Vive Le Frogs (trains)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7227807.stm

Mr Sarkozy appears to know more than any British PM in recent history about
the needs for long term planning and industrial capacity.

Nice train too, looking forward to a journey in that.

 

What the article omits to say, is how much the train system in France
is subsidized by the government. If there wasn't that sort of
investment, then it'd be a shite service like in the UK. Why do you
think it was Sarko that unveiled the train.

Besides, once the French are obliged to open up the (railway) market,
then it'll go downhill.

 

because it was him who bailed the manufacturer out in 2004 by
partially privatising it?

 

Sometimes industrial capacity requires subsidy in a global economy. I have
no problem with that. Same goes for affordable public transport. Here you
have a train system priced out of reach of many potential commuters.

 

His just reward look pretty fucking reasonable too.

 

Can we expect Virgin Rock to be offering the fastest repossessions in
Europe in 4 years time do you think?

 

You say that like it's not a_good_thing. The only way to make public
transport work for the benefit of all is to treat it as a
publicly-funded service, paid for by all. It's not just the passengers
that benefit, as I remind myslef every time I drive through
Switzerland, rejoicing in the Swiss population's love of trains and
busses.

Do they have plans to do so, or are you just assuming it'll happen
eventually?

--
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..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
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The UK does subsidize rail. The difference is that the money leaves
the system in the form of profits, rather than being invested in the
network.

 

Not if they have any sense.
Be like saying "anyone can manage and build in our incredibly successful
Nuclear Power program"

 

As is only right.

D.
--
des
French Biking Vocabulary: http://minilien.fr/a0kg0p

'Kaiser: "Can you prove to me the existence of G-d?"
Bismarck: "The Jews, your Majesty. The Jews"'

 

What an utter bollocks of an argument.

 

Are you saying that rail is *not* subsidized in the UK?

 

I was referring to your inference that running something as a commercial
entity might make it less efficient. Clearly not so. The profit margin, a
regulated amount IIRC, will be less than the likely waste accumulated by
Civil Service bureaucracy etc.

And yes it is though not in the amounts the French inject.

 

Depends how you do it. As far as I can see, the way the trains have been
privatised is thus:
Govt: "Hello, we'd like you to run our trains, of course, this being a
private enterprise and that, we'd like to make sure you're not exposed to
any risk, so if you fail to make a profit, we'll give you free money"
Train operators "Yes please."

There's no incentive for them to improve services. Same as London bus
companies being paid on distance travelled by the actual buses and not the
numbers of passengers carried...

 

Thanks, that was excellent! I'm not even going to snip it.

 

But I said "Here you have a train system priced out of reach of many
potential commuters"

I don't think you dealt with that comment or proved me wrong.
We have a service with insufficient capacity to take as much peak time
passenger load as is available. The resource is therefor rationed by price.
If you brought fares down to the comparable level of driving or below, and
provided sufficient free parking at the feeder ends, and provided guards
vans prepared to take bicycles, and provided sufficient secure bicycle
storage at the conurbation hubs - how big an impact do you think the rail
system could have on peak congestion? serious question.

Or perhaps the network just doesn't have the track/switching/hub capacity to
do it.

 

I was wondering when you would pop up. Thanks for the detailed
explanation.

 

Bugger, I had replied at work with google, but the post must have
disappeared. I didn't email it to you by mistake, did I?

 

Neglected French train porn:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16202&l=166a5&id=528363400

 

You'll wait a while: '2014' is being bandied about, and even then, only
_if_ the SNCF decides to buy it from Alstom.

http://minilien.fr/a0kabw has our cher Président getting shown around the
'cockpit'. Even the way the little fucker struts down the aisle, sticks in
my throat.

D.

--
des
French Biking Vocabulary: http://minilien.fr/a0kg0p

'Kaiser: "Can you prove to me the existence of G-d?"
Bismarck: "The Jews, your Majesty. The Jews"'