Any effect on railroads with the new Schengen countries?

As to crossing the border by train in (continental) Western Europe. From my expiriences dating back fron the early 80's of the last centrury it was never a big deal. Between the stations on borth sides of the border custums would show up at random base in the train and at that most of the time checked passengers on a ramdom base. When no multiple voltage lococomotives where applied, only at the station where the voltage changed a stop was needed.

Just shorly after the Berlin Wall collapsed I traveled from Osnabrück (West) Germany to the Netherlands. I shared the coupe with two woman (mother & daughter) from East Berlin on their way to Amsterdam. Who were outside former communist teritory for their first time. They where quite nervous about the German - Dutch border crossing. They could not believe that it was quite well possible that they might even not have to show there passport at all. Anyway we continued talking about other subjects and they only wanted to be informed when they would be in the Netherlands. Which is easy since the from of the catenary masts changes at the border. So I informed at the due moment and did not care that much for customs. Just a few minutes later one of the ladies told me that she did see a customs officer who just looked into the coupe and who did not care for check the passes!


Greeting from accros the Atlantic

Gijs
The most anoying border to

Between Italy and Switzerland trains operanted with EMU don't stop at the border, police check the train between the last stop in Italy and the first in Switzerland or viceversa.

These EMU only stop 3 or 4 minutes to switch signal and electric systems.

The classic trains composed by engine and carriages stop at the border for 10 or 20 minutes, and the police check the train when it is stopped at the border. These trains don't use multivoltage engines, so the italian loco is shunted by a diesel engine, or by the swiss engine. Some tracks at the border station can be feed by both 3 kV DC or 15 KV DC, in this situation there is no need to use diesel engines.