Wrong type of neige – or wrong type of country?
The usual orgy of self-criticism followed the stranding of Eurostar trains and passengers – especially when the chief-exec unwisely mentioned that the snow in northern France was dryer than usual.
‘Wrong type of leaves’ was the infamous excuse many years ago for our railways slithering to a halt; earlier this year is was ‘wrong type of snow’.
We are used to temperate weather across most of the UK and don’t harden our systems against extremes as they do in continental Europe and the US where winters tend to be far colder. We are also not afraid of self-criticism, which is a fine quality in a nation.
But in this case, have we got it wrong? The Eurostar trains are closely based on the very French TGVs about which so many Britons with a little summer place in the Dordogne wax lyrical – partly because they never had to pay for the system through their taxes.
They are also built in the France. The troublesome snow was also French – and they should be used to snow in northern France. So maybe we’re targeting the wrong country – for once?
An interesting point… I think you should splash this all over the internet!!
I’ve been over to Lyon this weekend and just got back today, and personally, I think it’s very important to remember that the services are even now still running, and if you look on the Ebbsfleet or any of the other station websites, they do actually provide this information, but services have been reduced for user safety, as much as anything else.
Jen