Train crashes into hotel at Helsinki Railway Station

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

An intercity train carriage has barged through the end of a railway platform crashing into the hallway of a hotel at Helsinki Railway station.

The train carriage, which had faulty brakes, travelled through a concrete barrier at the end of platform before crashing into the Holiday Inn Hotel.

[Worcester_Passenger]

And it seems to have happened on platform 13. Spooky or what, possums?

[Phil]

Couple of queries from a born pedant - I thought the term "Intercity" was a British Railways trademark, in which case what was a 40 year old 125 doing in Helsinki in the first place - and how did a train carriage "barge through" without being either pulled or pushed by a locomotive?

[JayMac]

The report states that 4 carriages broke free from the consist as it reversed. As it was an empty train I guess the carriages were either being shunted or an ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) movement. Don't know much about Finnish rolling stock but it is surpising that an accidentally divided train doesn't have fail-safe brakes.

[willc]

I thought the term "Intercity" was a British Railways trademark

Only in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) - and of course while most of the rest of Europe's railways cottoned on to it as a handy term to use for major express services and use it to this day, especially Germany, it died a death here thanks to privatisation. The initial incarnation of post-privatisation Great Western being the last operator to use the Intercity brand on its trains.

[Phil]

I thought the term "Intercity" was a British Railways trademark

Only in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)

Exactly. Thankyou for bearing out my point, Willc.

Here in the UK the term "Intercity" still carries a resonance with the majority of the travelling pubic. Certainly the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) of all people ought to be familiar with the usage. Careless journalism, mindless of the target audience. Tsk.

[Tim]

I thought the term "Intercity" was a British Railways trademark

The UK^▸ (United Kingdom) trademark for the word "intercity" in connection with passenger rail transport (Trade Mark 1277000) is currently owned by the Secreatry of State for Transport.   Presumably he inherited from BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)).  Trademarks are vunerable to loss if they are not used, one wonders if Intercity is currently being used enough to justify its retention on the trademark register.   

[willc]

I thought the term "Intercity" was a British Railways trademark

Only in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)

Exactly. Thankyou for bearing out my point, Willc.

Here in the UK the term "Intercity" still carries a resonance with the majority of the travelling pubic. Certainly the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) of all people ought to be familiar with the usage. Careless journalism, mindless of the target audience. Tsk.

Ha, ha. I almost died laughing. But it shows what an utter shambles privatisation was that such an obvious and widely understood brand was just allowed to disappear from use in the country that coined it.