network. it was a cost—of—living measure introduced in 2023, initially at just nine euros each. i do love a train — who doesn't? — so, i'm planning to take them to crisscross the country and get a better look at the close relationship between germans and their railways. from berlin's iconic u—bahn to the incredible hanging overhead railway of the industrial west to the makeshift island trains of the northern coast... we've got the birds flying, the water, the light — this is stunning! ..i'm here to see how engineering and a bit of imagination have led to a network like no other. doors beep. with almost 40,000km of track, germany's rail network is the longest in europe, which makes it the perfect place to explore by train.