Welcome to Saarbrücken in the German state of Saarland. It’s early June 2007. The weather is dry and the sun has broken through. In some  ways this is an odd cabride to choose - not an ICE in sight for one thing! The charm lies in the variety -from industrial Saarbrücken whose fortunes based on coal have waned a little still boasts a lot of rail connected industry. Up the line is Saarlouis - cars and steel - industries that are not unconnected. This is, don’t forget, the destination for Europe’s heaviest freight that takes a ponderous route from Rotterdam along side the continent’s great rivers the Rhine and Mosel to avoid gradients wherever it can.  Clear of industrial Saarlouis and Dillingen the run becomes rural and we trundle our way alongside the Saar, which forms a delightful cut through the chalk downs enroute to Luxembourg. Yes, this part of the Saar is a tourist destination and we pop off the train at Saarburg to prove the point! We miss the Duchy by a few km swinging north-east and following the Mosel into the Roman city of Trier. Another  “must have” for freight enthusiasts!

RT 73 mins