#AllTheLinesEurope

What is #AllTheLinesEurope?

#AllTheLinesEurope is my attempt to travel on every railway line in Europe where there is a regular scheduled passenger service.

It is an ambitious challenge that goes far beyond visiting major cities or travelling on the best-known routes. I am fascinated by the mass movement of people – how and why they travel, what connects communities and why they choose one form of transport over another. That means exploring the railway network as a whole, from high-speed lines to secondary routes and obscure rural branches that most travellers would have little reason to use.

The project began with #AllTheLinesUK, when I started recording the railway lines I travelled on as a teenager. After taking my first Interrail trip on the European continent at 18, the idea gradually expanded beyond Britain and into the rest of Europe. Around four decades later, #AllTheLinesEurope is now effectively 99.9 percent complete.

Which lines count towards #AllTheLinesEurope?

For me, a line counts when it has a regular public passenger service rather than operating purely as a heritage railway. Freight-only routes are generally outside the scope of the challenge, although I will travel on them when the opportunity arises, for example when passenger trains are diverted or when special rail charters for train enthusiasts are organised.

I also count separate sections of railway where tracks diverge, such as at a flying junction, provided there is a passenger service operating over that section.

It does not matter whether I travel during the day or at night, or whether the train is locomotive-hauled or a multiple unit. What matters is that I have physically travelled along the railway line.

Getting to 100% of #AllTheLinesEurope

I have now travelled on well over 99.9% of the European railway network, so you could say that I have effectively completed the #AllTheLinesEurope project. The main issue is that 100% completion of #AllTheLinesEurope can never really be permanent. European railway networks are constantly changing, with new lines opening and existing routes being rebuilt or realigned. Whenever a completely new section of railway comes into service, there is another piece to travel on, so the figure will inevitably drop again.

New lines are opening, services are being restored and existing routes are being rebuilt or realigned. When a completely new section of track is created, I need to return and travel over it again, meaning that even reaching 100 percent would only ever be temporary.

My experiences from #AllTheLines Europe

One of the great rewards of #AllTheLinesEurope is the sheer breadth of places it has taken me. Following the railway network means reaching towns, villages and regions that most people would have little reason to visit, and travelling through parts of countries that would otherwise remain completely unknown to me. It has given me a unique way of seeing Europe, taking me into almost every corner of many countries rather than simply visiting the familiar tourist destinations.

In this sense, #AllTheLinesEurope has been as much about discovering the geography and diversity of Europe as it has been about travelling on its railways.

The project has also given me a unique understanding of how railways operate across Europe. Travelling on nearly all the railway lines in Europe has shown me the differences in infrastructure, operations, timetables and passenger experience from one country to another, as well as how those systems interact across borders.

That knowledge is not only useful for my own travels. It has become a valuable resource in my professional work in the rail industry. Having first-hand experience of the networks, routes, stations and practical challenges allows me to understand the passenger experience in a way that goes beyond what can be learned from maps, timetables or industry data alone.

What’s next for the #AllTheLines project?

With #AllTheLinesEurope now virtually complete, the challenge is moving into a new phase. There will still be reasons to travel across Europe, particularly as new lines open and existing routes are realigned or rebuilt. Whenever a completely new section of railway is created, I need to travel on it, providing an opportunity to revisit countries and places. At the same time, #AllTheLines is increasingly expanding into other parts of the world, with Asia now one of the main focuses.

I have already made significant progress with #AllTheLinesAsia. In Japan, I have currently travelled on around 65% of the railway lines, while Indonesia is largely complete apart from the lines in Sumatra. I have also travelled across the entire railway networks of Laos and Vietnam, as well as completing the network in South-East Asia south of Bangkok, with only a handful of lines in northern Thailand still to cover. Yet Asia presents an entirely different scale and set of challenges, particularly in China, where the size and density of the railway network make completing #AllTheLines a major undertaking.

Beyond Asia, there are plenty of other railway networks around the world that I want to explore, from Australia and New Zealand to North and South America. I have already travelled by train in many of these countries. I have currently visited 168 countries, including 82 where I have travelled by rail, but there is still a huge amount of railway network left for me to discover.

Ultimately, #AllTheLines has become much more than simply a collection of highlighted routes on a map. It is a way of exploring countries through their railways, discovering places away from the obvious tourist routes and experiencing the extraordinary variety of networks, trains and journeys around the world.

Europe may be almost finished, but there is certainly no shortage of railway lines left to discover!

Learn more Andy’s #AllTheLinesEurope project

In these two Substack interviews, AndyB shares further insights into his background in the rail industry and his travels around the world as part of #AllTheLinesEurope.

– The Big AndyBTravels Interview
– #AllTheLines: Where It Stands and What I’ve Learned

Also check out the About Me page on AndyBTravels.com