AMAA – Europe – Treating Trains Like Planes – Reaction by Average Middle Aged American
In this video, I react to and discuss the video: ” Europe’s Experiment: Treating Trains Like Planes. ” My commentary is my based on my opinion as an Average Middle Aged American that had not yet been to Europe.
Europe’s Experiment: Treating Trains Like Planes
El experimento de Europa: tratar a los trenes como aviones
L’expérience européenne : traiter les trains comme des avions
Europas Experiment: Züge wie Flugzeuge behandeln
#europe #europetravel #visiteurope #trains #trainsineurope #flyingtoeurope
#americanreacts #averageamerican #averagemiddleagedamerican #americantourist #americantourists #touringeurope #europeantravel #europe #cultureshock #europeantourist #europeanunion #visiteurope #visitingeurope
Original Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9jirFqex6g&t=753s
Rail transport in Europe has diverse technological standards, operating concepts, and infrastructures. Common features are the widespread use of standard-gauge rail, high operational safety and a high proportion of electrification. Electrified railway networks in Europe operate at many different voltages, both AC and DC, varying from 750 to 25,000 volts, and signaling systems vary from country to country, complicating cross-border traffic.
The European Union (EU) aims to make cross-border operations easier as well as to introduce competition to national rail networks. EU member states were empowered to separate the provision of transport services and the management of the infrastructure by the Single European Railway Directive 2012. Usually, national railway companies were split into separate divisions or independent companies for infrastructure, passenger and freight operations. The passenger operations may be further divided into long-distance and regional services, because regional services often operate under public service obligations (which maintain services which are not economically interesting to private companies but nonetheless produce societal benefit), while long-distance services usually operate without subsidies.[citation needed]
A narrow gauge train at a station in Spain
A narrow gauge train at a station in Spain
Across the EU, passenger rail transport saw a 50% increase between 2021 and 2022, with the 2022 passenger-kilometers figure being slightly under that of 2019 (i.e. before the COVID-19 pandemic).[3] The trend is expected to continue and rapid investments in European Union railways are under way.[4]
Switzerland is the European leader in kilometres traveled by rail per inhabitant and year, followed by Austria and France among EU countries.[5] Switzerland was also ranked first among national European rail systems in the 2017 European Railway Performance Index, followed by Denmark, Finland and Germany.[6]
Nearly all European countries have operational railway lines, the only exceptions being Iceland, Cyprus and the microstates of Andorra (which never had one) and Malta and San Marino (whose single railway lines were either entirely or mostly dismantled).
Public transport timetables, including rail, are amended yearly, usually on the second Sunday of December and June, respectively. The European Rail Timetable publishes rail schedules for all European countries.[7]
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29 Comments
Of course he's picky! Everybody knows that High-Speed Line 2 in the UK to connect London and northern cities is still on the works over there, and it's been stalled because of lack of budget.
MAGLEV (Magnetic Levitation) has very few commercial tracks in the whole world: 6 in Asia, as far as I know.
Normally they're short 10-15 kilometres tracks, except Shanghai that has 30 km, that link airports to their respective downtowns.
High-speed trains only make sense over long distances! So?
In the European Union, rail transport has been liberalised, and operators from one country have the right to operate in another. Spain has religiously complied with this directive and has allowed French and Italian high-speed operators to use the Spanish high-speed network. But the problem has been the lack of reciprocity. France is not allowing the Spanish operator, Renfe, to operate in France, while the French operator Ouigo is opening more and more transport lines between Spanish cities. This is generating more and more indignation in the Spanish government, which is demanding that France apply reciprocity without delay. France has always been a bottleneck for Spain, since Spain's only land connection with the rest of Europe is from the Pyrenees, and France is always in the middle, blocking it. The same happens with Spain's electrical connections with the rest of Europe. France blocks them. In the case of trains, the French fear Spanish competition. The Spanish have proven to be better track engineers than the French. High-speed trains require tracks. straight railways for hundreds of kilometres, with hardly any curves, in order to reach maximum speed. This is easy in France, a country with little mountainous relief. But Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe, and Spanish engineers have shown great skill in laying tracks that skillfully avoid mountain ranges without making the route too curved, or in tunnelling directly through mountains. Saudi Arabia commissioned the Spanish to build the high-speed train to Mecca, dismissing the French. This creates periodic tensions between the two countries, as Spain feels that it is being too subservient to France in exchange for nothing, and probably the collaboration between the two countries will begin to decrease.
Very had work and budget is being pushed by EU institutions to increase the connectivity of international High Speed Corridors.
The main reason because France and Spain weren't already linked, is the huge infrastructure needed to bore tunnels and build bridges in the northern Spanish mountain ranges.
But it's projected that the remaining sectors between Burgos, Vitoria, and San Sebastian-French border to be finished by 2030. But France will also need to hurry to get theirs from Bourdeaux.
Video/channel suggestion: “Chad and Clair” – They are the sweetest couple and have wonderful travel videos about the sights and culture of many countries. Their recent tour of Germany in particular was a treat! (I need to catch up on their non-German videos, as I only recently discovered them).
The problem with the UK and FR is the centralization on London and Paris, and not just in terms of trains. Especially in France. This is better in Germany and the US, but also has its disadvantages.
Competition is good, I agree, but what if these companies form a cartel? Which happens all the time. Monopolization is definitely the worst.
Each has its disadvantages: Driving the stress and effort in itself and traffic jams, accidents, etc.
Trains: delays, changing trains, prices sometimes,
airplanes: time until you even fly, have to travel there first, parking costs, security checks, pollution, etc., ….
Can you give sources / websites for the cheap flights within the US? I would be interested. It's the first time I've heard that from the US. Certainly heavily subsidized, as in Europe.
Despite everything said, i will always choose a Train over everything else in Europe.
It´s just nice to hop on a Train, set up my Laptop and play games until i arrive well rested and stress free at my target destination.
No looking for a parking lot or security checks…
18:00 “privatization” of public infrastructures like trains is a scam. And Italo is constantly on the verge of bankrupcy lol.
Ok the way the guy says “Italo” all wrong and “Italy” right drives me crazy lol. It’s basically the same word, you change only the last letter! 😂
No, Japans high speed trains (Shinkansen) also run on two tracks, just like their European counterparts. Maglev trains are rare.
The video is old now all is better,need a new video
no the market dont regulate themself – only sucessfull routes will be served – other non sucessfull routes will suffer and in the longterm will no longer be served.
If the homegrown provider will be forced to run a route that dont make profit ??? – the only way in this model is to serve only profitable route.
Its the wrong way in my opinon. Let the sucessfull routes pay for the route that dont make money. Or let the privately run outside companys pay a fee to support the strugling routes.
Its infrastructure, and privetising infrastructure is only a viable way without risk to the public transportation as a hole if regulators have a viable way to punish companys that only pick the best routes without looking for the rail as a hole.
I prever infrastruture not in private hands because missunsing it has a potential to ruine a hole sector with potential to ruin a lot of people lives.
Okey, I'm just at the beginning of the video and you're first American to essentially engage in fact that other countries exists. What I mean is that I've never seen American being concerned about other countries interest and I mean never. Yes you will see bunch of thoughts and prayers for x country when something's major is happening or if it's minor thing you'll see that from speaking heads on media, but in both cases incentive is not the concern for x country but optics.
When it comes individual Americans it looks like majority does not see the world as place with many countries that are different. I think that average American sees the world as a place where USA is number one and other should thrive to achieve American greatness therefore they do not think or understand other countries, that's another Youtubers that doing same type of a videos literally changes their world view and understanding from their bedroom, wihtout every leaving USA .
Now clearly I wrote way too much for few words that you said, until this point, I'm at the beginning of the video on pause mind you. But as I said I've never seen American to do what you did. Now this is first video of yours I know nothing about you, it got randomly on my feed, if you see this I'd like to know your thoughts on my way too long comment.
If you're planing on coming to Europe, you'll need to come with a Eurail pass, because whether you like driving a car or not, you can't travel round Europe by car (unless you're happy with a whistle-stop tour around just one country).
So it's good I'm forwarning you because you need to get your ticket BEFORE you come over (you can't get it here) and you can start right away as soon as you arrive at the airport.
Bon voyage.
I've watched your video and it really is totally irrelevant to you as a tourist.
Just as an example, no tourist would want to travel from Manchester to Paris without stopping off in London.
And no tourist wants to travel from the artic circle to Spain in one go.
For experienced travellers like myself (and my Interrail friends), I don't see any useful advice in this video so I've switched off early.
But I'll give you a thumbs-up like anyway.
Why the hell is the video mirrored?
seeing the european map in reverse makes my OCD kick i.. gotta leave for that
This is not an experiment we have had such high-speed trains for more than 30 years.
Europe does not have a maglev system, even having been invented in Germany. Only a handfull services exist in Asia.
High speed trains in europe are usually purpose-built and teserved for train that can keep up with higher speeds.
The maglev to Shanghai airport, which I believe is the fastest goes at 250 mph top speed, but it rerely goes there, while the record on a French TGV is 350 mph and they can use the older rails, at lower speed obviously so, no need for a isolated monorail system.
Trains are usually more spacious than planes and you can walk around, go to the bar, no need to fasten seatbelts and no pressure on the ears, except some tunnels. Definitely more comfortable. The view is also better. For less than 1000 km this is tje best option if easy to book and board and inexpensive enough.
Proper high speed rail is only intended for those trains. Mostly because more restrictive limits apply to things traveling at 187 mph (curves, slopes, no track crossings, etc.) and you don't hear the constant "clack-clack" of standard trains when wheels run over track weldings. As for interconnecting countries, the problem is France. Europe has a common high speed safety/control system called ERTMS, but France has their unique non-standard system (TVM) So, connecting the main European networks with or through France is not possible
Why are your maps inverted?
The size of the US is commonly used as a bad excuse as no one is proposing a New York to Los Angeles high-speed line. And it's often believed that distances in Europe are all smaller than in America, even if it's quite different from the reality.
The Texas triangle, for example, has distances between main cities that are comparable or smaller than the main French or Spanish high-speed city pairs.
The distance between Paris and Bordeaux is almost 600 kilometers (370 miles), and done in 2 hours and 4 minutes by double-decker TGV trains at a cruise speed of 186 and 200 miles per hour.
Paris Strasbourg, 500km (310 miles) run at 200mph in 1h45.
Paris Marseille, roughly 800km (500 miles) is much longer than New York Montreal and done in 3 hours, partly on the oldest line in Europe.
So there are a number of city pairs throughout the US that are perfect for HSR.
Vancouver, Seattle, Portland.
San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco. Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit.
Atlanta, Charlotte, D.C.
Saint-Louis, Kansas City…
Well all I can say is after 2 minutes I gave up as the amount of misinformation in that first 2 minutes was enough to put me off. They say you cannot get a train from London any further than Paris. So, so wrong. Saying it is an experiment is ridiculous, the Channel Tunnel opened in 1995 that is 30 years ago. An experiment 30 years old???? I get the feeling this is some American bot trying to put Americans off trains.
If you're interested in that topic, look up the swiss system. Everything is synchronized: trains, busses, ferries, trams.. and its public transportation system serves even remote villages high up in the Alps several times a day
It is very wise to show a map mirrored. Do you have some problems?