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The railways/The National Stadium

Now i don't often post in this foram. There are things, though, about this country that really get on my nerves.

Firstly is the railways. The ONLY privitised rail network in the world. I wonder why? How was it ever going to work???

I travelled on Virgin Trains in the summer to visit a friend on Devon. Turned up at the station in time to find it was running 10 minutes late. Not too bad i thought. It was then delayed a further 4 times until the knacked locomotive rolled in an hour late. I then had to sit in a filthy train for 3 hours with bins that were over-flowing with litter and toilets which didn't flush.
How are they ever going to get people out of there cars and onto trains?

Secondly in the National Stadium and our inability to get the thing started! I mean can't this country do anything right?

I think the same people who are responsible for the railways and the National Stadium are, well let me exeplain..

If anyone here has seen Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxzy will get what i mean. On the last episode there are those people who crash-land on earth and have the inability to make a single decision. They are who run the rail network and try to build a national stadium.


Now, have a big toke on this South African drugs-reefer-style spliff doobie.
Beep boop. I'm a bot.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    well said, those people who can't make a decision could do so if it weren't for a bunch of greedy shareholders who aren't willing to sacrifice a small proportion of their personal wealth for the good of the system, and of course a national stadium will never happen outside of bloody london cause thats where they all live, travelling simply wouldn't do for them, everybody knows that true passionate fans are in the north.

    drugs may be the road to nowhere, but at least there the scenic route
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Our railway system is a joke. Im glad that Byers did what he did but I think he should be fired because of it. He fucked over a good many people with his dirty dealings but I like the end result.

    I wasnt aware that we were the only privatised railway in the world. Quite spooky that is. Lets just hope the govt does the right thing and doesnt just try and get another company in to take over from railtrack.

    Of course none of this matters because ALL nationalised industry is illegal under the new WTO system.

    National stadium...This govt is such a total fuckup I doubt it will ever get done. Youd have thought there would be someone willing to get the damn thing moving. Its got the potential to make someone very rich.

    Oh and the north SUCKS. <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/smile.gif"&gt; The national stadium needs to be in the national capital not in bleeding huddersfield or somesuch place.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What I dont understand is why the government decides other causes are more worthy, for example building statues all over the place. A lot of the money they spend on useless schemes to appease the minority would be much better spent on things like brining the railways back under state control and up to scratch again.

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm split 50/50 about where the national stadium should be built. Its a straight fight between Birmingham and London.

    On the one hand if it was built in Brum then it would be easy to get to from all over the country (be in the centre). Plus it would be only about 45 min drive from where i live.

    But on the other hand for example you slog you way through the FA Cup long and hard and your rewarded with a day trip to Birmingham. Oh fantastic!

    Which is where London comes into play. When my team (Derby) reached the Play Off final in '94 it was a day out. As if the whole of Derby had gathered at Wembley. I remember travelling down the motorway with thousands of other Derby fans. It was fantastic fun. Shame we lost though. There is just something about Wembley that makes it so special.

    NOTE:As Derby County seem incapable of scoring in a brothel. The chance of them playing in the new national stadium, where ever it is built, is a big fat zero.

    Note to Balddog. There is nothing wrong with the north! Cheaper cost of living for a start.

    Now, have a big toke on this South African drugs-reefer-style spliff doobie.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Birmingham? Urgh thats a 2.5 hour for me. Used to live there myself and never liked the place.

    I seem to remember us having a big discussion on the national stadium a while back.


    Dan, I didnt mean that about the north. Id take any northern city over London anyday. I was just joking <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/smile.gif"&gt;
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Its all right <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/smile.gif"&gt;

    Must have been before my time. I'm not supprised theres already been a discusion about this as its been bumbling along for so long!

    Now, have a big toke on this South African drugs-reefer-style spliff doobie.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If it really must be in the south, which it will be ! then it has to be wembley, so many memories for all concerned - and as dan the man said a big day out for all on motorway/trains added to the occasion, either way i really hope they sort it soon, the idea of england playing at old trafford makes me sick imagine if they held the fa cup there ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ! The bottom line is yet again the fans get shafted, everybody post under announcments they want a sports forum, lets get a movement going luther king style !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    drugs may be the road to nowhere, but at least there the scenic route
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ive been to a few European Countries and their railways have been so much better than ours. The Trains leave on time, they are at the platform 10 mins before departure so that you can get on and find your seat. They are clean comfy and safe. This was in Countries like Czec Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria that aren't as developed as us - We're an embarassment!

    Lets face it our Government are fucking useless!! They spend Millions of pounds on a dome with little point to it and they close it down after a year. The point of this was??? That money could have been put to good use building us a National Stadium.
    What chance have we got of ever holding the Olympics or the World Cup if we dont have one. The amount of money we would make from hosting one of those events would be huge doesn't the government see that?!

    I thought that it was a crime playing the Play off and cup finals at the Millenium Stadium yeah its a nice stadium I'll grant you that but its in WALES!! Need I say more.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I feel I must make a correction here.

    We DO NOT have the only privatised rail network in the world.

    The USA's railways have always been under private ownership and they don't have any problems. I have no problem with privatisation, its just the way in which the system was privatised. I think selling off the train operating companies was a good thing, as it has encouraged a great deal of investment (particularly from the freight companies). What I don't agree with is the privatisation of the infrastructure (Railtrack). I would have kept the track in government hands (when you think about it, that is the way the roads are run, so it ought to work for the railways as well) ensuring that the track itself was well kept.

    If at first you don't succeed, hit it with a bigger hammer.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Really? i didn't no the US railways were inprivate ownership.

    I agree with Cpt Slog. about the infrastructure. Under Railtrack, the train operators didn't actually own the trains. They were leased from Railtrack. I mean come on who thought up this idea?

    I went to Canada a few years back and we travelled on the train from Montreal to Toronto. The train was early, it was spacious, clean and air conditioned. And sold blueberry muffins!

    I just can't see how the goverment is even going to begin improving the network.

    Now, have a big toke on this South African drugs-reefer-style spliff doobie.

    [This message has been edited by Dan_the_man (edited 21-11-2001).]
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    in san francisco, it cost me 20 cents (about 13/14p i think) to buy a return bus ticket to go from union square to the far edge of golden gate park. for those of u not familiar with the city, that is essentially going from one side of the penninsula to the other. in the UK, the same trip would likely have cost me, ooooh, £4? something like that. my point is that one of themain reasons that ppl in this country refuse 2 use public transport more is because it is so prohibitively expensive.

    as for the national stadium - give the project 2 the welsh. they got the millenium stadium built on time, within budget, and have only spent £4million more so far than the wembley ppl - and they have a stadium 2 show 4 it, rather than a mess

    Because I want more stars.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sounds like I need to straighten even more things out. Dan, where do you get your data from? Buy a Rail magazine and get yerself an education.

    Railtrack owns the Rails, the Train Operating companies (Virgin, GNER...), run the trains and the rolling stock companies (Angel, Porterbrook...) own the trains.

    In America the train companies like Union Pacific, BNSF and Wisconsin Central own the track and run freight services. Intercity passenger services are run by AmTrak, which is a nationalised company, but they don't own any track.

    If at first you don't succeed, hit it with a bigger hammer.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I have been proven wrong! I thought i heard it on TV a few months back. Shows how much i listen!

    Now, have a big toke on this South African drugs-reefer-style spliff doobie.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Personally I back what Byers did with Failtrack. It's funny how the Toris manage to side with the shareholders and not with the majority of the public.

    Sorry, but sometimes you can make a bum investment - I haven't heard the shareholder of Marconi asking for compensation and their sharevalue has dropped faster than QPR!

    It was a fucked up idea (a Tory one!) from the start and I really don't see that Byers had any other option. I fail to see why the public purse should continue to bail out Failtrack, only for the shareholder to reap the eventual profits.

    As for the National Stadium - well what a fuck up. Only place for it is London (only for the prestige) but most people agree taht geographically it should be in the midlands. The cost seems to double each week - and putting a moron like Bates in charge meant there were always gonna be problems. Massive egos and National projects don't go together (which is why the politicians should fuck off too!). Just get on and build the fucker - surely it can;t be that hard to design a 80,000 capacity stadium with retractable athletics track ffs!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I find it really funny that Labour now want to implement a PPP to run London underground, after the spectacular failure of Railtrack. I admit the Conservatives made a mistake with railways, but Labour should have learned from this. They haven't and now they want to do the same thing with LUL. What a bunch of first class twits.

    If at first you don't succeed, hit it with a bigger hammer.
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