After my rather hopeless earlier post about how Greenpeace's report about the shrinking European rail network shows us what's wrong, but not what can we do... a further post with 10 policy proposals
These are the things I would do to put right some of Europe's rail ills, with the focus on #CrossBorderRail
@jon Give all RRs a bonus schedule, if you are in RR management then 25% of your yearly pay should be tied to your RR on time performance, and another 25% to all EU on time performance. You can adjust those numbers a bit in debate, but everyone should feel like delays will hit them personally. Of course you have to be careful that these numbers cannot be gamed by timetable padding (I'd define the speed of cross EU trains at 250km/h including time spent at intermediate stations - hit anyone not providing HSR hard)
Here are some thoughts :
Proposal 2, it should be as well updated in real time because then for proposal 3, we would not need a phone number or an email, we could just select the travel we want to do in a (libre) application and be updated if there is any change through a push notification.
proposal 4 do you mean last train of the day ? There should as well be money compensation if they really can't do it
@jon Then I would prefer to invest in maintenance of infrastructure and material as well as in people so that trains would be on time rather than this proposal, or I don't understand it correctly...how would the railway companies get you to your destination, and what would be the accepted delay ?
@jon ok, it's better than currently, but what if it was the last train, or even if the next train make you miss the next connection and there isn't any next train until the morning ? Will the company need to find and pay your hotel night and pay back as well for the hotel night you had book at your destination?
@jon what if I'm being paid $100k to give a speech and you make me late? (yes some people really get $100k to make a speech, though generally ex-politicians and so I suspect it is just hidden corruption, but that is not relevant to this question). Shouldn't they pay for not getting me there on time? People have places they want to be and sometimes life throws a tight window of when they can travel. Trains cannot be late must be a rule.
@bluGill@jon any means of travel can be late....and none would propose you such a compensation...may be if you have a tight window you shouldn't accept this speech...
@jon people often have no choice about schedule that is forced on them. Yes any transit can be late, my point is it should never happen. Never. Like entire decades between a train being more than 30 seconds late. Trains are not subject to the weather delays of flying, that should be a competitive advantage .
@jon I like the "hop on next train" guarantee the most. If the timetable app shows that this is currently the fastest route to your final destination, you should be able to take it.
Should be relatively easy to implement, and would eliminate the absolute worst experiences in cross-border travel.
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