French Rail Company Orders 2,000 Trains Too Wide for Stations

[unokitty]

France's national railway operator SNCF has ordered 2,000 new trains that are too large for many of the stations they are due to serve.

The train operator has admitted failing to verify measurements it was given by the rail operator before ordering its new rolling stock.

The costly mistake has sparked an urgent €50m operation to modify 1,300 platforms on the regional network. SNCF has admitted that one in six regional train stations is affected. In the worst cases it has discovered two trains can no longer pass each other on adjacent lines.

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

Uno

 

[Genx87]

Oops

 

[dank69]

As my 2yo daughter would say:

Oopies

 

[Newell Steamer]

Sacre bleu,.. they sacre blew it!!

 

[brycejones]

ouch

 

[PottedMeat]

they should just say 'fuck it', heavily armor the front of the first car, and go full speed ahead. the problem will take care of itself.

 

[kranky]

Wow, verifying the envelope for trains is pretty much Planning 101. I've seen studies where they factor in the slight tilt of the train as it goes around curves, anything that protrudes from station walls and tunnels, maximum train car dimensions, and a slight margin for error on top of that.

To STILL end up specifying a train that doesn't fit is crazy. It's automatic that you verify measurements of everything that exists and that's how you know what will fit. Someone took a massive shortcut and got burned.

 

[Jaskalas]

You too can be the lowest bidder, just cut out those pesky measurements.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

Uno

A mistake like that would mean a lot of idiots on both ends. No one in engineering called back to check the specifications?

 

[Attic]

ruh-roh

 

[hal2kilo]

Call out the RCA uh! oh! squad.

 

[werepossum]

they should just say 'fuck it', heavily armor the front of the first car, and go full speed ahead. the problem will take care of itself.

lol +1

The part where two trains can no longer pass, not so much. I'm pretty sure they are even wider when laying on their sides.

 

[momeNt]

I guess Marshall's, Tuesday Morning, and TJ Maxx will be selling trains soon.

 

[brycejones]

I guess Marshall's, Tuesday Morning, and TJ Maxx will be selling trains soon.

Just go down to Big Bob Billy's buy here pay here train dealership. He'll make you one sweet deal.

 

[alzan]

Measure twice, cut once.

 

[werepossum]

I guess Marshall's, Tuesday Morning, and TJ Maxx will be selling trains soon.

lol+
For sale, cheap, French trains only crashed once. Come with non-removable stations.

Measure twice, cut once.

Beats measure none, crash once.

On the flip side, they've apparently needed to do this for some time, so these emergency changes will give them a better, more modern system.

 

[dmcowen674]

Lost in all of this is the fact they are ordering 2,000 trains.

Things can't be as bad there in Liberal French land as Republicans here have you to believe.

 

[Moonbeam]

Lost in all of this is the fact they are ordering 2,000 trains.

Things can't be as bad there in Liberal French land as Republicans here have you to believe.

The highways are fabulous, mostly separated 6 lanes, and very smooth. The speed limit is 130 kilometers and hour. I was going to take the trains from Milano to Nice, but United fucked up and my luggage was delayed 4 days,so I got blisters walking in dress shoes and only shoes I had, so I paid 600 euro to drive my rental to Paris. The train from Paris to London was terrific. It's weird going under a sea.

 

[AdamantC]

This is the country that gave us the Maginot Line and failed to get away with sinking a hippie ship. So yeah... no big surprise there.

 

[DrPizza]

Blame the intern!