My New Job (Was: Social Thurs 8 Jan 2009)

[Abigail]

On Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 01:26:23PM +0000, Nicholas Clark wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 11:39:07AM +0100, Abigail wrote:
> 
> > Over here, the goverment only wants to best and newest. So everything 
> > is delayed and over budget. However, the tracks have been ready for quite
> > a while. Even the signalling is installed. The newest and greatest signalling.
> > Decised upon late in the project ("Oh, there's a *new* standard! Shiny!
> > We got to have it!"). But it got there. Except they never bother to tell
> > the train manufacturer they switched signalling systems.
> > 
> > So we now have shiny new tracks. With a top notch signalling system.
> > And no trains that can work with it.
> 
> Whereas the Channel Tunnel Rail Link* is a TGV line.
> It's the French system. Known to work. (A most pragmatic and diplomatically
> expedient solution)

Ah, yes, the French. They have T-shirts saying "Shut the fuck up and build
some train tracks".
 
Not in .nl. We just talk for years. Then change the plans because everyone
wants the line to happen, but in someone elses backyard. Then we decide
that since the tracks are going through some polders with soil poor enough
grass is the most economic crop, we have to protect the landscape and   
we'll need a tunnel to make the greenies happy [*]. The Hague is unhappy
the high speed line isn't detoured to stop there as well, so we argue
for a couple of years whether the train shall follow a straight route   
Rotterdam-Schiphol Airport-Amsterdam, or whether we need sharp corners
to make a stop in The Hague as well. Etc, etc.
 
 
[*]  I live near the area where the high speed line goes through the
     tunnel. It isn't worth protecting from a train track. For almost
     the entire route, you're in hearing and seeing distance of at
     least one expressway, and you can see the skyline of at least two
     of the cities of The Hague, Zoetermeer or Leiden. Furthermore,
     large parts of the area have been selected as areas houses and
     industry can be build.
 


Abigail