1.0Jan Oostenbrinkhttps://janoos.site.transip.me/en/Jan Oostenbrinkhttps://janoos.site.transip.me/en/author/jan-oostenbrink/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="QFS78CWy3K"><a href="https://janoos.site.transip.me/en/portfolio/grensoverschrijdende-spoorverbindingen/">Cross-border railway connections</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://janoos.site.transip.me/en/portfolio/grensoverschrijdende-spoorverbindingen/embed/#?secret=QFS78CWy3K" width="600" height="338" title="“Cross-border railway connections” — Jan Oostenbrink" data-secret="QFS78CWy3K" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,d){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(d.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=d.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=d.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),l=0;l<n.length;l++)n[l].style.display="none";for(l=0;l<i.length;l++)if(r=i[l],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=d.createElement("a"),a=d.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,!o.test(a.protocol));else if(a.host===s.host)if(d.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),d.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=d.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> https://janoos.site.transip.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/tekst-4Grensov_spoorverb_zw.jpg16001200Cross-border railway connections often date back for decades, but it takes “centuries” before those railway lines can be upgraded or renewed. Enschede (NL) – Münster (D), Groningen (NL) – Bremen (D), Hengelo (NL) – Bad Bentheim / Bielefeld (D) are all appropriate examples. There are many barriers to constructive cross-border cooperation: lack of political support, technical differences in train systems, different priorities with national and regional authorities and the cost of financing all this. I chaired the 10th anniversary meeting of the railway connection Enschede – Münster. I was actively involved in the process of implementing the Hengelo – Bad Bentheim connection. In a few years there will even be a Hengelo – Bielefeld connection. In order to achieve this result a large amount of energy, knowledge and perseverance is required. Intensive cross-border communication with ministries and provinces and also cross-border cooperation within Germany, between North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. A long-term process. But the final result is that trains are operating across the border!