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  • Ramifications of "Brexit" for railways

  • Discussion about railroad topics everywhere outside of Canada and the United States.
Discussion about railroad topics everywhere outside of Canada and the United States.

Moderators: Komachi, David Benton

 #1436982  by george matthews
 
johnthefireman wrote:Rail commuters 'to be slapped with 4% BREXIT FARE HIKE' as result of fall in pound's value

I have no idea whether this is true or not - after all, it is from the Daily Express.
As the exchange rate has fallen since the "brexit" vote it is probably true - for international trains. But of course for domestic trains it is a pure propaganda lie. I expect Eurostar fares will also have changed. The "Express" is one of the rabid leave at any cost newspapers - though I don't think it is worthy of the term 'news'.
 #1436983  by johnthefireman
 
george matthews wrote: it is a pure propaganda lie. I expect Eurostar fares will also have changed. The "Express" is one of the rabid leave at any cost newspapers - though I don't think it is worthy of the term 'news'.
Yes, I share your view of the Express, but since they are so rabidly pro-Brexit I wonder why they are publishing a story which would seem to be highlighting another of the many negative effects of leaving the EU?

PS: The Brexit vote has already had a big financial impact on me, as my savings are in UK and the pound has fallen around 20% compared to the Kenya shilling, so I am now poorer than I was!
 #1437093  by johnthefireman
 
george matthews wrote:I am thinking of taking the Caledonian sleeper.
I love sleeper trains, but I haven't taken one in Europe for twenty years or so, and I believe there is another topic somewhere about their decline. I travel fairly regularly (usually at least once a year) on South Africa's Premier Classe sleeper between Jo'burg and Cape Town, which is still a good experience, although the food has now declined from "haute cuisine" to "good but nothing special".
 #1455921  by george matthews
 
David Benton wrote:No posts on this topic for several months , time to remove its "sticky status", and let it sink or swim on its own.
Negotiations are allegedly continuing but the ultimate result is still extremely uncertain as it is not at all clear how the negotiations will go. Popular support for exit is reported to be declining as the negative effects of exit seep out into the public sphere. There is still nothing of relevance to railways.
 #1456059  by kato
 
The only thing that's new is that Eurotunnel renamed itself "Getlink" in November in a move to apparently remain appealing to anglo customers post-Brexit.

Eurotunnel/Getlink is the company that operates the channel tunnel, some freight services and the vehicle ferry trains running through it (from Calais to Folkestone); for the latter the Eurotunnel brand name will be retained. For the freight services Brexit will be interesting with regard to the customs/border issue. Eurotunnel/Getlink e.g. transports about one million Amazon parcels per day from the UK to France.
 #1456123  by george matthews
 
kato wrote:The only thing that's new is that Eurotunnel renamed itself "Getlink" in November in a move to apparently remain appealing to anglo customers post-Brexit.

Eurotunnel/Getlink is the company that operates the channel tunnel, some freight services and the vehicle ferry trains running through it (from Calais to Folkestone); for the latter the Eurotunnel brand name will be retained. For the freight services Brexit will be interesting with regard to the customs/border issue. Eurotunnel/Getlink e.g. transports about one million Amazon parcels per day from the UK to France.
If Britain actually leaves the EU the question will arise about border crossing. How extensive will be passenger border checks and where will they occur? Maybe in France but the french may well insist that they be in Britain, thus at Folkestone or St Pancras - and Ashford. Where will freight checks occur? Possible huge backlogs will take place in or near Folkestone. The process of crossing the channel may well take much longer. The potential for disasters of this kind are all too real. And the situation in Ireland is equally obscure. No-one can say what will happen there. There are hundreds of places where the present border can be crossed. None of them have any check at all. Will they all be blocked? How many will have immigration posts? Will the IRA resume atrocities on the border - they have been dormant for several years now but may well start up again.

Not too long ago I crossed the Irish border in a bus between Omagh and Londonderry. That involved two crossings as the normal route passed into a piece of the Irish republic. The bus didn't even slow down. Will that route be blocked? Will there have to be immigration checks between Larne and Stranraer to prevent EU citizens sneaking into Britain? It's the same kind of stupidity as they are experiencing in the US with their current president's thoughts about Mexico.

In the 1960s I took a train from Belfast to Dublin. There was an immigration check at the border and I had to show my passport at a border station - and open my luggage. At least I didn't have to get out of the train. At present the trains don't always stop at the border stations, and if they do it is only an ordinary passenger stop with no immigration check.
 #1497159  by Gilbert B Norman
 
I think the UK government is looking for a way out. They have the first step; May will be history. Next step under a Labor PM a new referendum that will be defeated.

UK will stay; and it will be one more case of dysfunctional government.
 #1497177  by george matthews
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote:I think the UK government is looking for a way out. They have the first step; May will be history. Next step under a Labor PM a new referendum that will be defeated.

UK will stay; and it will be one more case of dysfunctional government.
The situation at present remains extremely confused. It is still entirely unclear what is happening. The government lost an important vote in the Commons a few days ago. There was a time when that would have resulted in the resignation of the Prime Minister and a period of trying to get a new one, possibly with a General Election but the law has changed. She didn't resign and no-one is asking her to. There are many possibilities. The most dangerous is that Britain would leave on 29 March without an agreement. That would cause huge disruptions to trade. Despite the catastrophic effects of such an event it still seems quite likely. Another possibility is that the departure date will be postponed to allow more negotiations and legislation. That also seems quite likely, or at least possible. All the other members of the EU must agree to that. Probably they would, if asked. It is said that a majority of MPs would actually prefer Remain. There is some talk of a possible second referendum. Some say a majority of voters would now choose Remain, but obviously no-one knows.

For railways there would be changes if customs checks become necessary again. Where would the checks take place? On the roads huge backups of lorries would occur blocking some of the main motorways. A large part of Britain's food comes across the channel. Will it suffer from increased checks and delays? Probably.
 #1497964  by dowlingm
 
I asked Rail Users Ireland (voluntary passenger advocacy group) about what no deal Brexit would mean for things like compensation rights for cancelled/late services. This is what they came back with - note Translink is the operating name for Northern Ireland passenger service which operates cross border jointly with Irish Rail:
Legacy CIV rules are separate to EU so cross border rail travel rights and rules return to where they were prior to EU regs added in 2009. Won't be any trains though as all Translink drivers will have to apply to Irish Rail for EU train driver licences, easy but will take time
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