French farce: France faces rail chaos and £100million bill after 2000 new trains are built 3cm TOO WIDE for station platforms
- Red faces in Paris as new fleet of trains causes transport headaches
- Up to 1300 regional stations will need to be upgraded to fit the rolling stock
- 'We discovered the problem a bit late' says embarrassed rail spokesman
France is
facing a multi-million pound bill after ordering 2000 new trains which
are 3cm (0.11 inches) too wide for many of its platforms.
The incredible mistake means that 1300 stations will have to be upgraded so as to accommodate the trains.
'It's
an outrageous waste of taxpayers' money,' said Jean-Claude Delarue, of
the SOS-Usagers transport pressure group which campaigns for a better
deal for commuters.
'The
mistake is a hugely embarrassing one and it is not the first time that
it has happened. The bureaucrats responsible are completely out of
touch.'
Rail
operations ordered the new trains for the country's regional network –
one which traditionally has a reputation for being one of the best in
the world.
But
they are too wide to travel through the nation's stations, a report in
the investigative weekly, Le Canard Enchaine, reveals.
Repair
work has so far been carried out on 300 of the platforms that need
adjusting, and hundreds more are on a waiting list. On average, the
trains are 3cms too wide.
RFF,
the organisation responsible for rail tracks in France, has set aside
the equivalent of more than £45m to deal with the mistake, but the
figure is likely to be well above £100m once it is finished.
The error is said to have happened when RFF handed over the wrong dimensions to SNCF, France's national rail operator.
SNCF then put in their order for the new trains to a number of engineering companies including Alstom.
The
measurements provided by RFF related to platforms built over the past
30 years, but many are far older, and were not built to a standard size.
RFF
spokesman Christophe Piednoel said: 'We discovered the problem a bit
late. We recognise that, and we accept responsibility on that score.'
He said that everything possible would be done to avoid passing over the massive cost of the mistake to the taxpayer.
France's
Minister of Transport, Frederic Culliver, said his country's 'absurd
rail system' was to blame, because it makes a division between track
operators RFF and SNCF.
Many believe the two groups should merge, so as to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Decay
in France's ageing regional rail network came into sharp focus last
July when a train derailed outside Paris, causing seven deaths.
Investigators blamed loose bolts and inadequate safety checks for the disaster, which also saw hundreds of other injured.
France
is regularly accused of pumping millions into its prestigious high
speed TGV system, while ignoring its regional railways.
SEE ALSO THE LATEST ON THE FOCUS FLICKR SITE
A sunny day during the week saw Martin Arrand make a visit to Sheffield to view the latest additions to the First fleet in the shape of another batch of Wrightbus Streetlites. Perhaps of equal interest though, was another of the Volvo/Wrightbus deckers that has been repainted into an earlier livery, a version of the South Yorkshire Transport colours
SEE ALSO THE LATEST ON THE FOCUS FLICKR SITE
A sunny day during the week saw Martin Arrand make a visit to Sheffield to view the latest additions to the First fleet in the shape of another batch of Wrightbus Streetlites. Perhaps of equal interest though, was another of the Volvo/Wrightbus deckers that has been repainted into an earlier livery, a version of the South Yorkshire Transport colours
Other images can also now be viewed here
AND FINALLY
Timetables are now available for the special operations at the Cheltenham bus running day and can now be viewed here
