Successfully Sophisticated?
One of the strange things that has spread through today’s rail industry is rip-off fares for trains (sometimes buses or trams) for journeys from City to Airport. Stockholm is no different.
A rlanda A irport
The airport was opened by King Gustaf Adolph in 1962.
Plans for an airport rail link between the central business district of Stockholm and the airport was launched in the early 1980s. The goal was to reduce road congestion and emissions while allowing Arlanda to keep increasing passenger numbers. The Swedish Rail Administration made a specific plan in the late 1980s which involved the construction of a branch from the existing East Coast Line.
This resulted in a project plan which was launched in 1990, which specifically suggested Rosersberg and Odensala as the intersections with the existing line. Use
There is a Central airport station …
… and a North Station which is in a tunnel under the newer Terminal 5. Trains run non stop from the city’s Central station.
Trains run every 20 minutes, increased to every 10 and “peak” times
… hence the special livery.
For the followers of UK politics, the line was built by the operating company under a dreaded PPP funding scheme. The P for Public side of the P for Partnership cost the state oodles of Krone.
The result is that the terms of the agreement for the P for Private company are unfavourable for the Nation and the passengers.
The Arlanda Express can charge what it wants to its customers and, even more bizarrely, can change anything it likes for open access.
A single adult fare is 320 Kr – that is a whopping £24 for an 18 minute journey. It makes Heathrow Express rip-off fares look cheap.
Despite the price, the set-up does give the impression of a quality service …
… with a smart Arlanda Express lounge. There isn’t much seating …
… but there is a real man/woman who will sell you a ticket!
Local trains are even cheaper still but take 48 minutes! They are part of the Stockholm suburban network but they, too, have a “special” fare.
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A ssorted A ttitudes
What do these have in common? Soot?
Gymnastic equipment?
Humphrey from TV series “Ghosts”
Answer, they are all WITHOUT something. It’s from the Greek, you know!
Carbon soot is A morphous – without shape.
The gymnasium bars are A symmetric – without matching each other.
Humphrey is A cephalic – without a head!
Attitudes to CHRISTmas are similarly varied.
Some folk show great faith, such a great and powerful faith that that they are utterly certain that there is no God. CHRISTmas is therefore no more than an excuse for a party!
A theist
Others claim they “just don’t know” and use the word …
A gnostic
… although the word actually means that you feel God is ever “unknowable”, which is not the same thing at all.
But the majority of the public would appear to be …
A pathetic
… with no real interest in the Godly reason for the season. Way back, “pathos” just meant emotion – so without any “emotion” or enthusiasm.
Perhaps there should be a new word, coined for those who would like to think there is “something” special here – but don’t understand what it is.
Listen to any Christian carol and it will tell you that the Season should be life changing.
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Cut Price “B” blog : Saturday 2nd December
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