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Topic: What's Going on in Europe (Read 289112 times)

Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1301
If the Estonian government doesn't want to fund a fairly small and cheap upgrade to the Pärnu branch, that indicates that they don't value it highly, not that they have been bamboozled by the EU.
No, it is not a fairly small and cheap upgrade. The technical parameters say:
 - speed 249 km/h for passenger trains
 - gauge 1435 mm

We don't have a high-speed rail here and our local gauge is different (same as in Russia), so the change is quite notable. Nothing in the current tracks permits high speed or is heading in the wanted direction, so new land needs to be appropriated to straighten the railways to fit the planned route. The current railway network in the Baltic countries reflects the fact that it is derived from Czarist era, looking like tentacles from Russia.

In Estonia there was a long debate whether the line should pass through Tartu (second largest city where also about half of parliament and government politicians are from) or Pärnu (the summer capital, i.e. the rail would properly serve tourism and it is also the straightest line, giving hope for high speed). Eventually Pärnu "won" but then the existing rail line was killed off under the pretence of building Rail Baltica.

As I said previously, the problem with the Rail Baltica project is that the three governments treat it in rather different ways. Estonia appears to take it seriously, promising a straight high-speed train to Berlin, nothing of which has been built, yet the existing Pärnu railway has already been abandoned in favour of something that probably will not get done.

Lithuania takes it completely unseriously, using the funds to upgrade the rails between Kaunas and Vilnius, which is geographically perpendicular to the Rail Baltica. Kaunas-Vilnius passage has already been upgraded with the Rail Baltica funds, but just to improve the existing traffic at existing parameters. Lithuanians are calmly keeping their existing railways and inserting rails inside rails, as if implementing the new gauge (and receiving funding for it) while ensuring that none of the Rail Baltica trains will be able to use it.

Latvia has recently started to clear way for the station complex at Riga airport which, again, would be an offshoot or even at cross purposes to the entire idea of highspeed rail line. In your world, is an airport mover (tram, rail shuttle or whatever you call it) the same thing as a high-speed long-distance train?

The branch line to Pärnu needed an upgrade, Wikipedia says 17 MEUR. That is small change for a rail project (1/500th of Rail Baltica), even when Estonia would have to pay for it out of its own pocket. That indicates to me that something of this was true:

  • The government didn't like rail
  • The branch was not profitable/well-used
  • The government wanted a clean break with Russian past and Finno-Russian gauge lines
  • Most of the traffic was Tallinn-Pärnu anyway

There is no requirement to shut down existing lines when a new line is built. Often they are used for local rail or freight. That is the case in e.g. Spain. Their high-speed network is standard gauge, but the rest of their network is not.

It took some negotiation skills to get Vilnius in as a branch to Rail Baltica, but they succeeded. Initially they demanded that the line should pass Vilnius, the capital, so they won this compromise to make this line reasonably fast. Estonia could have tried to include Tartu that way, or Latvia Daugavpils, but they didn't. And frankly Lithuania had a much better case. They are the only ones without their capital on the line. 

Connecting rail and airports is both smart and common. When the airport isn't strictly on the line, a parallel airport branch is often the solution. That is the case with the Swedish East Link project, or rather was, as the airport branch is cut to save costs (and to local protest). 

Also, so that you don't complain about this project 5 years from now, when the line is supposed to be finished, this is not a high-speed rail project in EU terminology. "High speed" means 250+ km/h, but the physical standards and signalling is more demanding, and expensive. The East Link above was originally intended to be high speed, but the planners dropped that to save costs. Also, I don't think European high-speed lines allow mixed traffic, and freight is an important part of the motivation for this line. 

Which speed the actual trains will run at will be up to the operators, but I guess 100-120 km/h for freight, and 160-200 km/h for passengers. 

Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1302
Meanwhile, how's Oslo-Stockholm high-speed railway coming along? What's your vision on that one?


My guesstimate, based on experience with Swedish and Norwegian planners, is: probably not in our lifetimes. It could happen in parts, the border line is atrocious. Improving that would make a great difference. But I don't see the impetus for the whole thing to happen. And the EU wouldn't sweeten this deal either.


Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1303
TGV (High-speed trains) seems to affect people's brain. The connection Lisbon-Madrid has been a never ending tragic-comedy for many years that is now announced to be ready (nothing is already done) by 2023 but Lisbon has already demanded that or Lisbon- Porto is also build or we don't accept the Madrid connection.

No one cares anymore about it, people have already realized that, if ever constructed, it will be some solution that will serve nobody.
Worst than the TGV novel only Lisbon's new airport.
A matter of attitude.

Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1304
The branch line to Pärnu needed an upgrade, Wikipedia says 17 MEUR.
It all needs an upgrade. That's not the question. The question is what to upgrade it *to* and how. And what to do while things are being upgraded.
That is small change for a rail project (1/500th of Rail Baltica), even when Estonia would have to pay for it out of its own pocket. That indicates to me that something of this was true:
  • The government didn't like rail
  • The branch was not profitable/well-used
  • The government wanted a clean break with Russian past and Finno-Russian gauge lines
All this is true. And some additional points matter: - Estonia's rail network as a whole and each and every part of it is unprofitable - The government hates rail,[1] yet it is pushing the Rail Baltica project[2]
There is no requirement to shut down existing lines when a new line is built.
I know. At the same time, under cover of the new line, the old one was shut down with the message: EU demands this! This fact cannot be changed.
It took some negotiation skills to get Vilnius in as a branch to Rail Baltica, but they succeeded. Initially they demanded that the line should pass Vilnius, the capital, so they won this compromise to make this line reasonably fast. Estonia could have tried to include Tartu that way, or Latvia Daugavpils, but they didn't. And frankly Lithuania had a much better case. They are the only ones without their capital on the line. Connecting rail and airports is both smart and common. When the airport isn't strictly on the line, a parallel airport branch is often the solution. That is the case with the Swedish East Link project, or rather was, as the airport branch is cut to save costs (and to local protest).
Yes, both Latvia and Lithuania successfully presented their case, but cases like this undermine the entire point of the project. Once you make it an S-Bahn or a tram instead of a highspeed rail, what's the point of it? It does not make the EU look good funding a tram project under the name of highspeed rail. It makes the EU look like a total moron.
Also, so that you don't complain about this project 5 years from now, when the line is supposed to be finished, this is not a high-speed rail project in EU terminology. "High speed" means 250+ km/h...
This remains my top complaint because high speed - to Berlin within the same day - was the main selling point of the project in the beginning. The fact that this will not be so means that the entire project has been a lie all along. With EU funding, it is the EU lie. This is how dissenting countries like Poland and Hungary get born. The EU is dismal at integration and integrity. Moreover, I predict that in five years the project will be where it is now - nowhere.And this would be the best case scenario. In real life I am a rail enthusiast, so it is seriously frustrating to see the EU and the local governments cooperate to mess all this up as profoundly as they possibly can. It is an elaborate air-selling money-laundering project. It better fade away sooner rather than later.
As exemplified by idiotically privatising the country's entire rail network, then buying it back (luckily only) three times more expensively. The government has also demolished the final section of Haapsalu line as if there were no people living in that direction. By now it has turned out that people actually live there and needed the rail line all long and plans are emerging to reinstate the rail line.
I can think of a few reasons why, while hating railways, the government likes the Rail Baltica project. First, EU funding. Second, Rail Baltica will not serve the country's own people. The only projected station besides the starting point (Tallinn) is Pärnu, so it is just a single station. No stops on the way there and the parameters make the new railway completely disconnected from the existing network, i.e. the outcome cannot serve own countrymen in any way and this makes the whole plan absolutely delicious for the government. Third, long and extending term, big and growing budget, and uncertain end result of the project. These are strong positives for our government. And I am not being sarcastic at all. It's normal behaviour of the government.

Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1305



This remains my top complaint because high speed - to Berlin within the same day - was the main selling point of the project in the beginning. The fact that this will not be so means that the entire project has been a lie all along.

Rail entusiasts always do that, trying to sell in some edge case as the main selling point. Same here: with upgrades to the Swedish rail network you could take the train from Stockholm to Amsterdam. Well, yes, I guess you could, but would you? (I have travelled with Interrail, and Amsterdam was surprisingly inconvenient to get to from Scandinavia, and later surprisingly convenient from Prague.)

The goal has never been daytrips to Berlin, but to connect the three Baltic states — that are usually grouped together, but are hard to travel between — with each other, and with North-Eastern Poland, and possibly one day with Finland. This suggested time schedule does not seem unrealistic, and it is good.


Less than two hours from Tallinn to Riga, less than two hours from Riga to Vilnius, That's good. And 4/5/7 hours to Warsaw is tolerable too. Another 6 hours to Berlin, so technically you can go by rail to Berlin within a day, with some hours to spare (that is kind of useless). 

No, it is not 350 km/h like the Beijing-Shanghai train, but the city district where I used to live in Beijing had a bigger population than Estonia and Latvia put together. Given that the Baltic states are practically depopulated by blue banana standards, you are getting top notch infrastructure basically for free. Six million people elsewhere in Europe wouldn't get this largesse. 

The reason is of course strategic.  It is in the interest of the EU, and the Baltic states, to have the Eastern bank of the Baltic Sea well-connected. 


Not only Russia's Near Abroad. The Baltic Sea is kind of the EU Mare Nostrum.





Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1306
This remains my top complaint because high speed - to Berlin within the same day - was the main selling point of the project in the beginning. The fact that this will not be so means that the entire project has been a lie all along.
Rail entusiasts always do that, trying to sell in some edge case as the main selling point.
It was the government doing the selling. To Berlin in a day was the government promise. Rail enthusiasts were the buyers and they only try to keep the government to its own promise. The majority of the people were against the project for various reasons. I am normally a rail enthusiast but I quickly spotted the lie.

Edit: According to a poll in 2018, slightly above half of the polled people were in favour of Rail Baltica project. Reasons: Connection with Europe, speed and comfort. So, as you understand, the support was based on misconceptions about the project.

Already next year, a far more thorough polling was conducted after more revelations about the project, such as that the new infrastructure would not connect to anything currently existing and the new infrastructure would tear up a new corridor through the country, only 22% were in favour, compared to 38% who would support the project if it used the existing infrastructure and 18% wanted to abandon the project.

Same here: with upgrades to the Swedish rail network you could take the train from Stockholm to Amsterdam. Well, yes, I guess you could, but would you?
If your government promised it and the EU is currently funding it, then it is the same, yes. But nobody has promised anything and is doing anything in terms of a railway between Stockholm and Amsterdam, so it is not the same.

Given that the Baltic states are practically depopulated by blue banana standards, you are getting top notch infrastructure basically for free. Six million people elsewhere in Europe wouldn't get this largesse.
Top notch infrastructure that has no chance of being used because it is built on terms to ensure that it will be useless. Well, clearly it will not be completed for another ten years, so there is not even anything to talk about. The country who has gotten most praise from the EU for being most active with the project is Lithuania - actually the country who has sabotaged it most. Their achievement is rails within rails! What a top notch infrastructure!

The reason is of course strategic.  It is in the interest of the EU, and the Baltic states, to have the Eastern bank of the Baltic Sea well-connected.
Well-connected :lol: The thing will not connect us to anything. Poland is between Lithuania and Germany and there is no sensible rail connection between Poland and Lithuania foreseeable. Buses are faster. Unless that's fixed - not part of the current Rail Baltica project - we will remain disconnected.



Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1308
Forbidding any Belavia airplane landing in EU airports should be already in effect.
Nato also has to take action. A soft action.
A matter of attitude.

What's going on in the seas

Reply #1309
After centuries of failing to act when losing its colonies on other continents, Portugal wants to become an empire again, according to some guy on the internet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-0d9l_ZZCo

Maritime territory is a tricky thing. China keeps encroaching in South China Sea. All northmost countries cast an as wide net as possible on the Arctic Ocean. Some voices in Estonia wanted to eliminate the so-called international corridor in the Gulf of Finland, a move that would have required cooperation with Finland. Unfortunately Finland prefers to sell out to Russia. And so on.


Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1311


Yes, you couldn't possibly return this "mountain peak" (Google's words, not mine) of 75 m above sea level.

Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1312
The people of Sweden, a pioneering and world-leading country when it comes to wokeness, has voted its nationalist cryptonazi party as the second-biggest in parliament https://valresultat.svt.se/2022/

The two usually-biggest parties, S[1] and M[2], can pick between either blockpolitik (i.e. a coalition of left-only parties or right-only parties) or regnbågskoalition (setting aside the block differences in order to exclude the nationalist cryptonazis from the government). This time the general atmosphere seems to favour blockpolitik and the cryptonazis may break into the government, as is their goal.

Sverigedemokraterna (the nationalist cryptonazi party) have an unclear attitude towards Nato and an internal debate about it. SD-ledare has never emulated W or Trump (the notable anti-Nato presidents of USA), but such a significant portion of his party members does that he has issued negative statements in the past regarding joining Nato. Whether in the government or merely as the second-biggest party in the parliament, they will inevitably see Sweden join Nato soon, because this is a point where S and M and actually all other parties are determined.
social democrats, the mainstream left
"moderates", the mainstream right

Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1313
Shockwaves of international diplomatic scandal ravage over Europe as Moldova's First Dog, Maia Sandu's Codruț, bites the hand of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bP5Grk62Zg[/video]

Longer: Moldova’s First Dog bites Austrian president


What's Going on in Moldova

Reply #1315
Presidential elections in Moldova this weekend. Here's an interview/debate with one of the candidates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcu0QNl3grI

It's this candidate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renato_Usatîi
He is polling third among presidential candidates.

Usatîi's important achievements thus far:
- Mayor of Bălți (Бельцы), second-largest city in Moldova
- Belongs to "Our party" (Partidul Nostru, Наша партия) founded by himself
- earlier engineer and manager at Chișinău airport and Moldovan railways

Usatîi's platform:
- He wants a presidential republic, so that the leader would be able to "do something" (Moldova is parliamentarian)
- Claims to be the only politician who puts his own money on line in politics, instead of ripping off the country
- He wants to keep "neutrality and sovereignty" between EU and Russia, both Nato and Russian military bases are "unnecessary"
- While claiming to be "not against" the EU, he is sure that the EU does not want Moldova and Ukraine, and it's counterproductive to try too hard and too fast
- Regards Moldova as multi-ethnic and opposes union with Romania, i.e. is "anti-unionist"
(This video unfortunately did not get to any statements about Tiraspol/Transnistria)

It is a fair summary of Moldova's presidential elections that Maia Sandu is the only pro-European candidate and all others are pro-Russian. Of course the others do not serve themselves as "I am going to bring Muscovite regime back to rule us", but rather promote "independence" from EU/Romanian interference and from Western corruption. They also have good words to say for peace and neutrality (wrt Nato), which in the given geopolitical context means submission to Russia.

It is a very familiar situation to what used to be in Estonia and Latvia prior to their EU membership and during the early years of membership. Moldova is far more manipulable by the EU.

Edit: And here's an article about some scandals related to the current presidential candidates in Moldova. There are 11 candidates, but just five scandals https://newsmaker.md/rus/novosti/krazha-telekanala-morar-taynaya-vstrecha-nestase-i-dengi-ot-platona-5-skandalov-etoy-kampanii-kotorye-potryasli-moldavskie-media/

Edit2: More about Moldovan elections this weekend.
Moldova is at a crossroads, deciding whether to move into the Western orbit or shift more toward Moscow.
In addition to presidential elections, there is a voting on a constitutional amendment. The amendment would proclaim the country's direction towards eurointegration.

Moldova has been besieged with disinformation, cyberattacks and influence campaigns linked to Russia in the months leading up to Sunday’s vote, in which people in the Central European country will choose a president and whether to continue on a path toward EU membership.

In response, the U.S., the EU and NATO have sent advisers and shared threat information and tips on how to counter efforts to drive an outcome favorable to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
I wonder how the EU counters Russia's efforts. What useful geopolitical tips did the EU ever have? When Estonia and Latvia (and later Ukraine) were in the same situation as Moldova right now, the EU's "advice" was to stop discriminating Russians (because it's all-important to pretend that ethnicity does not imply any national attachments), to let Russian-language media broadcast freely whatever it wants (because journalistic freedom means enabling Sputnik and RT), denounce your own historical borders established by your country's foundational documents signed by Russia that Russia/USSR later violated, to never acknowledge that Russian hackers hack anything, never acknowledge that Russia has spies and so on and so forth.

Edit3:
Polls show a majority support joining the EU, though five candidates told supporters to vote "no" or boycott, saying the referendum had been timed to boost Sandu's vote at the election.

Despite speculation the referendum could fail to garner the turnout threshold of a third of voters, it had passed the 42% mark by 6 p.m., election officials said.

Stoianoglo boycotted the referendum as he voted, saying the country needed a new government and that if he wins, he would develop ties with the EU, Russia, U.S. and China.
A note: Referendum to change constitution normally requires 2/3 participation of the electorate, but the parliament passed a law for this referendum that 1/3 would be enough.

Assorted irregularities:
The vote has been overshadowed by election-meddling allegations. Police accused Ilan Shor, a fugitive tycoon who lives in Russia, of trying to pay off a network of at least 130,000 voters to vote "no" and back a candidate he would only disclose at the last minute.

Shor, jailed in absentia for fraud and theft and under western sanctions, has offered to pay Moldovans to persuade others to vote "no" and back "our candidate". He denies wrongdoing.

In the run-up to the vote, state radio in Chisinau has urged people not to vote for money and asked them to report any such offers to the authorities.

On Thursday, law enforcement agencies said they had uncovered a programme in which hundreds of people were taken to Russia to undergo training to stage riots and civil unrest. Russia denies interfering and accuses Sandu's government of "Russophobia".

Police chief Viorel Cernauteanu told Reuters a slew of voice and text messages from abroad in recent days had told Moldovans to either boycott the referendum or vote "no".

Preliminary results:
Согласно последней обнародованной информации, после обработки 16,9% от общего числа бюллетеней первыми 5 кандидатами, получившими наибольшее количество голосов, являются: Майя Санду - 33,63%

Александр Стояногло - 30,53%

Ренато Усатый - 15,15%

Ирина Влах - 5,93%

Виктория Фуртунэ - 5,83%

При этом, по предварительным итогам, после обработки 27,72% бюллетеней в рамках конституционного референдума 43,49% проголосовали ЗА и 56,51% проголосовали НЕТ.

Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1316
UK is putting up some money to see if it can be convinced to return to the EU.

The UK government is hiring a new negotiator to help deliver a “reset” of relations with Europe.

The job posting says the role will lead the government's relationship with the European Union and negotiations with the EU "on key UK interests", with mentions of trade, security and border policy.

The salary range is £153,000 to £200,000.

 

Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1317
That's not happening any day soon, but a less lunatic Brexit will benefit both the UK and EU.

Re: What's Going on in Europe

Reply #1318
A less lunatic EU would benefit both! But the UK has its own lunacies, more perverse than (excepting Germany!) the EU countries.
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