International Railway Services

This page lists railways and railway related organizations specifically concerned with international train operation. In addition, many individual coutries operate international services in conjunction with their neighbours.

• TIMETABLES for most European train services are provided by the German Railways enquiry service.
• Union Internationale des Chemins de fer (UIC, International Union of Railways) worldwide association of railways dealing with such matters as standards of interoperability and the like.
• CER (Community of European Railways) association of European railway operators.
• EIM (European Infrastructure Managers) association of European rail infrastructure companies (Infracos, or track authorities).
• Eurostar through High Speed trains between London, Brussels, Paris and Marne-la-Vallée (for Eurodisney), with occasional services to Avignon and (in winter) to the French Alps.
• Thalys through High Speed trains between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne, with occasional services to Düsseldorf and (in winter) to the French Alps.
• EVR Express passenger services between Estonia and Russia (Site in Estonian and Russian)
• Øresund Fixed Link combined bridge and tunnel linking Denmark and Sweden.
• Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link proposed rail/road link intended to replace the existing Puttgarden to Rødby ferry service on the "Bird's Flight Line" between Hamburg and Copenhagen.
• Spain - Morocco Fixed Link perhaps the most exciting European international rail project since the Channel Tunnel, a tunnel from Europe to Africa under the Straits of Gibraltar now looks like a real possibility.
• Railion international freight group created from the freight operating arms of several national systems:
  • Railion Denmark
  • Railion Nederland (Site in Dutch)
  • Stinnes Logistics formerly DB Cargo (Site in German)
• Heavy Haul Power international freight operator and motive power supplier.
• Europorte 2 international freight operator exploiting the Channel Tunnel between England and France.
• Centovalli Line narrow gauge cross-border line between Domodossola and Locarno. Jointly operated by SSIF in Italy and FART (yes, that really is its name) in Switzerland. The Lago Maggiore Express offers a trip on the Centovalli line and a cruise on Lake Maggiore, returning to the starting point by Trenitalia
• Vogtlandbahn regional operator in eastern Germany operating cross-border services into Czechoslovakia (Site in German)
• Saarbahn local network in the Saar region of Germany, with cross-border services to Sarreguemines in France; a mixed on-street and main line railway system (Site in German)
• Mont Blanc Express transalpine railcar service between Saint Gervais (France) and Martigny (Switzerland), jointly operated by SNCF and TMR.
• ZLSM one of several tourist railways that now offer services across national boundaries in an increasingly open Europe. This particular line crosses from the Netherlands into Germany
• KGB - the Kiefersfelden Grenz Bahn is a 5km, 900mm gauge industrial electric railway operating between a quarry in Austria and a cement works in Germany. At weekends, there is a tourist passenger service
• The Rive Bleue Express was a tourist service operating between Le Bouveret (Switzerland) and Evian (France), which made possible a complete circuit of Lake Geneva by train. The service has not operated since 1999, when the line was severed near Evian. However, local groups are exerting pressure for its reopening, and it is hoped that this may take place in the course of the next few years.
• Eurofima international railway financing institution.
• LibeRTiN European Commission forum for Tramway and Light Rail development.

© 2000-2008 Glyn Williams