|
ellendune
|
 |
« Reply #210 on: April 01, 2022, 13:50:13 » |
|
Do the French celebrate all fools day?
Yes poisson d'avril |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #211 on: April 01, 2022, 18:17:57 » |
|
Do the French celebrate all fools day?
Yes poisson d'avril They do, though my impression is that they tend to be rather clumsy, and veering more towards the practical joke. But there are some better ones - like this year's from the Gendarmerie des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, announcing the formation of a cat handler's section. And of course the French claim they invented the whole idea - in 1564, when the date of new year was moved from 1st April. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Jamsdad
|
|
« Reply #212 on: April 01, 2022, 19:41:46 » |
|
I thought this was an April Fool but it’s part of an SNCF▸ initiative announced on 22March. So unbelievably perhaps it is true!
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #213 on: April 01, 2022, 19:56:07 » |
|
I thought this was an April Fool but it’s part of an SNCF▸ initiative announced on 22March. So unbelievably perhaps it is true!
There's stuff from earlier than that too. Here's one in English, from Byri.net (who?): The experiment will begin in 2024. It will involve the development of platforms allowing the passage from rail to road (and vice versa), but also that a shuttle can park there in order to avoid a collision with a another arriving in the opposite direction. Flexy shuttles are designed and manufactured by the French company Milla. It is an evolution of the Milla Pod, an autonomous vehicle unveiled in 2019. The adaptation to mixed road-rail use involves the companies Michelin and Railenium.  So it may be a silly idea, at least in the practical sense. More of a conecpt, perhaps. What's in it for SNCF? A way to use the little branch line they want to shut, that does not involve running any trains? If so, why do they keep the rails? |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Jamsdad
|
|
« Reply #214 on: April 02, 2022, 12:58:34 » |
|
The rails are often left due to the immense political pressure exerted by French local and regional government on SNCF▸ .
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #215 on: April 02, 2022, 13:05:41 » |
|
The rails are often left due to the immense political pressure exerted by French local and regional government on SNCF▸ .
So far they have, yes. But what I mean was why do they intend to keep them if it means developing a road/rail version of this Milla Pod thing? It would be easier (i.e. cheaper) to use the standard version, perhaps made to run faster, over a reserved paved route. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Mark A
|
|
« Reply #216 on: April 02, 2022, 13:27:46 » |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #217 on: April 25, 2022, 12:30:46 » |
|
Le Parisen reported this morning that one of the three SNCF▸ (then RFF) employees implicated in the case, and previously "witnesses under caution", has been mis en examen - charged with a criminal offence, roughly. The prosecutors' office at Evry has confirmed only that step about an unnamed SNCF employee.
The newspaper report says more, that it was the local track maintenance manager (the other two being his direct reports). He did the last inspection before the accident, and the independent engineering reports said (based largely on the state of the fracture surfaces) that the relevant trackwork damage was present at that time.
It was announced today by the prosecutors that the case (for manslaughter, more or less) against both SCNF and the individual already charged will go to court next year. The court case starts today. There may be some Covid delay involved, but I suspect it's mostly the usual legal sort. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #218 on: May 25, 2022, 23:12:32 » |
|
About the revived sleeper trains, French press reports quote transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari as saying the first would be on the Paris-Nice line, and the second would link Paris with the Pyreneen city of Tarbes.
Here's an update on how business is doing on French overnight trains, from IRJ: Paris - Nice overnight train reaches 80% occupancy
More than 100,000 passengers carried in one year.
May 25, 2022 Written by David Haydock
FRENCH National Railways’ (SNCF▸ ) overnight service between Paris and Nice has carried over 100,000 passengers since it was relaunched on May 20 2021, with funding from a €100m government programme to develop overnight services.
Paris - Nice has the best occupancy rate of SNCF overnight services, rising to above 80% at weekends and during the holidays. One in four overnight passengers choose the Mediterranean as their destination.
SNCF says train occupancy was very good in summer 2021. This trend was confirmed during the autumn and winter, and is now continuing this summer on all SNCF overnight trains.
A programme to upgrade the overnight rolling stock and adapt fleet maintenance facilities for the Paris - Nice route is due to be completed by the end of 2022.
The Nice service route was added to SNCF’s existing network of overnight services from Paris to Toulouse, Rodez/Albi, La Tour-de-Carol/Cerbère and Briançon.
A Paris - Lourdes service was launched at the end of 2021 with government funding. It will be extended to Hendaye to serve the Basque Coast in July and August.
These domestic services were joined with the timetable change on December 12 2021 by a Paris - Vienna Nightjet service operated three nights a week by Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) in partnership with SNCF. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #219 on: June 27, 2022, 12:35:08 » |
|
What goes down ... a couple of weeks ago SNCF▸ announced extra trains for the summer, in response to high booking levels. A figure of 500,000 seats more than in 2019 was quoted. Then last week there was a report that said a lack of maintenance staff might prevent all of those actually running. But the main news in that report was ... so predictable I'll give you just one guess as to what it was.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #220 on: June 27, 2022, 18:50:42 » |
|
SNCF▸ have announced a new fare régime for animals, widely reported as allowing any animal of any size to travel for €7 (if accompanied, of course). In fact it's not such a big change as that. There were, and still are, two categories: little ones (6 kg max) in cages, and dogs on leads and muzzled who must sit tidily at the paying passenger's feet. The first used to cost €7, and still do. The change applies to dogs (any size, not in cages), which are now also €7 flat fare. The fare used to be half the standard " kilométrique" rate, and that could be a lot more than the discounted fare for the accompanying human. This applies to all SNCF's own services, and those TERs where they set fares, but not Normandy, Nouvelle Aquitaine, Pays de la Loire and Sud (they may be more or less generous). Obviously any dogs from the UK▸ will need extra paperwork even to be in France in the first place.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #221 on: July 30, 2022, 12:29:36 » |
|
This year SNCF▸ say they are back to "normal", and even more busy than that. So, as it's chassé-croisé weekend, what's broken down? A Thalys, this time. From The Brussels Times: Another Thalys train breakdown traps passengers overnight
Saturday, 30 July 2022 By Dylan Carter
Despite a 10% reduction in capacity following the breakdown of two Thalys trains in a week during the recent July heatwave, passengers have once again found themselves stuck on high-speed trains returning from France.
Following a collision with an animal on the tracks near Tournai, which caused a technical issue with the train’s engine, around 800 people were allowed to sleep overnight on nearby train carriages provided by Thalys.
During the evening, the stricken train was evacuated and the passengers were given the choice of walking to a hotel, paying for a taxi to Brussels, or staying in makeshift accommodation provided by the company.
According to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, travellers who opted to receive hotel vouchers were disappointed to find that the hotel had no more rooms available, and were forced to make their own way to the Gare du Midi in Brussels. The broken-down train is scheduled to depart again sometime this morning.
Passengers stuck in the train’s carriages were cut off from electricity and air conditioning due to damage to the train’s engine*. According to a spokesperson for the train operator, water was provided to the stranded travellers and the doors of the train were opened.
The breakdown has caused a whole chain of delays across the Thalys network, however the operator assures that passengers will be compensated for their time and any inconvenience caused.
Related News
Thalys is bracing for a summer of disruptions to its planned services. Following the breakdown of the two trains in July, which Thalys initially labelled a “coincidence”, the train operator will now conduct additional safety checks on some of its trains, leading to a series of cancellations.
“Due to operating incidents that occurred at the end of July, two trains had to undergo in-depth repairs and checks in our two maintenance workshops in Paris in Brussels,” Thalys explained on its website. “As a result, Thalys will not be able to use its entire fleet for the next few weeks.”
Customers are able to postpone their trip free of charge or receive a refund for the cancelled journeys up to one year after the original booking.
* meaning the power car failed, I presumeSo, enormously disruptive animals there too. And then there's those two trains breaking down and losing cooling in a heatwave that makes that an instant emergency. And yes, there was a fire as well, perhaps inevitably this year. It closed the LGV▸ Lyon-Marseille for a few hours, and is reported to have started from an aire de repos on the A7 near Valence. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #222 on: July 31, 2022, 20:28:02 » |
|
And again today - the relatively unusual event of a person struck by a TGV▸ on a high-speed line (Paris-Bordeaux). Described as 1 km north of Gare de Vendome Villiers sur Loir, which is not the one in Vendôme (it's 4 km away). The train stopped 1 km past the station, with 2-3 hour delays once the line reopened. I guess the point about it being today is there are more trains and passengers than usual.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
stuving
|
|
« Reply #223 on: September 19, 2022, 13:16:35 » |
|
The only trial to come out of this accident, of the coach driver, starts this morning in Marseille. Views on on whether she did drive through the barrier or not are still divided as they always were, notwithstanding the BEA-TT report. Nothing new of any significance has emerged since. For some, the trial will finally decide, but no doubt some will never be convinced.
The trial itself is huge - 123 "civil parties" (or more), with a right to legal representation. It's the first trial to be shown by CCTV▸ in another room (in Perpignan), following a change in the law. In some ways it's a surprise it's only scheduled to last three weeks.
SNCF▸ are not directly involved, except as witnesses. Their request to be a "civil party" has not been accepted, but of course the court's decision could in effect find them at fault.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
broadgage
|
|
« Reply #224 on: September 20, 2022, 14:55:09 » |
|
What I find surprising is that neither the train, nor the bus, nor the crossing were equipped with CCTV▸ and recording.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU▸ is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
|
|
|
|
Click on the map to explore geographics
