In the summer of 2025, my girlfriend and I went on a cycling trip through Slovenia. The journey back was an absolute logistical nightmare.
We traveled by train, when booking we already struggled heavily with the chaotic European rail network and our return trip quickly turned into an ordeal. Due to an initial delay in Trieste, Italy, we had to take a taxi to catch our connection around rail construction works, because the alternative bus would defintely miss our connection.
When we were in the train three stations later, we were forced onto another replacement bus to Ljubljana. The unhelpful driver refused to load our bicycles. I had to ask seated passengers to move their luggage so our racing bikes could fit in the cargo hold.
A highway accident delayed the bus further, causing us to miss our connecting train. We managed to reach Graz, Austria, where we stranded for the night. The next day, German rail operators refused our bikes because our reservation had expired due to the delays.
The next available bike slot was a week away. As a bicycle mechanic, I took matters into my own hands: I disassembled both bikes right inside the carriage. Reclassified as regular luggage, we were finally allowed to finish our journey home.
And this is but one story within seven years of train-bicycle rides. My name is Jim Odenhoven. I am from Amsterdam, and together with others I recently launched a citizens’ initiative within the EU for a better and more accessible rail network. The main reason for this was an over time build-up personal frustration. However, my call found a lot of resonance across the EU. We are currently campaigning to encourage other Europeans to vote strongly for this proposal. After all, if 1 million people do so, the European Parliament will have a hearing after which we will make sure they can no longer deny the proposed legislation.
