orys:
We have ONE wide gauge line (link provided above) allowing us to import raw metal from Soviet Union - the line goes to Katowice Steel Mill… Just as you have one European standard train line that goes into London so European size cars can enter UK.
I assume you are referring to HS1, the Channel Tunnel line? Which is all well and good, but EuroStar and Le Shuttle would go Ape if we started loading slow speed containers onto that track.
Not to mention the fact that the gauge decision on HS1 would have been because the French TGV gauge is better suited to high speed passenger routing than UK standard gauge. More about passenger comfort than the ability to run interchangable rolling stock with the rest of Europe. It could just as easily have gone the other way and there been a run of UK standard gauge in France and Belgium, because the line is dedicated to one service.
nsmith1180:
I assume you are referring to HS1, the Channel Tunnel line? Which is all well and good, but EuroStar and Le Shuttle would go Ape if we started loading slow speed containers onto that track.
Not to mention the fact that the gauge decision on HS1 would have been because the French TGV gauge is better suited to high speed passenger routing than UK standard gauge. More about passenger comfort than the ability to run interchangable rolling stock with the rest of Europe. It could just as easily have gone the other way and there been a run of UK standard gauge in France and Belgium, because the line is dedicated to one service.
Yeah, but I was rather aiming at carryfast’s stupid comments about politically and strategic meaning of having railways of certain standards in one’s country.
As for the line, I know about tunnel line standard, but I am saying about loading gauge in that context, so no track width but about bridge and traction lines clearance. British railways are lower then rest of Europe - that’s why your container train cars are so low-riders and that’s why you don’t have double decker trains. I am not sure but I think that your train cars are also slightly narrower. I know there is one Deutsche Bahn cargo train that goes from Poland somewhere near London (Tilbury maybe?) and it was written in the article I read about it that they use “the only British line that allows enough clearance for standard railway cars”.
orys:
We have ONE wide gauge line (link provided above) allowing us to import raw metal from Soviet Union - the line goes to Katowice Steel Mill… Just as you have one European standard train line that goes into London so European size cars can enter UK.
I assume you are referring to HS1, the Channel Tunnel line? Which is all well and good, but EuroStar and Le Shuttle would go Ape if we started loading slow speed containers onto that track.
Not to mention the fact that the gauge decision on HS1 would have been because the French TGV gauge is better suited to high speed passenger routing than UK standard gauge. More about passenger comfort than the ability to run interchangable rolling stock with the rest of Europe. It could just as easily have gone the other way and there been a run of UK standard gauge in France and Belgium, because the line is dedicated to one service.
Why do think they would need the high speed line for slow rail freight services through the tunnel.They run slow freight service from uk-europe to the continent all the time using the standard lines.
nsmith1180:
I assume you are referring to HS1, the Channel Tunnel line? Which is all well and good, but EuroStar and Le Shuttle would go Ape if we started loading slow speed containers onto that track.
Not to mention the fact that the gauge decision on HS1 would have been because the French TGV gauge is better suited to high speed passenger routing than UK standard gauge. More about passenger comfort than the ability to run interchangable rolling stock with the rest of Europe. It could just as easily have gone the other way and there been a run of UK standard gauge in France and Belgium, because the line is dedicated to one service.
Yeah, but I was rather aiming at carryfast’s stupid comments about politically and strategic meaning of having railways of certain standards in one’s country.
Yeah right we’re all friends with the Russians and the Chinese Communist Party now that there’s a few quid to be made from it by the bankers.
Carryfast:
Yeah right we’re all friends with the Russians and the Chinese Communist Party now that there’s a few quid to be made from it by the bankers.
You would rather prefer to be enemies and that these few quids were made by arm manufacturers?
Carryfast:
Yeah right we’re all friends with the Russians and the Chinese Communist Party now that there’s a few quid to be made from it by the bankers.
You would rather prefer to be enemies and that these few quids were made by arm manufacturers?
I don’t think we’ve actually been ‘enemies’ with the Chinese since the Korean war and the Yangste incident but that doesn’t mean we have to trust them or provide them with the wealth to increase their military power.Which contrary to your ideas they are doing more now than they ever did when they blew the zb out of that boat just for being there.No sorry orys I don’t trust them or the Russians and things were just fine as they were during the 1960’s and 1970’s in regards to our dealings with those countries as far as I’m concerned.
Harry Monk:
Besides which, there’s a mahoosive new container terminal being built on the Thames, that will probably change container shipping more than this rail link.
They’re supposed to be building one of these mega container ship terminals at Liverpool too. Port of Liverpool did have daily trains from Europe into it a few years ago, as far as i know thats stopped now. Also there was trains running only a few years ago from Europe right into Kirkby, thats also stopped. Think they carried freight like water/paper heavy stuff like that.
orys:
So who knows, maybe soon the container boys instead of going to Folkestone to pick their boxes from the boat, will go to pick their boxes from the Polish town Åódź (that, incidentally, means “A boat”)?
So maritime et al are going to send their drivers to pick up a box from poland are they orys? More likley they will use cheap eastern European drivers with their cheap diesel to do it direct to customer and cut out british operators all together.
If they do that would be justice against the rail freight loving Brits.
That’s honestly the only post of yours I’ve managed to retain a semblance of interest in from start to finish!
shuttlespanker:
Carryfast, does your arse get jealous of the amount of crap that comes out of your gob?
^this. So many times this.
SShhhh!!! He might be back, he’ll still be googling about Russia,China and the Korean war
…and don’t forget a short lecture for me to prove how little I understand about Poland and what is the significance of all changes that happened since our king, Vaclav Havel, destroyed the Wall in Budapest in 1987
Everything I read about China indicates that the days of cheap manufacturing there are numbered.
The Chinese worker now wants to be able to buy the stuff he makes…more of their production will be mopped up by internal demand and their labour costs will get higher.
They also want more genuine western imported goods.Whisky is a good example of a UK product that they pay a premium price for.
Oh and Happy New Year to Orys, been missing your interesting posts.
