European Tribune - Comments - China wants 380 km/h trains

China wants 380 km/h trains | 72 comments (72 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Surely the answer is to make the time spent on trains 'productive', rather than passive relocation.

Damn right. On most French TGV, you can't plug your laptop, so that either you're on your own power, or you somehow know which trains do offer the possibility, or maybe you travel first class.

Just plain old 220v. power on a recent electrical train : it can't be such an engineering challenge ?

by balbuz on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 06:14:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Saving time (none / 1)

It's not. The modern German trains all have power, at least at the seats next to tables, and some trains have them at most seats.

The ICE from Munich to Frankfurt even has WLAN (I haven't actually had a chance to try it yet), and this should be extended to Hamburg by the end of the year.

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 06:30:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Saving time (none / 1)

It shall come with the regular refurbishment, I guess. When I travelled across France last year, of my three trips on TGV, one was on a refurbished one, and from Reims to Le Mans, laptops were loudly replaying movies all around me...

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 06:37:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Saving time (4.00 / 2)

(In most cases, those were cartoons which fathers showed their children.)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 06:37:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Saving time (none / 1)

Our bog standard economy class Great Western trains to London have plugs for each seat. I think Virgin trains do too but definitely not all lines offer that.

Ad astra per aspera

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 07:20:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Thalys and Eurostar (none / 1)

have power plugs (at least in first class) and Thalys now has wifi throughout the train (which works fine).

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 09:20:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Thalys and Eurostar (none / 1)

Have you been forced out of the business jets to London City Airport? :-)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 09:21:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Thalys and Eurostar (4.00 / 2)

I should damn well hope so ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 09:34:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Nope (none / 1)

It's still more convenient for me when I go to London. But there is no plane service to Brussels.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 05:09:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Nope (none / 1)

Nor Eurostar service, unless you change trains at Lille?

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 05:10:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Nope (none / 1)

Or, eh, thinking jet-set, maybe you frequently travel from London to Brussels?

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 05:11:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Nope (4.00 / 2)

Actually, Thalys is the Eurostar equivalent on Paris-Brussels line.

Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.

by Bernard on Fri Sep 5th, 2008 at 03:36:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Nope (none / 1)

Well duh, but Jérôme said "Thalys and Eurostar have power plugs", so he must have experience with both.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Sep 5th, 2008 at 04:35:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

China wants 380 km/h trains | 72 comments (72 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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