muckles:
Carryfast:
driving through some of the best scenery in the world as part of the runObviously he didn’t enjoy the scenery, he returned on the train.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGOrxBjUFn0
To be fair he did say it was more a case of the specific timing requirements of the job on the return run.The relevant bit being that he didn’t choose Switch’s preferred route on the outward run for some reason.Bearing in mind it wasn’t a holiday trip. 
Carryfast:
muckles:
Carryfast:
driving through some of the best scenery in the world as part of the runObviously he didn’t enjoy the scenery, he returned on the train.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGOrxBjUFn0To be fair he did say it was more a case of the specific timing requirements of the job on the return run.The relevant bit being that he didn’t choose Switch’s preferred route on the outward run for some reason.Bearing in mind it wasn’t a holiday trip.
So really the train is more convenient when you haven’t got the luxury of time.
Popcorn… chocolate ices… cold beer…
the nodding donkey:
Popcorn… chocolate ices… cold beer…
muckles:
So really the train is more convenient when you haven’t got the luxury of time.
Going by his description even that seemed marginal in that case.IE they obviously don’t get enough traffic to make it worth running any more than one train every 2 hours and he said it saved around 2 hours on the run.So you obviously really need to arrive close to the departure time of the next train to make it worth it.While we’re obviously not discussing the merits of using the French or Swiss/Italian road or rail tunnels v Austrian or Swiss mountain pass options in that case anyway.That choice seeming to be clear enough on the outward run at least in that case.
Although according to Switch no trucks can use the Simplon pass and he should have gone via Mont Blanc or Frejus instead.
As for the Brenner as just a non professional car driver I usually use the Timmelsjoch and the Garmisch Kempten route for that run if not the Simplon or St Bernard.Although I’ve moaned a few times about getting held up by zb slow trucks on the Simplon. 
Carryfast:
muckles:
So really the train is more convenient when you haven’t got the luxury of time.Going by his description even that seemed marginal in that case.IE they obviously don’t get enough traffic to make it worth running any more than one train every 2 hours and he said it saved around 2 hours on the run.
Actually watching again it said it saved him 2 hours of driving time, so getting there when the train leaves isn’t such an issue, but it will allow him to get another 2 hours further into Germany, for a driver based in Germany or Italy could mean the difference between getting home or night out. For an operator could mean turning a job round.
Not sure how many trucks it takes, but I would say a train running very 2 hours could shift a fair few trucks each day.
Carryfast:
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
switchlogic:
Huge numbers of accompanied trucks already cross Switzerland by rail, through choice. Get to Freiburg, get on train and land in Northern Italy one daily rest later. The Swiss have never liked trucks and their ultimate aim would be no trucks using Switzerland as a transit country by road. The scenic mountain passes Carryfast speaks of have mostly been closed to trucks a long time in places where a tunnel is an option. So the options are go through a tunnel in your truck or on a train basicallyAs I said the Lotschberg/Simplon line has been used for decades.But to my knowledge there’s no truck bans on the Simplon at least yet and certainly not the last time I used it a few years ago.Nor obviously in these examples.
google.co.uk/maps/@46.205097 … 312!8i6656
youtube.com/watch?v=wU6oIXq5qBo
While as I said if I was running to Italy and the Swiss removed the option of using any road pass.Then I’d go for the Brenner and they obviously lose all the road revenues between Germany and the Italian border.
On that note.As I said I’m obviously not alone in thinking that the dangers and boredom of using tunnels v driving through some of the best scenery in the world as part of the run seems like a no brainer.
youtube.com/watch?v=oCZl6ycZuBI
7.47-9.18
All fairly academic since you never drove in Europe professionally. I’ll let you into a secret, it’s not a holiday, no boss worth his salt would be happy with you fannying about driving over mountain passes for the fun of it!
Oh wait all those ‘professionals’ in the videos who chose not to use the simple option of the Lotschberg/Simplon choosing to use the pass instead were actually all holiday makers and tourists driving trucks instead of a decent car.
Frejus Mont Blanc etc yes great tell all that to anyone who’s been caught in,or chose the road option in the case of any of the numerous examples of tunnel fires over the years.
Which leaves the obvious question as to how could your ‘professional’ opinion have been so wrong at least in the case of heavy commercial traffic choosing the Simplon pass v tunnel route.Surely it couldn’t be that the French tunnels are the only routes you know because that’s the only routes the boss would let you use.
‘All those professionals in the videos’? Where are the others? I see one, Pete Owens, a man who like me makes videos, who like me probably does take the scenic option sometimes for the sake of the rolling camera.
And no it couldn’t be that the French routes are the only ones I know, I’ve done them all Bar one or two and of all the Brenner would be at the bottom of my list. I’ve even done ones that trucks aren’t allowed on, taking coach passengers on holiday. So pop that in your pipe and smoke it
Carryfast:
Although according to Switch no trucks can use the Simplon pass and he should have gone via Mont Blanc or Frejus instead.
If you can point out where I said that Id be most obliged…after all not like you to put words in people’s mouths is it…
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
Although according to Switch no trucks can use the Simplon pass and he should have gone via Mont Blanc or Frejus instead.If you can point out where I said that Id be most obliged…after all not like you to put words in people’s mouths is it…
‘the options are go through a tunnel in your truck or on a train basically’ ( preferably Mont Blanc or Frejus ? ) .Will that do.
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
youtube.com/watch?v=wU6oIXq5qBoyoutube.com/watch?v=oCZl6ycZuBI
7.47-9.18
‘All those professionals in the videos’? Where are the others? I see one, Pete Owens, a man who like me makes videos, who like me probably does take the scenic option sometimes for the sake of the rolling camera.
I was referring to all the empty train wagons and the trucks in part 3 of the video at 2.10-2.20 and 3.10-5.10.
Carryfast:
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
youtube.com/watch?v=wU6oIXq5qBoyoutube.com/watch?v=oCZl6ycZuBI
7.47-9.18
‘All those professionals in the videos’? Where are the others? I see one, Pete Owens, a man who like me makes videos, who like me probably does take the scenic option sometimes for the sake of the rolling camera.
I was referring to all the empty train wagons
Seemed to be plenty of trucks on the train he got on when he was chocking the truck, and to be honest the border area’s he went through looked quite quiet compared to other border areas, with very little parking if it was chosen by loads of truck drivers.
I got a You Tube clip and she’s easier on the eye than Mr Owens,
Carryfast:
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
Although according to Switch no trucks can use the Simplon pass and he should have gone via Mont Blanc or Frejus instead.If you can point out where I said that Id be most obliged…after all not like you to put words in people’s mouths is it…
‘the options are go through a tunnel in your truck or on a train basically’ ( preferably Mont Blanc or Frejus ? ) .Will that do.
I don’t see anywhere there where I said the Simplon pass was closed to trucks. Reading and understanding isn’t your strong point is it?
muckles:
Seemed to be plenty of trucks on the train he got on when he was chocking the truck, and to be honest the border area’s he went through looked quite quiet compared to other border areas, with very little parking if it was chosen by loads of truck drivers.
The train he used wasn’t exactly the same thing as the choice between Simplon pass v Lotschberg/Simplon tunnel now to be added to by the Gotthard.IE the relevant bit being that there’s more,or at least a considerable amount of,trucks using the pass than the tunnel.Tunnel capacity now being increased massively in that regard.
Which leaves the question of the Swiss probably then prohibiting truck traffic on the pass to make the rail investment viable.In which case how do they guarantee that those preferring not to use the Simplon tunnel won’t also do the same in the case of the Gotthard by using the Brenner instead.
IE people generally avoid the tunnels for a reason.Firstly mostly the safety risk and secondly a more scenic interesting drive alternative.Although obviously the Brenner not being as good as the Simplon regards the latter.
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
‘the options are go through a tunnel in your truck or on a train basically’ ( preferably Mont Blanc or Frejus ? ) .Will that do.I don’t see anywhere there where I said the Simplon pass was closed to trucks. Reading and understanding isn’t your strong point is it?
Great so the options are use the available passes or use the road or rail tunnels.Which was my point.IE is there enough demand for the Swiss rail tunnel option to make the combined capacity of the Gotthard and the Simplon viable. 
Carryfast:
muckles:
Seemed to be plenty of trucks on the train he got on when he was chocking the truck, and to be honest the border area’s he went through looked quite quiet compared to other border areas, with very little parking if it was chosen by loads of truck drivers.The train he used wasn’t exactly the same thing as the choice between Simplon pass v Lotschberg/Simplon tunnel now to be added to by the Gotthard.IE the relevant bit being that there’s more,or at least a considerable amount of,trucks using the pass than the tunnel.Tunnel capacity now being increased massively in that regard.
So where were all these empty trains? Watched the video can’t see them.
Carryfast:
IE people generally avoid the tunnels for a reason.Firstly mostly the safety risk and secondly a more scenic interesting drive alternative.Although obviously the Brenner not being as good as the Simplon regards the latter.
Are these people who generally avoid tunnels truck drivers?
Because I’ve still to meet a truck driver who actually avoids tunnels. 
But did anyone else actually click on the link to the craziness at the opening ‘ceremony’?
What the actual F***?
muckles:
So where were all these empty trains? Watched the video can’t see them.Are these people who generally avoid tunnels truck drivers?
Because I’ve still to meet a truck driver who actually avoids tunnels.
You obviously didn’t watch the video.Unless that,for just a random example,is your idea of a full Swiss truck piggy back rail tunnel train.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCZl6ycZuBI
7.47-9.12
Truck drivers/operators avoiding ‘tunnels’ can be seen at any time using Dover - Calais or Dunkirk crossings.Or as I said on the Simplon or Brenner at least.Nor is it anything new.
Carryfast:
muckles:
So where were all these empty trains? Watched the video can’t see them.Are these people who generally avoid tunnels truck drivers?
Because I’ve still to meet a truck driver who actually avoids tunnels.You obviously didn’t watch the video.Unless that,for just a random example,is your idea of a full Swiss truck piggy back rail tunnel train.
youtube.com/watch?v=oCZl6ycZuBI
7.47-9.12
Truck drivers/operators avoiding ‘tunnels’ can be seen at any time using Dover - Calais or Dunkirk crossings.Or as I said on the Simplon or Brenner at least.Nor is it anything new.
Sorry I didn’t watch that video, not really in the habit of watching train videos.
But seem to be a couple of reasonably full trains in the last video of the series, which doesn’t seem bad as 08/01/2011 seems to be a Saturday according to my calender’s.
As for drivers and operators choosing the ferries over the Euro Tunnel, I didn’t realise it had been such a failure attracting operators?
As there always seemed plenty of freight using it when I’m on it, except weekends (maybe it’s my witty banter and repartee they all come for), and that’s despite the cost being higher than the cross channel ferries.
muckles:
Carryfast:
muckles:
So where were all these empty trains? Watched the video can’t see them.Are these people who generally avoid tunnels truck drivers?
Because I’ve still to meet a truck driver who actually avoids tunnels.You obviously didn’t watch the video.Unless that,for just a random example,is your idea of a full Swiss truck piggy back rail tunnel train.
youtube.com/watch?v=oCZl6ycZuBI
7.47-9.12
Truck drivers/operators avoiding ‘tunnels’ can be seen at any time using Dover - Calais or Dunkirk crossings.Or as I said on the Simplon or Brenner at least.Nor is it anything new.
Sorry I didn’t watch that video, not really in the habit of watching train videos.
But seem to be a couple of reasonably full trains in the last video of the series, which doesn’t seem bad as 08/01/2011 seems to be a Saturday according to my calender’s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2LG7Ixs9EEAs for drivers and operators choosing the ferries over the Euro Tunnel, I didn’t realise it had been such a failure attracting operators?
As there always seemed plenty of freight using it when I’m on it, except weekends (maybe it’s my witty banter and repartee they all come for), and that’s despite the cost being higher than the cross channel ferries.
Admittedly that suggests more demand than the first vid.Like the Channel Tunnel whether that translates as sufficient demand for an increase in capacity in the form of another Tunnel is another matter.
While I wasn’t suggesting that no one uses the Channel Tunnel what I was pointing out was that there are still plenty of heavy transport operators choosing not to use the tunnel.Just as in the case of the Simplon and Brenner.
In which case as I said I’d be surprised if such an increase in rail capacity didn’t involve the removal of the alternative road pass options.
Which in the case of either the Channel Tunnel or the Simplon and now Gotthard would logically translate as removal of the road pass and ferry options to make the capacity increase viable.At which point that obviously at least creates a conflict of interest issue between at least Austrian and Swiss road toll revenues v Rail operators or the Channel Tunnel operators v Ferry operators.
While anything which helps the switch from road to rail,by adding to rail operators revenues,is realistically an issue of Turkeys voting for Christmas in the case of the European road transport industry as a whole.In addition to arguably being a more dangerous and/or boring option from the driver’s point of view.