French trains are more than outmatched by "snow" and "freezing temperatures"
Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously)
#begin quote
Eurostar scrambled on Monday to contain mounting public anger at
the travel chaos that has stranded tens of thousands of people on
both sides of the Channel, with British and French ministers
demanding a thorough investigation.
As passengers vented their frustration at the rail operator�s
handling of the crisis, the disruption that began at the weekend,
when six high-speed trains broke down, spilled into a third day
with the cancellation of all services between London, Paris and
Brussels.
Eurostar told the Financial Times that it faced a hefty
compensation bill after 125,000 passengers were stuck at stations
or forced to make other plans. Richard Brown, Eurostar�s chief
executive, said the company would �have to work hard to rebuild�
passenger confidence in the company.
He blamed an �unprecedented� combination of �quantities of snow�,
freezing temperatures in northern France and breakdowns. But
politicians in Paris and London rounded on the company.
#end quote
How can snow and freezing temperatures be a "combination" that is
"unprecedented"? Doesn't snow usually come with freezing
temperatures? I think that balmy temperatures and snow would be
more "unprecedented". I bet that would break down the French trains
too.
Studio Rouge
"Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously)"
<tribuylt...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4B3111F2...@yahoo.co.uk...
Maybe snow and freezing temperatures had affected French trains because of
the speed. At 300 km/h, the consequences of those climate phenomena can be
quite different in scale as they would be at the speed of regular, slower
trains.
Earl Evleth
Rouge" <studior...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Maybe snow and freezing temperatures had affected French trains because of
> the speed.
The problem appears to be intake of snow and also encountering the abrupt
temperature annd humidity changes in going into the tunnel.
TGVs are other runs in France did not have this kind of problem.
Historically the problem was with the overhead electrical contacts
icing up in ice-storm situations but that problem is apparently
largely dealt with.
Probably fixing the current problem will only require minor
modifications to prevent the current problem. The Eurostar
is running today but the weather had warmed up a couple of
degrees and the temperatures not as severe.
The big problem of truck traffic by rail is still there.
In the past hazardous materials were transported and
the resulting fires catastrophic. The fires have had
avoidable causes and the danger exists in transport
though all tunnels.
The TGV has an unusual design, it will not fold if
it derails, the cars are locked to together.
This avoids catastrophic loss of life if derailment
occurs. The biggest danger is a terrorist bomb
blowing up on a passenger train mid-tunnel.
Security is tight however.
We standardly go to the US via London, first on the TGV
and then a flight from Heathrow. The advantage is the
some return flights from NY or Boston are during the day
and one avoids losing nights sleep. It is more expensive
totally, but more convenient. Air France use to have
a NY to Paris day flight (AF001) before Concord but
that service has never returned.
John Rennie
Bring back steam - that's what I say.
Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously)
For its superior torque or because it would melt the scary snow?
--
Tiger tells eleven mistresses, "I will leave my wife for you."