When volcanic ash gets you down........

[marmar]

........it's nice to have a top-flight rail network to get around.








http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/09/21/Eurostar_wideweb__470x311,0.jpg

[Warpy]

1. No shit,

and that's why I hope all the dignitaries going to the funeral in Poland fly south and travel north by rail.

This isn't Amtrack, boys, this rail system is clean, comfortable, and fast.

[marmar]

2. Could you imagine if something shut down air travel in the States.....

and we had to depend on Amtrak?


:scared:

[4lbs]

11. Weren't all flights in the U.S. shut down for a few days after 9/11?

.

[marmar]

12. True....but few people wanted to go anywhere then.

nt

[4lbs]

15. That's true. Furthermore, 9/11 didn't present an environmental hazard to the entire country

the way this volcanic ash is doing to all of Europe.

[nebenaube]

7. not to mention they are quiet!

why can't we build trains that are as quiet as the trains in Europe?

[realisticphish]

3. i would kill for a quality rail system here

and they're TRYING, but i don't think it's likely in the near future

[grantcart]

4. How ironic is it that the Republicans criticized a stimulus package that

included research for volcanoes and money for high speed trains.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. Good catch there!

And no kidding, the very picture of irony.

[uppityperson]

5. They are on the 11th day of a workers strike though, big mess

Family there says the roads are way packed with cars.


http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/April/international_April921.xml§ion=international

The Eurostar cross-Channel rail service laid on three extra Paris-London trains but places rapidly filled up and passengers were building up in the Gare du Nord station.

The company said 10,000 more passengers than usual had attempted to book Eurostar seats out of Paris on Friday; almost a third more than would normally have been expected.

A strike on the French national network forced the cancellation of one high-speed TGV in 10, a fifth of regional trains and more than a third of local services, operator SNCF said.

[MorningGlow]

6. Or, you know, giant mountains of cash

John Cleese takes £3,300 taxi across Europe to beat ash flight chaos
John Cleese, the Monty Python and Fawlty Towers star, paid £3,300 to take a cab from Oslo to Brussels after being stranded in Norway by volcanic ash travel chaos.

The comedian was stuck after volcanic ash caused airspace across Europe to be closed, forcing the cancellation of all but a small number of flights.

After ferries and trains were booked up, his assistant chose to send him in a taxi to Brussels, from where he could get a Eurostar train to London.

Cleese, 70, said: "We checked every option but there were no boats and no train tickets available. That's when my fabulous assistant determined the easiest thing would be to take a taxi."

Cleese, who was visiting the Norwegian capital to take part in the popular Scandinavian talk show Skavlan. said before setting off: "It will be interesting. I'm not in a hurry."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/celebritynews/7600537/John-Cleese-takes-3300-taxi-across-Europe-to-beat-ash-flight-chaos.html

It's good to be king--or, rather, a Python--apparently.
:rofl:

[Skink]

8. Beam me up.

[jwirr]

9. I'd even settle for a good railroad system like we used to have.

[uppityperson]

10. Bit more on rail strike issues

http://genevalunch.com/blog/2010/04/16/swiss-air-travel-update-17-april-update-4/

International train travel: be sure to reserve, says CFF

The Swiss rail company, CFF, has opened a hot line 0800 99 66 33 for train information, but it strongly urges travelers to reserve for any international travel, since all of Europe’s rail lines are under heavy pressure due to air space being closed.
French trains remain on strike

SNCF French trains remain on strike after several days of traffic disruptions and some lines are affected, although at least some trains are scheduled between Paris and Bern, Geneva and Lausanne, as well as one train from Geneva to Marseilles

[WorseBeforeBetter]

14. Drool. (n/t)

[laughingliberal]

16. Wouldn't that be nice? To live as an advanced nation. nt

[RC]

17. But the knuckle dragger's will not let that happen here, if they can help it..