Swiss trains are victim of own success

FROM: Swissinfo

DATE: 02/01/2011

AUTHOR: Luigi Jorio

Despite the excellent reputation of Swiss public transport, rush-hour overcrowding may lead the authorities to make tough decisions that will not be popular.

Raising the ticket price during peak hours is one of the solutions on the table, while another is an expansion of services offered by the Swiss Federal Railways.

A typical day begins badly for many commuters. Seats are often only available for people who are lucky enough to get on the train at the first station.

And in the biggest Swiss cities, like Zurich and Geneva, the trams can be so crowded that it’s even considered a privilege to get inside the door, instead of having to wait for the next one to come along.

Half of the 900,000 customers who take Swiss trains every day do so during morning and evening rush hour, according to Alessandro Malfanti, spokesman for the Federal Railways.

“By 2030, demand will increase by 50 per cent, and by 100 per cent in the urban centres around Zurich and along the Lake Geneva corridor,” Malfanti said.

However, public transport expert Ulrich Weidmann says overcrowding at rush hour is nothing new in Switzerland.

“What’s new is the increase in commuters travelling long distances, such as between Zurich and Bern [125km] and Geneva and Lausanne [63km],” the professor at Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) told swissinfo.ch.

Lifestyle
This change in lifestyle, Weidmann added, is a consequence of the introduction of significant reforms as part of the Rail 2000 project, which has led to more frequent and better connections between towns and cities.

The Public Transport Association is looking at various solutions to resolve the problem. The umbrella group, which includes the Federal Railways as its largest member, is considering granting retired people discounts for journeys starting after 9am or revising the entire public transport tariff system.

The latter is being investigated by a research team at St Gallen University. The experts are not excluding higher prices in general for rush hour trains. But the team’s Christian Lässer says this rise would be less for regular commuters than for occasional travellers.

While the findings of the university study will not be published until later in 2011, in an interview with the Le Matin newspaper, Lässer made his disapproval clear of people travelling unnecessarily during rush hour.

This same goes for Weidmann, pointing to pensioners in particular. “We shouldn’t only blame them – everyone has the right to travel. And how do you decide which journey is important and which is not? Many pensioners must, for example, go to the doctors [at a pre-determined time].

No choice
Weidmann does not think it is possible to influence the demand or encourage people to use the train at less busier times of the day. “In Zurich, people work fixed hours. They don’t have a choice,” he said.

He says the solution lies at the technical and operational level. “We need to be able to change the services offered by the railways and increase train frequency and passenger capacity on the busiest lines,” Weidmann said.

However he adds that it will not be easy implementing such changes in the current system since the timetable introduced as part of Rail 2000 integrates all rail and bus services across the country.

“The result is a very rigid and interconnected system in which it is difficult to make specific changes such as increasing the frequency of trains at certain times of the day or on well-defined routes.”

Malfanti of the Federal Railways says political considerations must also be taken into account when discussing how to cope with passenger increases, since the Federal Railways are state owned.

It is parliament which decides on financing of rail infrastructure. The railways spokesman says this will be “one of the biggest challenges facing Switzerland in the years to come”.

The discussion on the future of public transport will focus on the price of train tickets and rail passes. According to the experts, prices are too low.

“They could be at least 15 per cent higher,” Weidmann believes, concluding that such a move would not risk alienating rail passengers.

“Only a minority of them would choose to commute by car instead since parking is a problem in urban centres and trains are the fastest means of travelling between cities.”

Luigi Jorio, swissinfo.ch
(Adapted from Italian by Dale Bechtel)

Queen takes scheduled train to Sandringham

FROM: Daily Express

DATE: 18/12/2010

AUTHOR: Richard Palmer

WRAPPED up against the cold in a patterned red headscarf and overcoat, the Queen took a scheduled train to King's Lynn today to begin her Christmas break at Sandringham.

She and Prince Philip travelled on the 10.45 service from London King's Cross, sitting in a cordoned-off First Class compartment on £86 return tickets for the hour and 35-minute journey.

As Philip, 89, stretched out on one side, reading a newspaper, the Queen, 84, sat sharing a joke with a detective across the aisle, as other passengers joined the train at the London station.

To all intents and purposes, they looked like any other ordinary, slightly well-to-do couple travelling on the service.

But their arrival at King's Cross in a green Daimler with a police back-up Range Rover behind them 15 minutes before their scheduled departure caused mayhem for other passengers.

Police blocked access to three platforms at the busy station, meaning a couple of dozen angry passengers missed their trains while others were told they were too late to get onto the King's Lynn service, only for that decision to be rescinded a few moments later after some had left the station.

Businessman Mark Saywell was among those prevented from getting onto the platforms and missed the 10.36 to his hometown station, St Neots, Cambridgeshire. "I am a little bit disappointed, to say the least," he said sarcastically. "I had my Christmas party last night and I just want to get to bed. I've got another hour's wait now."

The journey marks the start of a seven-and-a-half week stay at Sandringham for the Queen, who always remains there until just after February 6, the day in 1952 that her father died and she acceded to the throne.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are expected to see her at the 20,000 acre estate this weekend. But the couple will not be there on Christmas Day, as William will be on duty at RAF Valley on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, where he works as a search and rescue helicopter pilot.

In the coming days, most other senior members of the Royal Family will gather at Sandringham for the festive season.

Fitzhugh turns down Jets to keep job as conductor

FROM: The Associated Press

DATE: 08/12/2010

AUTHOR: Dennis Waszak Jr.

NEW YORK (AP) — Keith Fitzhugh chose operating trains over a shot at a Super Bowl.

The free-agent safety turned down an offer to join the New York Jets to remain a conductor with Norfolk Southern Railroad and stay on track financially while helping support his parents in Atlanta.

"I've got something now where I know every two weeks I'm getting a paycheck," Fitzhugh told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Tuesday night. "That's what helps out the most right now. I don't knock the Jets at all. I highly appreciate them."

Jets coach Rex Ryan said the team was looking to sign a safety after Jim Leonhard was lost for the season last week with a broken shin and James Ihedigbo suffered a leg injury in New York's 45-3 loss to New England on Monday night. New York has only two safeties — Eric Smith and Brodney Pool — listed on its roster.

The 24-year-old Fitzhugh, who had stints in camp with the Jets the past two years, was contacted by the team but declined New York's offer to return.

"You don't hear this too often and some people might think it's not a good idea," Fitzhugh said. "Some people might think it is. I don't know. I just have to look out for what's best for me and my family."

Fitzhugh's decision was first reported by The Star-Ledger of Newark.

"To sacrifice what he did for his family is the most unselfish thing I've heard by a player in sports," said Daniel Rose, Fitzhugh's agent. "It's really impressive."

Fitzhugh's father, Keith Sr., is disabled and unable to work, while his mother, Meltonia, has been struggling to make ends meet.

"I know the Jets have a great opportunity of making the Super Bowl, and that's one dream that every child has is to play sports and make it to the Super Bowl or get to the World Series," Fitzhugh said. "But, there's a time when you have to think, 'Hey, you've only got one Mom and Dad.' They won't be here forever, and while they're here, you've got to cherish that time."

Fitzhugh went undrafted after an outstanding career at Mississippi State and signed last year with the Jets as a free agent. He was later cut and signed to the practice squad before Baltimore signed him last December. He re-signed with the Jets in the offseason.

"I was released three times. That's a lot," he said. "I just don't want to give up what I have now and say that I'm there for a couple of weeks and then I'm released again. Then, what am I going to do? It's really tough. It's the nature of the business."

Fitzhugh, who keeps in touch with a few former Jets teammates, has been working for Norfolk Southern Railroad for three months.

"I don't want to let them down or run from them because I got a shot for a couple of weeks," he said. "I just feel that that's not right at the moment. I'm looking more long-term in life right now than the short-term."

Fitzhugh said he has been blessed to work with his two childhood passions: football and trains. He also keeps close watch on his former team, to see if he still recognizes the defensive schemes Ryan is running.

"It's tough because I would love to say, 'Hey, I'm going to go out there and get it again,' but it's about a risk," he said. "Is it the end of my NFL career forever? I don't know. This is what I need to do right now."

70,000 commuters delayed by quarrel over cell phone on train in Chiba

TESTATA: Japan Today

DATA: 08/12/2010

AUTORE: n/a

ICHIKAWA - An argument on a Sobu line local train caused turmoil for tens of thousands of passengers in Chiba Prefecture on Tuesday morning. The incident involved two men arguing over the use of cell phones and caused the train to be delayed, which in turn affected dozens of other services running in both directions.

According to Ichikawa police, the incident started at around 6:40 a.m. Two office workers were sitting in the priority seats, speaking on their cell phones when another man sitting opposite them scolded them for their bad manners. He told them to get off at the next station and finish their call there, witnesses said.

One of the pair reportedly took exception to the suggestion and a dispute broke out. When the train pulled in to Ichikawa station, another passenger disembarked and sounded the emergency alarm situated on the platform.

The two men continued to argue on the platform. The man who had been admonished for using his cell phone called the police and accused the other man of assault, alleging that the latter had seized him by the wrist. The pair were taken to the police station and underwent questioning after which they apparently reconciled.

According to JR East, the quarrel caused delays to 47 services on the Sobu line, the maximum delay being 19 minutes which affected 28 services. JR East estimates that some 70,000 commuters were affected.

A Subway Trip Back in Time

FROM: The New York Times

DATE: 06/12/2010

AUTHOR: Emily S. Rueb

Passengers waiting on the downtown F train platform at the Broadway-Lafayette station on Sunday were stunned when the train approached. Instead of the silver bullet that they expected, an ancient-looking, olive-drab metal box lumbered into the station. When it ground to a halt and the doors opened, men dressed in orange reflective vests hopped out to announce that this was the F train, making all local stops.

The cars on the train — model R1 through R9, for you rail fanatics out there — date back to the 1930s.

In what is now an annual holiday treat from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, they are hauled out of storage at the Transit Museum and at rail yards around the city and given a little bit of exercise on Sundays from Thanksgiving to Christmas to keep them in working order.

“It’s like an automobile,” said Greg Gil, a retired engineer who was one of several volunteers answering confused and curious passengers’ questions. “You have to keep running it.” The R1 through R9 trains ran on the Independent Line and last saw regular service in 1977, the transportation authority said.

As the eight-car train sat at the Second Avenue stop before turning around for the journey to Queens Plaza, passengers walked through the cars, holding onto the triangular grips and pointing out the period advertisements, which included a poster for S&W coffee and a did-you-know backgrounder on the Port of New York Authority, then in its relative infancy.

One woman, like many others, chose to linger on the rattan benches. “I could have transferred to another train, but I chose to stay on this one instead,” she said to Mr. Gil.

But not everyone on the platform was surprised to see the vintage train. One man, dressed in a black jacket and porkpie hat, a matching maroon bow tie and trousers, sat still on a red vinyl bench as his companion crouched uncomfortably on the floor across the way, trying to get the perfect shot.

Constantino Diaz-Duran, a freelance writer, knew that the trains would provide the perfect backdrop for a leisurely photo shoot, so he dressed up for the occasion. His companion, Chris Kilmer, who works at ABC News, was trying to get a handle on a pricey new digital SLR camera.

“We have to come up with reasons to justify its expense,” he said. (Mr. Diaz-Duran has graciously shared his photo set with us on his Facebook page).

If you want to catch one of the trains next Sunday, the M.T.A. has posted the departure schedule. The train will make all local stops.

Two monkeys appointed station masters at Japanese train station

TESTATA: Telegraph

DATA: 18/10/2010

AUTORE: Danielle Demetriou

Two monkeys have been appointed to the unlikely position of station masters of a Japanese railway station.

Nehime and Rakan, two baby monkeys, have started "working" at Hojo-cho station in Hyoto prefecture in a bid to attract more visitors to the line.

The monkeys, aged seven months and three months, were dressed in blue uniforms made from traditional local fabrics complete with mini hats before being formally appointed station masters and "special city residents" by the local mayor.

The pair will now go on duty at the station located on the Hojo-cho line, which currently operates Japan's first biodiesel fuel train.

The monkeys belong to a local resident who proposed the unusual arrangement in order to help revive the fortunes of the financially troubled railway line, according to the Mainichi newspaper.

It is not the first time in Japan that animals have found themselves at the helm of a railway station: Tama, the tortoiseshell cat, is famous in Japan as a longstanding station master of Kishi station in Wakayama prefecture.

Following Tama's appointment four years ago, passenger figures increased by as much as 17 per cent, while the publicity surrounding the unusual feline contributed an estimated £8.5 million (1.1 billion yen) to the local economy in 2007 alone, according to a study.

Un treno da far west per vedere la PugliaCon l'i-pod e la carne nel cartoccio

TESTATA: Corriere del Mezzogiorno

DATA: 09/09/2010

AUTORE: Paola Moscardino

Donato Carrisi descrive i paesaggi incantati del Sud

TARANTO - La sua geografia del cuore ha tinte forti. Itinerari poco tradizionali di preferenza percorsi al tramonto e luoghi che emanano suggestioni, anche per i viaggiatori poco accorti. Donato Carrisi, 36 anni, premio Bancarella 2009 con Il suggeritore, record di copie vendute e traduzioni in tutto il mondo, la stella nera del thriller italiano vive a Roma ma è originario di Martina Franca (Taranto), cuore della Valle d’Itria e straordinaria fonte (per lui) d’ispirazione.

IL BOSCO DELLE PIANELLE E DEI BRIGANTI Ambientazione perfetta per un giallo, conserva intatto il fascino di una terra misteriosa ed impervia. «La nostra è stata terra di briganti— dice Donato Carrisi— e il Bosco delle Pianelle sembra stare lì, quasi a ricordarcelo. Io ci passeggio per ore, lo trovo di grande ispirazione, è sempre stato così, sin da bambino. Lo consiglio al tramonto: trovandosi in una zona collinare, gli alberi e le gravine creano un gioco di luci spettacolare».

LA SOSTA GOLOSA PER LA CARNE (NEL CARTOCCIO) - Definirla macelleria è un diminutivo. Rosticceria neanche a parlarne. Questo è il posto dove si può mangiare la carne più buona di tutta Martina Franca. È una tappa obbligatoria per chi visita la città, oltre che centralissima (è poco lontano dal Palazzo Ducale). «Preparano la carne al fornello già alle cinque del pomeriggio», racconta Carrisi. «Te la danno avvolta in un cartoccio caldo, dal profumo irresistibile. Non si può portarla via, bisogna consumarla al momento, lì davanti, seduti sui gradini. È una specie di fast food ante litteram. Io lo proporrei come patrimonio dell'Unesco»

L'ABBAZIA COME STONE ISLAND - Da taranto verso Gioia del Colle e poi da lì verso Noci, ecco l'abbazia della Madonna di Scala. «Non è semplicemente un luogo di religione, è un posto che ha un fortissimo alone mistico», dice Carrisi. «Anche solo soffermarsi sul piazzale produce uno strano effetto. Ho conosciuto l'Abbazia grazie ad una persona a me molto cara che mi ha portato la prima volta. Non immaginavo che un luogo così potesse fare un simile effetto anche su di me. È come quei posti in cui si concentra una carica energetica incredibile. Io la paragonerei a Stone Island»

QUEL TRENO PER LE MURGE (CON L'iPOD NELLE ORECCHIE) - «Consiglio di prendere il treno che attraversa gran parte delle Murge: è il modo migliore per godere di certi paesaggi, per conoscere un certo tipo di Puglia. È quasi una ferrovia del far west.ò Trovo bellissimo salire, trovare posto, mettere le cuffie dell'i-pod con della buona musica e godersi il viaggio».