A weird train failure
By topffer
@topffer (42156)
France
March 22, 2018 7:27am CST
I thought that I had experienced everything when it comes to train failures, but something new happened yesterday. I was in one of those new high speed trains proud to show on a screen that they run at 300 km/h, but this one did not even reached this speed : 10 mn after the departure it stopped in the countryside.
No info was given before quite an hour. Then a voice said in the loudspeakers : «A hatch is opened under a coach and we cannot fix it. Would somebody among the passengers have a wrench ? If we cannot repair, we will have to ask for a rescue train.»
He would have asked for a laptop or a tablet, he would have found 10 in any coach, but nobody had a toolbox with a wrench. It is possibly due to the high price of the ticket making these trains unaffordable for a Polish plumber. Or because Polish plumbers do not need to do 500 km to find a client.
In a nutshell, it was a great pity but there was no wrench in this train.
Half an hour later the cavalry (a car of the company with two employees and their tools) came and the train could go on again. The travel supposed to last about 1h30 lasted 3h. They are generously refunding half of the price of the ticket with a voucher.
I have been lucky that it happened yesterday. There is a general strike today (France was incredibly quiet during winter, but the usual strikes are coming back with the spring), and I am not sure that the cavalry would come.
Have you experienced a train failure with a weird announcement ?
16 people like this
18 responses
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
22 Mar 18
I would expect the train to be equipped with a wrench....not a passenger. Now I made my sister travel 2,000 km to bring me a power drill.
3 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
22 Mar 18
@topffer 
....the power drill has been used and will make its return Turk on Monday/Tuesday.
....the power drill has been used and will make its return Turk on Monday/Tuesday.1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (58134)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
22 Mar 18
I think that's hilarious and depressing that he had to ask for a wrench because there wasn't a wrench already on the train
2 people like this
@thislittlepennyearns (58134)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
22 Mar 18
@topffer I think that's hilarious it because I didn't have a wrench they had to happen to rescue train set. That's totally why they lost so much money seriously somebody with more brain should be in charge of the whole operation.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
22 Mar 18
@thislittlepennyearns A better brain decided to send them 2 mechanics in a car instead of a new train. The deficit is mainly due to the cost of the tracks and of their maintenance : they created new tracks for the last generation of high speed trains and the old ones are kept for local trains. It is ruinous.
. The deficit is mainly due to the cost of the tracks and of their maintenance : they created new tracks for the last generation of high speed trains and the old ones are kept for local trains. It is ruinous.
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
23 Mar 18
Have not been on such a train thank goodness but those kind of trains are here also.
They are planning to link with Málaga and Barcelona and in Murcia they have made a big mess of the tracks and the whole set up and the people are very upset about it.
They want trains but not for them to spoil things.
Long story to go into that one but I love trains too but its like the tale of for the want of a nail in a horseshoe the horse was lost.
I learned that one so long ago I hope I have got it right.
In this case for the want of a Spanner the train and so on.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
24 Mar 18
@topffer
About the same has happened in Murcia they have messed up the tracks and they are putting them where they are not wanted or needed.
That is why the people are protesting so much.
So sorry what they have done as it makes no sense to suppress all those kind of trains does it?
I suspect the same kind of thing will happen here too and it would be a really great idea to bring those tracks much closer to Spain a very good idea in a way.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Mar 18
@lovinangelsinstead21 I am not sure that environmental arguments are good against trains, because they pollute less than any other transportation and it is a benefit for the planet.
Spain has probably more high speed trains than France, but they have maintained other trains. It was a political decision to bet only on high speed trains here. What matters for me is to have a train at the right hour for my trip, I do not care if it is a bit more slow. For short trips I prefer local trains : they do not need any booking, the ticket is sold at the same price if I take it the day of the trip than a month before, and I can sit where I want.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Mar 18
The tracks had not the same size in Spain than in other countries, and we had to change of train at the border. As high speed trains were needing new tracks it was an opportunity to normalize that. Now I agree that building new tracks to save 10 mn on a short travel may look stupid. There is a project of new tracks for high speed trains between Bordeaux and Pau actually which is challenged by many people : it costs a lot, will not save a lot of time, and will have to go through wild areas. The only interest would be to extend the tracks to Spain in the future.
France made the choice of having quite only high speed trains and it was not necessarily a good idea : we have less trains than before because they had to suppress many "slow" trains to permit to have high speed trains on the same tracks, the tickets are a lot more expensive except if we buy them 2 months before a travel, we need to book the tickets, and they have also suppressed quite all night trains
. In the 1980's I had a travel card permitting me to take a train like a city bus, and I was not even looking at the timetables, I had at least 1 train/hour for my destination between 5 am and 10 pm. It is impossible now, if we miss the train we have at least to do a booking in another one with a travel card. I feel less free.
. In the 1980's I had a travel card permitting me to take a train like a city bus, and I was not even looking at the timetables, I had at least 1 train/hour for my destination between 5 am and 10 pm. It is impossible now, if we miss the train we have at least to do a booking in another one with a travel card. I feel less free.1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
22 Mar 18
Here, we hope that a wrench does not get thrown into our plans (meaning we hope not to have an unexpected problem). But this is truly the first I've ever heard of anyone actually wanting a thrown wrench . Seriously . . . how can a train run without having aboard at least a basic tool kit 
. Does a surgeon ask if anyone in the waiting room has a scalpel handy? Does a banker ask the customers if they have any change? Well I'm glad you didn't get stuck where you were and at least you got something refunded for your inconvenience. Can you believe I have not ever ridden a "real" train before (though I have stepped into old, non-running train cars)? I've only been on amusement park trains 
.
. Seriously . . . how can a train run without having aboard at least a basic tool kit . Does a surgeon ask if anyone in the waiting room has a scalpel handy? Does a banker ask the customers if they have any change? Well I'm glad you didn't get stuck where you were and at least you got something refunded for your inconvenience. Can you believe I have not ever ridden a "real" train before (though I have stepped into old, non-running train cars)? I've only been on amusement park trains .1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
25 Mar 18
@topffer It doesn't have everything - it didn't have a wrench 
!
"Never fail" . . . it seems historically when they make such a claim, it is inevitable that "something" proves them wrong 
. Although different, I think of the Titanic and how it claimed to be "unsinkable" .
Sounds like a nice upgrade from "regular" trains - I assume it's more energy efficient too? I assume too that it is a good investment in that trains are a necessary and popular there - high speed even better. I like the idea of a train trip rather than by plane . . . a plane can get you there faster, but then one would miss the scenery all along the way.
I'll bet a lot of people will be in trouble with this strike happening in the midst of the beginning of summer. What is your Plan B in such a situation?
!
"Never fail" . . . it seems historically when they make such a claim, it is inevitable that "something" proves them wrong . Although different, I think of the Titanic and how it claimed to be "unsinkable" .
Sounds like a nice upgrade from "regular" trains - I assume it's more energy efficient too? I assume too that it is a good investment in that trains are a necessary and popular there - high speed even better. I like the idea of a train trip rather than by plane . . . a plane can get you there faster, but then one would miss the scenery all along the way.
I'll bet a lot of people will be in trouble with this strike happening in the midst of the beginning of summer. What is your Plan B in such a situation?1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
25 Mar 18
@much2say The state bet only on high speed trains, "regular" trains have quite disappeared except for commuters/local trains, and it is a pity somewhere : the price of the ticket exploded at a point that some people could not afford anymore to take trains for long travels. Since a few years they have launched some cheap high speed trains where you have a bad seat, no bar and restaurant, to pay for anything (power outlet, wifi, suitcases...), and these trains do not arrive in the center of Paris but in far suburbs (they used to all stop at EuroDisney which is at 40 km from Paris, there is a few more stops today), so people need to take a local train or subway to go to Paris. It is like if they had re-invented a third class for people with low resources
.
Plan B ? For long distance travels, there is not a lot of choices. I want to go to Madrid next month, but as they are striking 2 days, working 3 days, striking 2 days, etc, I believe I will go there by train and probably take a bus to come back, as Madrid is not deserved by planes from my city. I suppose it will be something like a 9 or 10 hours trip
.
.
Plan B ? For long distance travels, there is not a lot of choices. I want to go to Madrid next month, but as they are striking 2 days, working 3 days, striking 2 days, etc, I believe I will go there by train and probably take a bus to come back, as Madrid is not deserved by planes from my city. I suppose it will be something like a 9 or 10 hours trip.1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
23 Mar 18
It is the first time that I was hearing something like this. This train was launched last July and it has everything : you can even book a place at the restaurant wagon and order a meal to the cook from your seat with the free wifi, but, yes, there is not a tool available because our trains are supposed to never fail.
The state has invested a lot in high speed trains, the last generation was needing new tracks to run at full speed and the train company has a deficit of 45 billion euro actually, that will be paid soon or later by the taxpayer because it is a state company. The tickets can be very expensive if you book them at the last moment. I have invested in a travel card giving me interesting discounts (up to 50% for 2 people during weekends) and a few bonus like free miles and access to some luxury waiting rooms in the stations where they exist. To be cost-effective I need to do 1 travel/month, and I do a bit more.
Train is my main mode of transportation when I have to go far. Planes can be less expensive but the advantage of trains is that they land in city centers instead of distant suburbs. But I will be in trouble this year, as they have decided to strike 29 days between April and the end of June : the railway market has to be opened to competition inside the EU, and the state wants to modify the special status of the new employees of the national railway company to make it able to compete.1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Mar 18
Last summer, while boarding a plane for a flight home from New York City, we were delayed in taking off. Since I was in the first seat on the plane, I could see that they were having some sort of problem in the cockpit. Several workers from the airline kept boarding the plane, looking at things in the cockpit, and then leaving. I finally overheard one of them say that the computer in the cockpit that controls everything had stopped working, and they were trying to find a replacement. Finally, a mechanic came aboard, went into the cockpit, pulled the computer out and took it off the plane. I could see him stop in the jetway a few feet outside of the plane, and he pulled out a small hammer and started banging on the computer. He then went back into the cockpit, hooked the computer back up, and everything started working. He then left the plane and we took off for our flight home. During the flight, the pilot came out of the cockpit to use the bathroom, and I asked him what would happen if that computer stopped working again in mid-flight. He just looked at me and asked if I was a religious person. I said I was. He said that was good, I should start praying!
1 person likes this
.@topffer (42156)
• France
25 Mar 18
@moffittjc I like this kind of humor. I was also thinking that a good pilot was not needing a computer.
. I was also thinking that a good pilot was not needing a computer.1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Mar 18
@topffer He was being humorous. He explained to me that they could fly the plane without the computer, but airline regulations would not let them take off if the computer wasn't working. But if something happened to the computer during the flight, they could still manually control and fly the plane without it.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
26 Mar 18
It is quite incredible, isn't it ?
The amount of the refund is fixed by the company, depending of how long a train is late and of the kind of train. Last time it happened to me, I received the voucher at home and when I thought at using it I realized that it was expired
.
.1 person likes this
@sabtraversa (12937)
• Italy
22 Mar 18
At least they tried, they asked.
I've never experienced weird announcements, only the usual "we apologize for the inconvenience".
I've never experienced weird announcements, only the usual "we apologize for the inconvenience". 1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
22 Mar 18
This announcement was certainly very unusual. In the past the doors could be opened when a train was stopping in the wild so they were making an announcement to tell to people to not get off starting by "Ladies and gentlemen the train has stopped unexpectedly." The "unexpectedly" was funny.
.1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
23 Mar 18
You are never really in the middle of nowhere in France, it is rare to fail in a zone with no phone signal.
I do not care about a strike lasting 1 day for a protest, but I fear long strikes on the railway, and they have decided to strike 29 days between April and June. Until now, as far as I remember, the government has always surrendered on long strikes in transports in France, I hope they will not wait 3 months to surrender as I use trains often.
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I do not care about a strike lasting 1 day for a protest, but I fear long strikes on the railway, and they have decided to strike 29 days between April and June. Until now, as far as I remember, the government has always surrendered on long strikes in transports in France, I hope they will not wait 3 months to surrender as I use trains often.
@topffer (42156)
• France
22 Mar 18
I also deduced that they had no tools. These trains have less than a year, they should not fail. There is a general strike today, the SNCF will strike 29 days in April/May/June : 2 days of strike, 3 days of work, 2 days of strike, etc. As after a strike they need 2 or 3 days to relaunch the service, it looks like we will face 3 months of big problems with trains.
. There is a general strike today, the SNCF will strike 29 days in April/May/June : 2 days of strike, 3 days of work, 2 days of strike, etc. As after a strike they need 2 or 3 days to relaunch the service, it looks like we will face 3 months of big problems with trains.1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
22 Mar 18
@LadyDuck The employees of the SNCF have a special status that the government wants to remove for new employees. Each time the state tried to modify their status it ended with a long strike and the government moved back. There are elections for unions representatives this year, so the unions will not stop the strike if the government does not move back. It may turn very bad.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
23 Mar 18
I suppose that they are so proud of their new trains that they believe that they cannot fail. To tell the truth, it was the first failure I experienced on these trains, although I heard they had some power failures on the tracks last summer due a heatwave. Our high speed trains are good, I would not tell the same of commuter/local trains, these ones are often late and poorly maintained, although they can be more expensive on some travels.
. To tell the truth, it was the first failure I experienced on these trains, although I heard they had some power failures on the tracks last summer due a heatwave. Our high speed trains are good, I would not tell the same of commuter/local trains, these ones are often late and poorly maintained, although they can be more expensive on some travels.
@Metsrock69 (3492)
• United States
23 Mar 18
years ago they brought a high speed train to ,our area. When they tried going the speed it was said that it is not safe to travel that fast on an ordinary track. They were supposed to build a special track but that will never happen
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20261)
•
23 Mar 18
Just a week ago, the train I was on had a similar problem, 'We are sorry, but there is something wrong with the brake. Please be patient while we fix it.' Lucky that it took whoever it was, only 10 minutes to rectify the problem.
By the way, just read some news re: hostages being taken in France by some guy.
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20261)
•
24 Mar 18
@topffer What a way to die! (Lots of mental cases these days. They don't look different to others, until they do something so weird like harming others suddenly for no reason. A waste really, some look so beautiful (women) or handsome (men). I am thinking of my single young acquaintances who can't find a mate while the world is full of gorgeous men/women who prefer same gender partners or simply mental... )
1 person likes this
@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
24 Mar 18
No not yet , I didn't experience it yet.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
22 Mar 18
I wish there was more train service here. I miss them.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
22 Mar 18
The state has encouraged high speed trains here, and quite all other trains have disappeared. For example in the past 10 years we have lost 90% of night trains (the railway stations were opened 24/24 in the past they are all closing around midnight now). And the last night train I took was equipped with Russian wagons.
.1 person likes this
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