UN member stateBosnia and Herzegovina1,018
A UN member stateBotswanaSouth Africa, Zimbabwe888
A UN member stateBrazilArgentina, Bolivia, Uruguay
38,743​
A UN member stateBrunei13
A UN member stateBulgaria4,030
A UN member stateBurkina FasoCôte d'Ivoire622
A UN member stateBurundinone0
A UN member stateCabo Verde (Cape Verde)nonex
A UN member stateCambodia (Kampuchea)650
A UN member stateCameroonnone977
A UN member stateCanadaUSA
49,452​
A UN member stateCentral African Republicnonex
A UN member stateChadnone0
A UN member stateChileArgentina, Bolivia, Peru6,634
A UN member stateChina (PRC)131,000
A UN member stateColombianone1,663
A UN member stateComorosnonex
A UN member stateCosta Rica278
A UN member stateCôte d'IvoireBurkina Faso639
A UN member stateCroatia2,604
A UN member stateCuba5,476
A UN member stateCyprus0
A UN member stateCzech Republic9,567
A UN member stateDemocratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)Angola (being refurbished), Zambia4,096
A UN member stateDenmark1,987
A UN member stateDjiboutiEthiopia92
A UN member stateDominicax
A UN member stateDominican Republic517
A UN member stateEcuadornone966
A UN member stateEgyptPalestine, Israel, Libya7,024
A UN member stateEl Salvador562
A UN member stateEquatoral Guinea (Spanish Guinea)nonex
A UN member stateEritreaSudan306
A UN member stateEstonia1,161
A UN member stateEthiopiaDjibouti659
A UN member stateFijinone597
A UN member stateFinland5,926
A UN member stateFrance29,273
A UN member stateGabonnone810
A UN member stateGeorgia1,576
A UN member stateGermany38,594
A UN member stateGhanaTogo - private siding953
A UN member stateGreece2,240
A UN member stateGrenadax
A UN member stateGuatemalaMexico885
A UN member stateGuinea (French Guinea)none837
A UN member stateGuinea Bissau (Portuguese Guinea)none0
A UN member stateGuyananone127
A UN member stateHaiti0
A UN member stateHonduras699
A UN member stateHungary7,945
A UN member stateIceland0
A UN member stateIndia68,442
A UN member stateIndonesia (Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi / Celebes)5,529
A UN member stateIran16,998
A UN member stateIraq2,032
A UN member stateIsraelEgypt1,384
A UN member stateItaly16,788
A UN member stateJamaica65
A UN member stateJapan27,311
A UN member stateJordan622
A UN member stateKazakhstan15,530
A UN member stateKenyaTanzania, Uganda2,541
A UN member stateKiribatix
A UN member stateKuwait0
A UN member stateKyrgyzstan / Kyrgyz Republic417
A UN member stateLaos4
A UN member stateLatvia1,860
A UN member stateLebanon0
A UN member stateLesothoSouth Africa2
A UN member stateLiberianone490
A UN member stateLibyaTunisia (under construction)0
A UN member stateLiechtenstein9
A UN member stateLithuania1,911
A UN member stateLuxembourg275
A UN member stateMacedonia683
A UN member stateMadagascar (inc Malagasy)none848
A UN member stateMalawiMozambique, Zambia797
A UN member stateMalaysia1,849
A UN member stateMaldivesx
A UN member stateMaliSenegal729
A UN member stateMalta0
A UN member stateMarshall Islands0
A UN member stateMauritaniaWestern Sahara728
A UN member stateMauritiusnone0
A UN member stateMexicoGuatemala, USA19,166
A UN member stateMicronesia0
A UN member stateMoldova1,151
A UN member stateMonaco2
A UN member stateMongolia1,810
A UN member stateMontenegro250
A UN member stateMoroccoAlgeria2,109
A UN member stateMozambiqueMalawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe3,249
A UN member stateMyanmar (Burma)11,025
A UN member stateNamibiaSouth Africa2,382
A UN member stateNaurunone4
A UN member stateNepal57
A UN member stateNetherlands3,055
A UN member stateNew Zealandnone4,128
A UN member stateNicaragua0
A UN member stateNigernone0
A UN member stateNigerianone3,600
A UN member stateNorth Korea5,735
A UN member stateNorway3,895
A UN member stateOman0
A UN member statePakistan8,100
A UN member statePalaux
A UN observer statePalestineEgyptx
A UN member statePanama355
A UN member statePapua New Guinea0
A UN member stateParaguay38
A UN member statePeruChile2,020
A UN member statePhilippines76
A UN member statePoland19,209
A UN member statePortugal2,546
A UN member stateQatar0
A UN member stateRepublic of Ireland1,931
A UN member stateRepublic of the Congonone795
A UN member stateRomania10,774
A UN member stateRussia85,500
A UN member stateRwandanone0
A UN member stateSaint Kitts and Nevis58
A UN member stateSaint Luciax
A UN member stateSaint Vincent and the Grenadinesx
A UN member stateSamoa0
A UN member stateSan Marino0
A UN member stateSao Tome and Principenonex
A UN member stateSaudi Arabia4,900
A UN member stateSenegalMali906
A UN member stateSerbia3,764
A UN member stateSeychellesnonex
A UN member stateSierra Leonenone84
A UN member stateSingapore161
A UN member stateSlovakia3,626
A UN member stateSlovenia1,209
A UN member stateSolomon Islands0
A UN member stateSomalianone0
A UN member stateSouth AfricaBotswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe26,000
A UN member stateSouth Korea4,165
A UN member stateSouth SudanSudanx
A UN member stateSpain15,949
A UN member stateSri Lanka1,508
A UN member stateSudanSouth Sudan, Eritrea6,084
A UN member stateSurinamenone166
A UN member stateSwaziland / EswatiniMozambique, South Africa301
A UN member stateSweden10,874
A UN member stateSwitzerland5,196
A UN member stateSyria2,139
A UN member stateTajikistan616
A UN member stateTanzaniaKenya, Zambia2,722
A UN member stateThailand4,900
A UN member stateThe Bahamasx
A UN member stateThe Gambianone0
A UN member stateTimor Leste (East Timor)0
A UN member stateTogoGhana - private siding568
A UN member stateTonga0
A UN member stateTrinidad and Tobago0
A UN member stateTunisiaAlgeria, Libya (under construction)2,165
A UN member stateTurkey12,740
A UN member stateTurkmenistan5,080
A UN member stateTuvalu0
A UN member stateUgandaKenya1,244
A UN member stateUkraine20,952
A UN member stateUnited Arab Emirates264
A UN member stateUnited Kingdom16,320
A UN member stateUnited StatesCanada, Mexico
240,000​
A UN member stateUruguayArgentina, Brazil2,993
A UN member stateUzbekistan4,580
A UN member stateVanuatu0
A UN observer state under the designation of "Holy See"; member of three UN specialized agencies and the IAEAVatican City0
A UN member stateVenezuelanone336
A UN member stateVietnam3,364
A UN member stateYemen (N & S Yemen / Aden)0
A UN member stateZambiaDR Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe1,237
 

Baxenden Bank

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Joined
23 Oct 2013
Messages
4,002
Despite several lines crossing the border, no (more) passenger service between USA and Mexico.

Same situation in the baltics, although I do not know the details. Almost impossible to travel between those countries by train.

Still waiting for a service to reappear between Cambodia and Thailand.

No cross border passenger service between Turkmenistan and any other adjacent country.

No more cross border passenger service between Russia and Georgia, between Turkey and Armenia, between Azerbaijan and Armenia, but there the lines have been recently destroyed.

No more cross border service - also no more freight here - between Morocco and Algeria. I don't know the situation between Algeria and Tunisia.

Is the connexion between Egypt and Sudan still active?

There are (were ?) some cross border connections between Congo, Angola, and Zambia but I don't know the status. Certainly no more passenger trains, but I'm not even sure that freight trains still run there.

Most connections, if not all, between the ex South Africa countries have all disappeared, even the one over the Victoria Falls Bridge. Only the occasional luxury cruise train still goes on.

Even trains to Greece are most often replaced by a bus. Only the periodical night train from Bucharest to Thessaloniki is guaranteed.

It's rather depressing...
Never a direct rail link between Egypt and Sudan. Connection by steamer from Aswan to Wadi Halfa, as featured on Michael Palin's Pole to Pole. The Sudan train may still be operation, in an infrequent ad-hoc sort of way. Accurate news from Sudan is difficult. The Man in Seat 61 says:

Update: Reports from the Sudan in May 2018 suggested there is now no train at all from Wadi Halfa, just daily trains between Atbara and Khartoum. However, a more recent report in February 2020 suggests the train is running again, every week. However, this comes from asking at the station, it is not confirmed!
 

geoffk

Established Member
Joined
4 Aug 2010
Messages
3,223
Same situation in the baltics, although I do not know the details. Almost impossible to travel between those countries by train.
The Rail Baltica project is for a new line from Tallinn to Warsaw via Riga and Kaunas (connection to/Vilnius). Significantly this will be built to western standard gauge rather than Russian 5' gauge.
 

MarcVD

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23 Aug 2016
Messages
1,004
Rail Baltica is essentially built with freight in mind, right ? It remains to be seen whether passenger trains appear once it is complete... which is still very far from today. I’m therefore not holding my breath.
 

geoffk

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Joined
4 Aug 2010
Messages
3,223
Rail Baltica is essentially built with freight in mind, right ? It remains to be seen whether passenger trains appear once it is complete... which is still very far from today. I’m therefore not holding my breath.
Their website says passenger and freight.
 

Chester1

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Joined
25 Aug 2014
Messages
3,970
Rail Baltica is essentially built with freight in mind, right ? It remains to be seen whether passenger trains appear once it is complete... which is still very far from today. I’m therefore not holding my breath.

There is a limited service on the section that has opened (Kaunas, Lithuania into Poland). No direct service from Warsaw. The coach services in the Baltics are good and they will provide tough competition. Rail Baltica is 85% paid by the EU therefore should get built, its not reliant on the governments trying to coordinate work and funding seperately.
 

Richard Scott

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13 Dec 2018
Messages
3,673
Fairly sure passenger traffic doesn't go between Sweden and Finland. Know change in gauge makes it more difficult if it did.
 

AlbertBeale

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Joined
16 Jun 2019
Messages
2,690
Location
London
1) define 'country'
2) draw up a list of those which are not single nation islands,
3) decide which countries don't have rail lines at all,
4) of those which do, how many have international links,
5) of those with international links, how many are operational at all,
6) of those how many are operational but have no passenger service.

Using a UN definition gives approximately 193 'member states', plus Palestine and Vatican City. Now there's a couple of complications before we even start to count!

Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tibet are regarded, by the UN, to be 'China'.

35 'member states' do not have any rail lines.

Your 'starter for 10' follows, with some data included - all member states with railway length taken from 'World Rail Transport Network Table' in Wikipedia. Sorry can't provide the link, the shortcut is on my other computer.

Good luck!

UN StatusCountry or other geographyCross Border lines - lifted, closed or out-of-useRailway length (km) - 2020 download
A UN member stateAfghanistan75
A UN member stateAlbania334
A UN member stateAlgeriaMorocco, Tunisia4,440
A UN member stateAndorra0
A UN member stateAngolaDR Congo (being refurbished)2,761
A UN member stateAntigua and Barbuda0
A UN member stateArgentinaBrazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay36,917
A UN member stateArmenia703
A UN member stateAustralia33,168
A UN member stateAustria5,527
A UN member stateAzerbaijan2,068
A UN member stateBahrain0
A UN member stateBangladesh2,835
A UN member stateBarbadosx
A UN member stateBelarus5,459
A UN member stateBelgium3,602
A UN member stateBelizex
A UN member stateBeninnone758
A UN member stateBhutan0
A UN member stateBoliviaArgentina, Brazil, Chile2,866
A UN member stateBosnia and Herzegovina1,018
A UN member stateBotswanaSouth Africa, Zimbabwe888
A UN member stateBrazilArgentina, Bolivia, Uruguay
38,743​
A UN member stateBrunei13
A UN member stateBulgaria4,030
A UN member stateBurkina FasoCôte d'Ivoire622
A UN member stateBurundinone0
A UN member stateCabo Verde (Cape Verde)nonex
A UN member stateCambodia (Kampuchea)650
A UN member stateCameroonnone977
A UN member stateCanadaUSA
49,452​
A UN member stateCentral African Republicnonex
A UN member stateChadnone0
A UN member stateChileArgentina, Bolivia, Peru6,634
A UN member stateChina (PRC)131,000
A UN member stateColombianone1,663
A UN member stateComorosnonex
A UN member stateCosta Rica278
A UN member stateCôte d'IvoireBurkina Faso639
A UN member stateCroatia2,604
A UN member stateCuba5,476
A UN member stateCyprus0
A UN member stateCzech Republic9,567
A UN member stateDemocratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)Angola (being refurbished), Zambia4,096
A UN member stateDenmark1,987
A UN member stateDjiboutiEthiopia92
A UN member stateDominicax
A UN member stateDominican Republic517
A UN member stateEcuadornone966
A UN member stateEgyptPalestine, Israel, Libya7,024
A UN member stateEl Salvador562
A UN member stateEquatoral Guinea (Spanish Guinea)nonex
A UN member stateEritreaSudan306
A UN member stateEstonia1,161
A UN member stateEthiopiaDjibouti659
A UN member stateFijinone597
A UN member stateFinland5,926
A UN member stateFrance29,273
A UN member stateGabonnone810
A UN member stateGeorgia1,576
A UN member stateGermany38,594
A UN member stateGhanaTogo - private siding953
A UN member stateGreece2,240
A UN member stateGrenadax
A UN member stateGuatemalaMexico885
A UN member stateGuinea (French Guinea)none837
A UN member stateGuinea Bissau (Portuguese Guinea)none0
A UN member stateGuyananone127
A UN member stateHaiti0
A UN member stateHonduras699
A UN member stateHungary7,945
A UN member stateIceland0
A UN member stateIndia68,442
A UN member stateIndonesia (Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi / Celebes)5,529
A UN member stateIran16,998
A UN member stateIraq2,032
A UN member stateIsraelEgypt1,384
A UN member stateItaly16,788
A UN member stateJamaica65
A UN member stateJapan27,311
A UN member stateJordan622
A UN member stateKazakhstan15,530
A UN member stateKenyaTanzania, Uganda2,541
A UN member stateKiribatix
A UN member stateKuwait0
A UN member stateKyrgyzstan / Kyrgyz Republic417
A UN member stateLaos4
A UN member stateLatvia1,860
A UN member stateLebanon0
A UN member stateLesothoSouth Africa2
A UN member stateLiberianone490
A UN member stateLibyaTunisia (under construction)0
A UN member stateLiechtenstein9
A UN member stateLithuania1,911
A UN member stateLuxembourg275
A UN member stateMacedonia683
A UN member stateMadagascar (inc Malagasy)none848
A UN member stateMalawiMozambique, Zambia797
A UN member stateMalaysia1,849
A UN member stateMaldivesx
A UN member stateMaliSenegal729
A UN member stateMalta0
A UN member stateMarshall Islands0
A UN member stateMauritaniaWestern Sahara728
A UN member stateMauritiusnone0
A UN member stateMexicoGuatemala, USA19,166
A UN member stateMicronesia0
A UN member stateMoldova1,151
A UN member stateMonaco2
A UN member stateMongolia1,810
A UN member stateMontenegro250
A UN member stateMoroccoAlgeria2,109
A UN member stateMozambiqueMalawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe3,249
A UN member stateMyanmar (Burma)11,025
A UN member stateNamibiaSouth Africa2,382
A UN member stateNaurunone4
A UN member stateNepal57
A UN member stateNetherlands3,055
A UN member stateNew Zealandnone4,128
A UN member stateNicaragua0
A UN member stateNigernone0
A UN member stateNigerianone3,600
A UN member stateNorth Korea5,735
A UN member stateNorway3,895
A UN member stateOman0
A UN member statePakistan8,100
A UN member statePalaux
A UN observer statePalestineEgyptx
A UN member statePanama355
A UN member statePapua New Guinea0
A UN member stateParaguay38
A UN member statePeruChile2,020
A UN member statePhilippines76
A UN member statePoland19,209
A UN member statePortugal2,546
A UN member stateQatar0
A UN member stateRepublic of Ireland1,931
A UN member stateRepublic of the Congonone795
A UN member stateRomania10,774
A UN member stateRussia85,500
A UN member stateRwandanone0
A UN member stateSaint Kitts and Nevis58
A UN member stateSaint Luciax
A UN member stateSaint Vincent and the Grenadinesx
A UN member stateSamoa0
A UN member stateSan Marino0
A UN member stateSao Tome and Principenonex
A UN member stateSaudi Arabia4,900
A UN member stateSenegalMali906
A UN member stateSerbia3,764
A UN member stateSeychellesnonex
A UN member stateSierra Leonenone84
A UN member stateSingapore161
A UN member stateSlovakia3,626
A UN member stateSlovenia1,209
A UN member stateSolomon Islands0
A UN member stateSomalianone0
A UN member stateSouth AfricaBotswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe26,000
A UN member stateSouth Korea4,165
A UN member stateSouth SudanSudanx
A UN member stateSpain15,949
A UN member stateSri Lanka1,508
A UN member stateSudanSouth Sudan, Eritrea6,084
A UN member stateSurinamenone166
A UN member stateSwaziland / EswatiniMozambique, South Africa301
A UN member stateSweden10,874
A UN member stateSwitzerland5,196
A UN member stateSyria2,139
A UN member stateTajikistan616
A UN member stateTanzaniaKenya, Zambia2,722
A UN member stateThailand4,900
A UN member stateThe Bahamasx
A UN member stateThe Gambianone0
A UN member stateTimor Leste (East Timor)0
A UN member stateTogoGhana - private siding568
A UN member stateTonga0
A UN member stateTrinidad and Tobago0
A UN member stateTunisiaAlgeria, Libya (under construction)2,165
A UN member stateTurkey12,740
A UN member stateTurkmenistan5,080
A UN member stateTuvalu0
A UN member stateUgandaKenya1,244
A UN member stateUkraine20,952
A UN member stateUnited Arab Emirates264
A UN member stateUnited Kingdom16,320
A UN member stateUnited StatesCanada, Mexico
240,000​
A UN member stateUruguayArgentina, Brazil2,993
A UN member stateUzbekistan4,580
A UN member stateVanuatu0
A UN observer state under the designation of "Holy See"; member of three UN specialized agencies and the IAEAVatican City0
A UN member stateVenezuelanone336
A UN member stateVietnam3,364
A UN member stateYemen (N & S Yemen / Aden)0
A UN member stateZambiaDR Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe1,237

This list omits our "local" cross-border links between the UK and the Republic of Ireland!
 

AlbertBeale

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16 Jun 2019
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2,690
Location
London
Their website says passenger and freight.

This link between the 3 Baltic countries is sometimes spoken about as though it's a connection which never existed before. It did, and I used it. In the USSR era, and afterwards (and likely before then, too, no doubt), there were direct trains Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius (and some carried on all the way to Warsaw). The links were closed as part of the countries' "modernisation" when they joined the EU.
 

AlbertBeale

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16 Jun 2019
Messages
2,690
Location
London
Fairly sure passenger traffic doesn't go between Sweden and Finland. Know change in gauge makes it more difficult if it did.

I did the journey many years ago, and you had to change trains because of the gauge change; but I'm pretty sure the lines actually met at the station on one side (the Swedish side) of the border. Now they don't even do that (ie there's no station served by both countries' trains) - I believe the ones from the Finland side no longer cross the border (though there is the right track for them to do so) and on the Swedish side the passenger trains don't run at all on the last section to the border town on their side (Haparanda).
 

LNW-GW Joint

Veteran Member
Joined
22 Feb 2011
Messages
19,555
Location
Mold, Clwyd
Slovenia-Italy is still a "nearly" situation.
The Ljubljana-Villa Opicina service does cross the border, but leaves you 5km from Trieste, on top of the karst plateau.
In recent years it used to continue to Trieste/Udine a couple of time a day, but no longer.
A 1km hike from Villa Opicina FS brings you to the terminus of Trieste tram/funicular #2 in the village, but this is out of service since the collision in 2016.
However, there is a replacement bus service in the same times.
The tram line is said to be nearly ready for operation again.
 

30907

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30 Sep 2012
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Location
Airedale
I did the journey many years ago, and you had to change trains because of the gauge change; but I'm pretty sure the lines actually met at the station on one side (the Swedish side) of the border. Now they don't even do that (ie there's no station served by both countries' trains) - I believe the ones from the Finland side no longer cross the border (though there is the right track for them to do so) and on the Swedish side the passenger trains don't run at all on the last section to the border town on their side (Haparanda).
Still correct, I think, but the way the OP phrased the question it doesn't count as both countries have other cross border rail links (Russia, Norway and Denmark).
 

30907

Veteran Member
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30 Sep 2012
Messages
17,866
Location
Airedale
Slovenia-Italy is still a "nearly" situation.
The Ljubljana-Villa Opicina service does cross the border, but leaves you 5km from Trieste, on top of the karst plateau.
In recent years it used to continue to Trieste/Udine a couple of time a day, but no longer.
A 1km hike from Villa Opicina FS brings you to the terminus of Trieste tram/funicular #2 in the village, but this is out of service since the collision in 2016.
However, there is a replacement bus service in the same times.
The tram line is said to be nearly ready for operation again.
Seat61 reckons the Trieste service is in this year's timetable.
Though my comment about Haparanda applies too :)
 

Baxenden Bank

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This list omits our "local" cross-border links between the UK and the Republic of Ireland!
The list omits many links. It's not even a first draft attempt at a complete world list. I produced it from my spreadsheet to assist the OP, by providing one interpretation (that of the UN) of a list of countries in the world. There are many 'dependent territories' omitted from the list which may themselves have international links - the old Hong Kong (pre 1999) would have been a good example.

Mauritania has a freight line which dips into Western Sahara (not a UN member state, being allocated to Morocco) for a few km on which passengers travel.

Hopefully Africa and South America are correct for physical links, as that is what I was looking at. One of the links in South America consists of a line on a road/rail bridge over a river which is the international border, and then runs no more than 1km into the second country. If passenger trains did that journey, presumably it would count!

There is one route at least where a train runs from country A, through country B (secured), and back in to country A.

In short, there is no simple answer to the OP, without some definitions.
 

gingerheid

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Lots of posts mentioning the Baltics above, suggesting that they don't have cross border links. They have lots, and they still have some even at the moment!

They don't always have the particular links you'd expect, but Covid excepted in fact it is possible to cross each border by train (it's just not a very sensible way of making the whole journey unless you're going to Russia). At the moment each country still has at least one cross border link.

Estonia - Russia: Daily service (suspended) https://www.gorail.ee/soiduplaan/

Estonia - Latvia: Elron trains will take you from Tallinn to Tartu and Valga, a town just inside the Estonian border https://elron.ee/sites/default/files/2020-06/KAGUSUUND_28.06_1.pdf. Latvian Railways services now start in Valga (rather than Valka) and therefore cross the border on their way to Riga. https://www.pv.lv/images/userfiles/articlescontent/Riga_pienaksana_08_12_19.pdf

These services are currently running, but as it takes more than 6 hours to travel from Tallinn to Riga it's only sensible for journeys between intermediate stops (I think it is often the sensible way to travel from Tartu to Riga, depending on what buses happen to be available at the time of year). For Tallinn - Riga the more usual way would be a coach via Parnu, on the more direct route closer to what Rail Baltica will take.

Latvia - Russia / Belarus / Ukraine: There are normally regular trains to Moscow, St Petersburg, Minsk and Kiev: ldz.lv

Latvia - Lithuania: The Riga - Kiev train normally travels to Vilnius on the more sensible route across the border via Siauliau (but isn't operating at the moment). Pv will take you from Riga to the eastern city of Daugavpils, from where there are normally three Lithuanian trains a day to Vilnius at the weekend. (currently turning round at the stop before the border).

Lithuania - Russia / Belarus / Ukraine Normally there are services to Moscow, St Petersburg, Kalliningrad, Minsk and Kiev

Lithuania - Poland You can travel on normal services from Vilnius to Kaunas, from where there are trains to Bialystock in Poland at the weekend (and these have just restarted) https://www.traukiniobilietas.lt/portal/attachments/50881/20200721 KAUNAS-BALSTOGĖ-KAUNAS.pdf Again, it's not going to be part of your journey from Vilnius to Warsaw unless you really want it to be (and tbh I'm not sure if it's even that sensible a way to get from Kaunas to Bialystok!!!)

People are also talking about Rail Baltica in dubious terms. I think this comes from our approach to rail projects in the UK, where you're never sure if it's going to happen until it opens (and in the case of Thameslink, it's still not clear if the full project will ever happen!). The Baltic states think they are building it: https://www.railbaltica.org/category/news/
 
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RT4038

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The list omits many links. It's not even a first draft attempt at a complete world list. I produced it from my spreadsheet to assist the OP, by providing one interpretation (that of the UN) of a list of countries in the world. There are many 'dependent territories' omitted from the list which may themselves have international links - the old Hong Kong (pre 1999) would have been a good example.

Mauritania has a freight line which dips into Western Sahara (not a UN member state, being allocated to Morocco) for a few km on which passengers travel.

Hopefully Africa and South America are correct for physical links, as that is what I was looking at. One of the links in South America consists of a line on a road/rail bridge over a river which is the international border, and then runs no more than 1km into the second country. If passenger trains did that journey, presumably it would count!

There is one route at least where a train runs from country A, through country B (secured), and back in to country A.

In short, there is no simple answer to the OP, without some definitions.

I believe there are only 4 cross border passenger rail services in Africa:
(1) Zimbabwe/Botswana local train daily (Bulawayo-Francistown)
(2) Zambia/Tanzania : Long distance train twice per week (Kapiri Mposhi-Dar es Salaam)
(3) Ethiopia/Djibouti : Long distance train every other day (Addis Ababa-Djibouti)
(4) Ivory Coast/Burkina Faso: Long distance train weekly (Abidjan-Ouagadougou).

There are a few others where trains operate to either side of the border, but a change is required, so not really an international service.

Not very impressive, but positive compared to Central/South America where there is only one:
(1) Peru/Chile: Short distance shuttle train twice per day (Tacna-Arica)
Not very far on either side of the border. and no connection with any other passenger train.
 

geoffk

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Slovenia-Italy is still a "nearly" situation.
The Ljubljana-Villa Opicina service does cross the border, but leaves you 5km from Trieste, on top of the karst plateau.
In recent years it used to continue to Trieste/Udine a couple of time a day, but no longer.
A 1km hike from Villa Opicina FS brings you to the terminus of Trieste tram/funicular #2 in the village, but this is out of service since the collision in 2016.
However, there is a replacement bus service in the same times.
The tram line is said to be nearly ready for operation again.
In 2016 we were steam-hauled up the long climb from Trieste to Villa Opicina via Aurisina and saw there were trains from Ljubljana crossing the border. The tram had just closed I think and we saw two of the cable tractors parked up. I wondered whether it had reopened but reopening no doubt delayed by Covid-19. The extension to Villa Opicina station was closed in 1938! Is there just no demand for a Ljubljana to Trieste service?
 

MarcVD

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Fairly sure passenger traffic doesn't go between Sweden and Finland. Know change in gauge makes it more difficult if it did.

Haparanda - Tornio. Dual gauge track (4 rails) between those two cities. So theoretically each network could serve the station across the border. But that ceased long ago. Today, as far as I know, those two border towns are not even served domestically anymore. I think even the cross border freight traffic is closed since years. But the track was still there last time I looked with Google Earth.
 

geoffk

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Haparanda - Tornio. Dual gauge track (4 rails) between those two cities. So theoretically each network could serve the station across the border. But that ceased long ago. Today, as far as I know, those two border towns are not even served domestically anymore. I think even the cross border freight traffic is closed since years. But the track was still there last time I looked with Google Earth.
Never heard of these towns, which are effectively joined together. Since Sweden and Finland are in different time zones, Haparanda is one hour behind Tornio, allowing a unique spectacle on New Year's Eve, when people can welcome in the new year twice. Since 2005 the cities have rebranded themselves as "Haparanda-Tornio" in Sweden, and "Tornio-Haparanda" in Finland.
 
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