pin Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Well its all here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6521295.stm 356mph is some feat of engineering it has to be said, but I can't help thinking this is just another two fingers up at us, the inventors of the train. We can't even get them to run some days, never mind on time or at anything like this speed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEFTY478 Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 [356mph is some feat of engineering it has to be said... But it only goes in reverse and surrenders as soon as anyone boards her... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavman Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 [356mph is some feat of engineering it has to be said... But it only goes in reverse and surrenders as soon as anyone boards her... First class, go to the top of the pile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Having a train that ran on time and was reasonably priced could be considered two fingers up at us, so don't get too upset about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 With the regularity they come off the rails in England, I wouldn't want to go that fast here thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNAKEBITE Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 I thought this topic was a joke! How disapointed am I?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markio Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 ...but I can't help thinking this is just another two fingers up at us, the inventors of the train. What does that have to do with it? Stephenson's Rocket was invented 200 odd years ago! We won the world cup too, so did the French, the *******! :good: . But yeah, quite a feat really. Good luck to them if they can keep it running. Did see something about the rail network in France and the amount it costs to run per mile, it is an amazing amount when compared to running a Boeing 747. Can't remember the figures but makes you wonder how they can afford it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 The French rail network is superb compared to ours, the trains are comfortable and run on time, no standing due to lack of seats, and rail tickets are generally about half what we pay here in rip off Britain. It just shows how far we've gone downhill in recent years. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naddan28 Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 is the french network privatised or nationalised? Either way I think we should have kept ours private, same with the water sytems. The problem with providing transport & utilities via private companies, is that private companies, have shareholders who want to make money so inturn they pressure company director's. This creates a conflict of interest for directors and such companies, meaning they aren't guranteed to act in the best intrest of the public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted April 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Hit the nail on the head, I keep saying this until I am blue in the face Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Yes, I think the French rail company, SNCF, is heavily government subsidised, but what's wrong with that, every country in the World (apart from ours), has a state subsidised rail network, we seem to be the only country that seems to think it has to be run at a profit to benefit the (mostly non-uk) shareholders. What a bizzare policy, it only leads to a **** service and sky high prices. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naddan28 Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Hit the nail on the head, I keep saying this until I am blue in the face It would work better if the government actually placed more regulation on these industries. For example, Water companies currently who fail to meet their burst pipe quota's have no probs (they just bring about a hose pipe ban!) but if they were forced to pay 15% of their profits for each year they failed to meet targets then I gurantee they would meet the targets year on year! I don't normally advocate such Government interfernce in industry but with such public utilities they need to keep some form of active control in them. The other problem with these privatisations is the fact they each only own a small part of a network, so when it comes to building resources their is no linking between each part of the network. Each part just does what it feels is best for it and follows its own personal, indepndent stratergy. Plus, Dont forget that each company has a monopoly over a certain area. Only SE Trains have stations and track so no-one else can run trains in the SE. No competition makes these firms lazy and enables them to remain inefficent and more importantly do what they want with prices! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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