A salute to Le Train Bleu

FROM: Chicago Tribune

DATE: 13/02/2011

AUTHOR: Bill Daley

PARIS — A grand survivor of France's storied Belle Epoque, Le Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon is a stunning reminder of when train travel was an exquisite sort of luxury. Not 1 square centimeter of wall or ceiling space is unadorned in this palatial restaurant, one grand staircase flight above the tracks. Nymphs and gods loll indulgently above tall banks of windows amid miles of gilt embellishment. Massive chandeliers illuminate colorfully painted ceilings and walls, many with scenes of various locales in southern France. (The train station primarily serves southern and eastern France.)

There's a grand, romantic swirl to the place, which was inaugurated by the French president himself April 7, 1901. Just as M.F.K. Fisher, America's greatest food writer, argued that the Gare de Lyon was "not a station but a place," so is Le Train Bleu not just a restaurant. Fisher wrote about that in her book, "As They Were," recounting her first lunch in the station's restaurant. Her meal? A simple repast of bread, good butter, Parma ham that tasted like violets and a half-bottle of Champagne. Memories were coined and a silent vow made to return.

Fisher did go back, but this was the late 1960s. Both the train station and the restaurant were distinctly down at the heels. Learning that the building was destined for destruction, Fisher urged friend Janet Flanner, the famed Paris correspondent for The New Yorker, to visit the station. Flanner did; deeply moved, she persuaded Andre Malraux, then France's very influential minister of culture, to take steps to save and ultimately restore both as symbols of French heritage as worthy of protection as any cathedral or monument.

Today, the china plates at Le Train Bleu carry this designation: "classe monument historique" (designated historical monument). That it is so architecturally, visually and spiritually — your emotions swell in such palatial surroundings — is undoubted. The restaurant deserves a visit on these grounds alone.

Whether Le Train Bleu merits a visit today for its food is debatable, unfortunately.

For years there has been talk of lackluster fare or fluctuating quality. Of-the-moment foodies sniff at the very traditional menu and the old-fashioned style of tableside service and rolling carving stations. For the prices Le Train Bleu charges, one can do better, they say.

Up until my last visit I might have debated that. I would have recalled a plate of oysters preening in their shells that were as cold and shockingly briny as a rogue wave crashing on a beach. I would have remembered fondly the ruddy Lyonnaise-style sausage wrapped in pastry, the sweetbreads silkily poached and the quenelle, a fine fish mousse served in a hearty Provencal sauce.

But this last visit was different. The food was good but not great. My starter of white sausage served with seared foie gras and apples in a rich veal sauce drizzled with a touch of honey was quite nice, with the savory plushness of the fatted liver playing off the sharp tang of the apples and the porky sweetness of the sausage. A nice first step, but the dish was served lukewarm. A lobster bisque was served searingly hot, but the turnip-thickened soup offered just one flavor note: lobster. Roast lamb carved rosy rare tableside had a pronounced muttonlike flavor — an acquired taste. The meat was enhanced by a hearty serving of potatoes swimming in melted blue cheese. Pork cheeks slow-cooked in a Madeira wine sauce had the toothsome, wine-enriched flavor and texture that invited one to pause and savor. I did. Yet this stewlike dish was arranged around a polenta cake, a forgettable cardboardlike disc. Le Train Bleu's desserts are either traditional or silly. Delightfully in the latter category is its vacherin — meringue shapes topped with ice cream, fruit sorbets, syrups and whipped cream.

The service team was not on its game. Our reservation was for 9 p.m., but no one came to fetch us out of the adjoining Big Ben Bar (a grand spot for collecting one's thoughts and luggage over a glass of wine). We finally walked up to the captain's station on our own. Our waiter disappeared halfway through a meal whose pacing started out like gangbusters but dragged slowly to a tired halt around midnight.

But what saved the night was a comment from the old waiter who appeared to take the tab. When asked how customers had changed over his 18 years there, he slightly shook his head.

"People still come up the staircase with anticipation,'' he replied in French. "And it's our job to fulfill their dreams."

What can one say to top that?

Admittedly, my dreams were not completely fulfilled that night. But as I walked down that dramatic staircase past tracks that stretched out into the cold Parisian night, I felt warmed by his words. The magic of Le Train Bleu so eloquently spun by M.F.K. Fisher still held sway.

So, if in Paris and especially if one is bound for the south of France, plan to arrive two hours before the train departs to relax amid the splendor of Le Train Bleu.

Gare de Lyon, Place Louis Armand, 12th Arrondissement. Telephone: 33-01-43-43-09-06, le-train-bleu.com.

An alternative

Terminus Nord — Le Train Bleu is not the only food solution for hungry train travelers. Directly across from the bustling Gare du Nord in the 10th Arrondissement is the Terminus Nord, a brightly lit Art Deco-themed brasserie dating from 1925.

Terminus Nord is part of the Groupe Flo network of brasseries, and it's very proud of its shellfish. You'll find boxes of oysters, periwinkles and shrimp preening in the window. Start the meal with six or more oysters served on the half-shell atop a platter of chopped ice. Or consider cold poached eggs — the creamy yolks are startling deep orange — topped with a creamy tarragon sauce.

23 rue de Dunkerque, 10th Arrondissement; 33-01-42-85-05-15. Open daily 8:30-10:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-1 a.m. terminusnord.com.

— B.D.

A taste of Wonderland on the steam railway

FROM: Whitby Gazette

DATE: 21/02/2011

AUTHOR: n/a

GROSMONT became Wonderland this Monday (21 February) as the Mad Hatter’s tea party climbed aboard the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The event was organised to celebrate a new partnership between NYMR and Matter Hatter Tea, who will be the sole suppliers of tea served on the railway this summer.

The Mad Hatter Tea Company, who also supply Grand Central Railways, chose the NYMR due to the strong links Whitby has with Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll.

Carroll was a regular visitor to Whitby and it is believed he derived the inspiration for his poem The Walrus and Carpenter while strolling along Whitby beach.

The NYMR is the world’s most popular heritage steam railway and it is estimated that 100,000 cups of tea are consumed on the line each year.

Train driver attacked by seagull, commuters delayed

FROM: Metro

DATE: 18/02/2011

AUTHOR: n/a

Commuters are used to their trains being late - however, the delays are not normally caused by a vicious seagull attacking the driver.

The driver of the 8.15am train from Hastings to London yesterday morning was walking along the platform when a seagull flew down and struck his head, reports The Daily Mail.

He was checked over by first-aiders following the attack and resumed his duties around 15 minutes later, but not before an announcement had been made explaining the reason for the train's delay.

One waiting passenger, foster carer Liza Donaghue, told the newspaper: 'No one had really taken any notice until that point, then everyone looked and started looking at each other and saying, "Did he just say what I thought he said?"

'Then everyone started laughing. People could not believe it.'

A spokesman for Southeastern Trains said that while seagull attacks are rare, they can be very dangerous.

In Birmingham, locals are also having issues with brazen seagulls, with the birds swooping down on people's heads and stealing food from their hands.

According to the Birmingham Mail, councillors plan to fill the winged menaces' nests with fake eggs in a bid to persuade them to keep out of harm's way.

Napoletana si denuda in treno, ricoverata

FROM: Termoli On Line

DATE: 16/02/2011

AUTHOR: Emanuele Bracone

TERMOLI. “Quando ‘a cape n’è bone”.

Chissà quante volte abbiamo sentito questa frase in napoletano, nemmeno troppo stretto, dai tanti partenopei che gravitano sulla città di Termoli.

Parole che stanno a significare un equilibrio mentale precario, una descrizione che calza a pennello per la signora 40enne che lunedì pomeriggio, sul treno Eurostar proveniente da Torino e diretto a Lecce, nella tratta Vasto-Termoli ha voluto inscenare un vero e proprio show, per la gioia, si fa per dire, degli occhi dei malcapitati viaggiatori, costretti a chiudere le tendine degli scompartimenti per evitare di essere infastiditi.

La donna, una tossicodipendente con diversi precedenti penali, senza motivo apparente, anche perché difficilmente ce ne sarebbe potuto essere uno, ha cominciato a spogliarsi disseminando i suoi indumenti di qua e di là sul pavimento delle carrozze del convoglio ferroviario, sotto lo sguardo incredulo dei clienti di Trenitalia e, soprattutto, con lo sgomento del personale, capotreno compreso, che certo non avrebbe potuto fermarla direttamente.

In quattro delle decine di carrozze, la napoletana ha scorazzato in lungo e il largo, rimanendo solo con le mutandine e il resto del corpo in evidenza.

Scena di assoluto imbarazzo. Una ventina di minuti di ordinaria follia. Giunti allo scalo di Termoli, nel frattempo era stata avvertita la polizia ferroviaria, gli agenti sono saliti a bordo dell’Eurostar, e con estrema calma e pazienza, hanno agito professionalmente in modo ineccepibile, dialogando col capotreno sul da farsi, recuperando alla svelta gli abiti dismessi e gettati un po’ ovunque, e facendo rivestire al più presto la 40enne, per condurla negli uffici del comando che si trova nella stazione termolese.

Una ricerca al terminale con i dati anagrafici relativi all’identificazione hanno permesso di svelare una fedina penale con precedenti chilometrici, mentre in stazione stava arrivando il 118.

I medici, sempre su richiesta della Polfer, hanno visitato la donna e hanno convenuto di trasferirla al San Timoteo di Termoli, per un Tso, il ricovero coatto nel reparto di psichiatria.

Non paga di quello che era successo, ieri mattina la signora ha ripetuto lo show, spogliandosi e girando mezza nuda anche in quel contesto. Con ogni probabilità la lista delle malefatte già pingue si arricchirà di una denuncia a piede libero per atti osceni in luogo pubblico.

One loose nut derailed KTX train

FROM: Korea JoongAng Daily

DATE: 15/02/2011

AUTHOR: Kim Hee-jin

Human error was responsible for the derailing of a KTX train last Friday - lots of human error.

And the Blue House announced yesterday that three of the 10 cars on the derailed train were private cars for President Lee Myung-bak, though the president wasn’t on board at the time.

According to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs yesterday, the train was derailed by a small nut and bolt in a switching box that hadn’t been tightened by a repairman.

The loose nut set off alarms in the train surveillance center, which controls KTX trains, three times, and several trains were allowed through the Iljin tunnel on different tracks.

But after a communication lapse, the Seoul-bound “Sancheon” hit the faulty tracks and derailed at 1:05 p.m. Friday about 500 meters (0.3 miles) away from Gwangmyeong Station in Gyeonggi. Six of the train’s 10 cars jumped the tracks.

It was the first derailment for the 7-year-old KTX system.

“The reason for the derailing of the KTX train was that a control box attached to the track [in the tunnel] had been poorly repaired,” the ministry said.

According to the ministry, a repairman from Korea Railroad Corp. worked in the tunnel at about 1:30 a.m. Friday changing cables in a switching box attached to the track in the tunnel. The repairman also changed several nuts and didn’t tighten one nut that was 7 millimeters (0.28 inches) in diameter.

The switching box helps trains switch from one set of tracks on the left side of the tunnel to a set on the right-hand side. If it malfunctions, it can’t align the switching tracks properly.

Because of the loose nut, the switching box sent a series of three error signals to the train surveillance center. Korail sent a group of repairmen to the box at 7:30 a.m, but they failed to find the loose nut. They decided to fix the box later and manually manipulated the box to let all KTX trains go through the tunnel on the tracks on the left, not the ones on the right side.

“As most KTX trains entering Gwangmyeong Station go straight forward, the repairmen made that decision, we guess,” the ministry said.

But the repairmen didn’t tell the train surveillance center what they had done. Without knowing of the problem, the center ordered the Sancheon to switch to the track on the right, but the switching box malfunctioned, leading to the derailment.

The ministry said the train was initially supposed to use the safe, left-hand tracks. But it was 3 minutes behind schedule, and the surveillance center decided to use the right-hand tracks to shave a few seconds off its travel time.

“If the repairmen and the center had fully communicated with each other before the train entered the tunnel, the accident would have been prevented,” the ministry said.

But the ministry said that it was continuing to investigate the accident.

“Whether the loosely tightened nut was caused by a mistake by the repairman or not should be discovered through an in-depth investigation,” the ministry said. “The nut could have become loose by a malfunction of the switching box.”

According to the Blue House, the derailed train contained three presidential cars, although President Lee wasn’t traveling on it that day.

The presidential cars include an office, conference room and other facilities, according to the Blue House. They are off-limits to the public.

The presidential cars were among the front four cars that didn’t derail and weren’t damaged.

An official from Korail said it was still waiting to find out the exact reason for the accident. Korail said the repairmen weren’t regular workers for the state-run railroad corporation, but were hired from a private company temporarily.

“According to our working system, outside temporary workers rarely report any malfunctions to the center directly,” an official from Korail said. “And it appears the repairmen on Friday didn’t report the problems in the switching box to the center as well.”

Korail has increasingly hired temporary repairmen. Its union argues the practice could threaten the safety of passengers on trains, an official from the union said.

“We believe that the derailment was caused because Korail is increasingly outsourcing its repair work to private contractors, not inspecting tracks and facilities with its own workers,” an official from the labor union said. “An overall re-evaluation of the safety of trains and the repair work should be done soon.”

All KTX trains are now running on normal schedules.

Train driver refused to work because his seat was damp

FROM: The Telegraph

DATE: 11/02/2011

AUTHOR: n/a

The driver on the Southeastern train from Hastings in East Sussex to London 'categorically refused' to take to his seat after finding out it was soaked through.

But instead of putting a jacket over the wet patch or seeking a solution to the 'crisis', the driver walked off – leaving hundreds of commuters forced to wait another 30 minutes to get to work.

Managers at Southeastern – which was slammed by passengers last month after diverting a commuter train through a giant train wash – admitted that 'water had got into the cabin' and the driver was 'unable to sit' on the damp seat.

Angry commuters, however, failed to see why the driver couldn't have simply put his waterproof jacket over the seat before setting off.

Gemma Ellis, 34, said: "What is really annoying is that this driver point blank refused to get in the train.

"As soon as he realised his seat was wet that was it – it was game over as far as he was concerned and he just walked off – I dare say to sit about and have a cup of tea."

The advertising boss, who was stranded with hundreds of others last month, added: "We all had to stand around and wait for the next train half-an-hour later – it was ridiculous."

Fellow commuter Alistair McLuskie said: "It's an absolute joke. I wouldn't normally complain if the train is just a bit delayed, but this was unbelievable.

"It's just another thing in a long list of Southeastern's failures.

"We're supposed to be living in the 21st century, not the 19th century."

Lionel Shields, the secretary of the Tonbridge Line Commuters – a voluntary group set up to protect the welfare of passengers – said the company's actions were 'farcical'.

He said: "I think it's a bit farcical. I don't really know what to say.

"One would have thought that there were procedures to follow in all such circumstances.

"Cancelling a train has rather a serious effect on commuters' journeys. One would hope the rail company is penalised in some way for the draconian course of action."

Bosses at Southeastern said the driver's seat had 'become wet' after water got in a 'faulty window' when the locomotive went through a train wash.

A spokeswoman for Southeastern said: "It may seem like a fairly trivial and strange incident.

"We are investigating what the situation was because obviously we go round and check the windows are up, so this sort of thing doesn't happen.

"The water did get into the cabin and did soak the inside of the cabin.

"Unfortunately, when you're driving the train, from our staff's perspective, going on a shift and having to stand for hours on end isn't practical for the driver to do."

Queen catches train back to London after winter break

FROM: The Telegraph

DATE: 07/02/2011

AUTHOR: n/a

The Queen was travelling back to London by train today after her mid-winter break in Norfolk.

She caught the scheduled 10.59 First Capital Connect service from King's Lynn to King's Cross as she made her way from the Royal Sandringham Estate, near King's Lynn, to Buckingham Palace.

First Capital Connect said the Queen, who is 84, travelled first class at the front of the four-carriage train and would have paid £47.20 - or £31.50 if she used a senior citizens' railcard.

A spokesman said the train left on time and arrived in London at 12.32 - a minute earlier than scheduled.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh spent Christmas and New Year on the royal estate at Sandringham, near King's Lynn.

One onlooker said the Queen arrived at the station with a royal protection officer and smiled at railway staff before boarding a first-class carriage.

On Sunday, around 200 people gathered to see her attend a church service on the 59th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

The Queen chatted to well-wishers and accepted flowers from children after the service at the St Peter and St Paul Church in West Newton, near Sandringham, with the Duke of Edinburgh.

George VI - the Queen's father - died in his sleep early on February 6 1952 while staying at Sandringham.

Royal gun salutes are usually fired around the country on Accession Day.

This year salutes were fired at noon on Monday because Accession Day fell on a Sunday.

Predicatori a Milano sui vagoni del metrò

FROM: Corriere della Sera

DATE: 01/02/2011

AUTHOR: Roberto Rizzo

L'iniziativa dei pentecostali. Christian, ex Latin King: «I vecchi compagni mi picchiano, ma io vado avanti»

MILANO — La parola di Dio viaggia ogni domenica pomeriggio sulla linea 1 della metropolitana milanese, da piazza Duomo a Sesto Marelli, periferia nord della città. A diffonderla, vagone dopo vagone su opuscoli colorati con citazioni dalla Bibbia e del Vangelo sono hermano Juan Carlos (Sanchez) e sorella Claribel (Paredes), mentre, appena le porte si chiudono e il treno riparte, con voce baritonale hermano Josè (Manrique) attacca la predica: «Ascoltate la parola di Dio! Gesù è dentro di noi, ascoltate, ascoltate!». I passeggeri della domenica ascoltano svogliati, abituati a vedere di tutto sui treni della MM: i questuanti, i musici e ora, la novità: i predicatori del metrò. «Non mi piace il proselitismo», mormora al marito una signora infastidita. Un’altra rifiuta l’opuscolo che hermano Jonathan (9 anni) le porge. Con hermano Christian, un ragazzo non usa mezze misure: «Sparisci!».

Dura la vita per i predicatori della linea 1, fedeli del Movimento missionario europeo, una delle 70 chiese evangeliche pentecostali presenti a Milano e provincia. I predicatori, un centinaio, divisi in gruppi da 20-25 l’uno (dai bambini agli anziani, molti i giovani), sparpagliati per la città, sono gli ultras della fede. A quanto pare, il futuro del cristianesimo passa anche dal loro lavoro sotterraneo. Hermanos e sorelle, immigrati sudamericani che ogni domenica predicano in metropolitana per convertire i milanesi. «Entro il 2025 metà della cristianità del mondo sarà pentecostale. In Usa, Brasile, e Africa i pentecostali stanno già superando i cattolici», afferma Alessandro Iovino del «Centro studi delle nuove religioni». In Italia i pentecostali che fanno parte della chiesa del «risveglio», nata successivamente alla riforma protestante del XVI secolo, sono in costante aumento (dopo cattolici e testimoni di Geova sono la terza presenza religiosa tra le confessioni con cui lo Stato ha stretto accordi, come l’8 per mille: tuttavia, per quanto riguarda i Testimoni di Geova, l'intesa con lo Stato è stata approvata dal Consiglio dei Ministri il 21 gennaio 2000 e sottoscritta dal Governo il 20 marzo dello stesso anno, ma non è mai stata ratificata dal Parlamento). «I dati dicono che i cittadini italiani di fede pentecostale sono 250 mila. Numeri che non tengono conto del fenomeno delle chiese etniche. Con gli immigrati, i fedeli arrivano a 400 mila».

A loro vanno aggiunte le altre chiese evangeliche: «Tra italiani e stranieri, gli evangelici sono circa 800 mila», aggiunge Luca Baratto che su Radio1 Rai conduce il programma Culto evangelico. Senza dimenticare «testimonial» come i calciatori, da Kakà a Legrottaglie e Cavani, che aderiscono agli «Atleti di Cristo», sportivi di fede evangelica pentecostale. Il proselitismo è uno dei fondamenti della dottrina e alla guida dei predicatori del metrò c’è pastore Michael Rodas. Peruviano, 41 anni, moglie e due figlie, fondatore del Movimento missionario europeo, in Italia da 18 anni. «Quando ho iniziato, nel 1993 eravamo in cinque a predicare tra gli ubriachi che bivaccavano in piazza Duomo». La chiesa di pastore Michael (slogan: «Gesù è il Signore di Milano» ) è un capannone a Sesto S. Giovanni: «La domenica, per la funzione, arrivano 400 fedeli. Nella chiesa cattolica si prega a mani giunte, noi cantiamo, balliamo, esprimiamo la fede. Italiani? Al momento sono una decina». Sorella Carolina, 36 anni dall’Ecuador, lavora per un’impresa di pulizie e predica a ritmo rap: «Bisogna uscire dalle chiese e andare in strada, in metropolitana ovunque. La parola di Dio deve correre».

Christian, 30 anni, è un ex Latin King, la gang giovanile sudamericana: «Quando Cristo è entrato in me ho lasciato i Latin King. Ora cerco di portare loro la parola di Dio. Mi insultano, mi hanno picchiato, ma vado avanti». «Cristo è qui, Cristo è tra di noi!»: Tatiana Auruia, 21 anni, impiegata, Bibbia in mano affronta i coetanei che viaggiano in metrò: «Gli amici dicono che mi vesto da vecchia perché porto gonne lunghe, mai qualcosa di sexy. Ma il mio corpo è solo per l’uomo che sposerò». I pentecostali credono alle capacità soprannaturali, i carismi, che lo Spirito Santo conferisce ai credenti. Insomma, miracoli. L’ultimo, ai predicatori del metrò, è successo poco tempo fa: «Quando un ladro è entrato in chiesa per rubare. Non è più uscito, si è convertito ed è diventato uno dei nostri fedeli più devoti».

Britain's youngest train driver is just 17

FROM: Metro

DATE: 01/02/2011

AUTHOR: n/a

Alex Clements has celebrated becoming the country’s youngest train driver, at the age of 17.

The miniature steam train in Exbury Gardens in the New Forest that he drives has carried the Queen – and it took him three years of training before he was allowed to take charge on his own.

His passion for trains runs in the family as his father is a rail engineer.

And he hopes to take his skills onto mainline services – but he’ll have to wait until he’s 21 before he can take the test.

‘It’s funny as I can’t even drive a car yet, hopefully I’ll pass that test too,’ said the teenager from Marchwood, Hampshire.

'The Queen visits the gardens every now and again and it’s my ambition to have her aboard my train.

'The oldest driver here is 84, so there is quite a big difference in our ages.'