[Culturechat] CH Factoid

[Hal Taussig]

As someone devoted to the Swiss rail system, I'd like to bounce this 
subject around a little. Here's a question  to Vance--really more of a 
request to have him verify (or correct) the information I have about 
changes taking place in this aspect of Swiss culture. Despite the fact that 
the Swiss are proud of their rail system, it seems to be threatened by two 
global forces: 1) The world-wide triumph of automobile culture; and 2) 
market forces taking over public services. Since Untours began in 1975 the 
Swiss have taken to cars in droves, producing traffic jams in Alpine 
villages between Luzern and Interlaken (to cite the location I have known 
best). The evening trains are being replaced by buses. In my earlier years 
it Switzerland it seemed to be an accepted fact that the trains would be 
subsidized by tax money. The SBB is now being asked to balance its own 
budget--or at least to move in that direction as fast as possible. Train 
stations in most small villages are being closed. Though this is partly a 
triumph of technology, it is, in fact, destroying an institutional presence 
in these villages--the village "Bahnhof." All of this does not negate 
Vance's basic point. Swiss trains are still central to Swiss life--partly 
because it's the worlds best rail system.
Hal
At 05:08 PM 5/23/03 +0200, VCR wrote:
>The swiss travel on their train system far more than any country in the 
>world.  310 miles per capita. Reasons: Good offers from the system on 
>prices and specials and modern equipment.
>
>--
>Vance Roy gigli.saw@dplanet.ch
>http://homepage.mac.com/fredch
>Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
>      ---General George Patton
>
>
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