Does the first person to comment on a FireDogLake thread still go "Fitz" ? keep to the Fen Causeway
But first I am really going to relax, do nothing, read and so on... for a few days and am very much looking forward to it.
Didn't experience much of the weather/travel chaos, only a half hour delay on the trip from Berlin to Amsterdam and 20 minutes today (on a trip 1/10th the distance) because my train decided to change from intercity to regional for the occasion of there being snow. Lucky, lucky.
Today, temperatures jumped 10 degrees, so there was no problem towards Budapest. But there was some problem again on my way back, and I was a hour late. (And I can barely believe it but information of passengers got even worse. What with a pitch-black train with lowered pantograph indicated to depart with a 10 minute delay... 10 minutes ago. My company is disintegrating.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
The problem in the Netherlands was also due to frozen switches. They had gas heating, but this broke down. Spokesperson for pro-rail said they could have reliable electric heating switches for 45 million Euros, nationwide, which seems like a no-brainer to me because 3 days of only regional trains is really bad for the image of the railways, even if it only happens once every so many years.
Climate change means more extreme weather, so, you know, it's an adaptation measure.
I still remember the last time snow caused these issues. Only three or four years ago. Then it wasn't due to the quantity, but it being the wrong kind of snow. Too fine, would wear the wheels down too quickly. Better not to run any trains! Saves money.
I'll stop by every once in a while; enjoy time with your loved ones everybody; I know I will :) Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
