German train makes first Channel tunnel test trip

[Swede]

Source: Montreal Gazette

A German high-speed train entered the Channel tunnel between France and England for the first time Wednesday on a test run aiming to rival French-built trains’ monopoly on the route.


The grey ICE3 train, made by Siemens of Germany and operated by Deutsche Bahn, entered at the French town of Calais, watched by reporters.


The German operator wants to demonstrate its ability to run safely on the route, which is being opened up to competition under EU rules, raising sensitivities in France.


Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/German+train+makes+first+Channel+tunnel+test+trip/3663783/story.html

[JDPriestly]

1. Germany, Japan and China have high speed trains.

And what do we have? High speed corporate thieves.

[JDPriestly]

2. Germany, Japan and China have high speed trains.

And what do we have? High speed corporate thieves.

[Aristus]

3. DEFINITELY worth saying twice.

Amen!

;-)

[JDPriestly]

4. Don't know how that happened.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Also France, the Netherlands, Spain,

Italy, and others.

[Roland99]

6. I've a feeling Rick Scott will scuttle the high-speed train planned for FL if he becomes Gov.

[liberal N proud]

7. It is disgusting how the corporations have kept High Speed Rail out of the US

[happyslug]

8. By the simple policy of opposing Gasoline taxes

The US tax on Diesel and Gasoline is minor when compared to Europe. The US Taxes goes to maintaining the Highway system, NOT any competitive system (and 40% of repairs to all roads are from NON-fuel taxes i.e. property taxes on local roads).

On the other hand high speed trains benefit from high fuel costs in Europe two ways, first is that is the source of money to fund such trains AND second, those high prices means Trains only have to be below the cost of transportation using HIGH TAXES MOTOR FUELS, as oppose to the much lower motor fuel costs in the US.

A second method is most local politicians get money to run their re-elections campaigns from people who want to do development. I.e. Sprawl. Since the High Speed Trains makers do NOT have the cash of land developers, high speed trains lose. Such developers see highways as how the people who will buy into the development will go to and from the development. Trains are viewed as something that can be retrofitted by someone else, not the developers (and that person who retrofit trains into the area NEVER appears).

If we did NOT have Motor Fuel taxes, sprawl would be contained and people will want to live closer to trains do to the fact such travel will be cheaper in a High Motor Fuel system. Thus local politicians need to money and thus they support for sprawl and opposition to raising motor fuel taxes. It is this one-two punch, Low Motor Fuel Taxes leads to sprawl, developers of Sprawl donate to politicians who support the developers, which leads to the demand for more roads paid, in theory, by gasoline taxes (through the local roads are paid by local taxes). IT is a deadly one-two punch against rail.