From: kludge@panix.com   
      
   D   wrote:   
   >True. I'm not a train aficionado so how does it work with all these   
   >companies? After all, they all use the same track so how do they benefit   
   >the consumer?   
      
   If one is to believe Adam Smith, people will in the end pick the service   
   which best suits them, whether that is the cheapest ticket, the train   
   with the best alcoholic beverages, or the train that is most often on   
   time.  In the end this results in the service that most pleases the most   
   people, as other competitors begin to provide whatever it is that people   
   want in order to match them.   
      
   Unfortunately what I want is not always what other people want, so I do   
   not always find competition as effective as I might like.   
      
   >When it comes to how delayed I don't have any statistics. This winter   
   >though had some -40 C days in northern sweden that killed all traffic due   
   >to safety concerns. You don't want to have a broken car or train anywhere   
   >when it's -40 C.   
      
   The only train I want to be on when it is -40 C is the train out of there,   
   possibly the one going to the Riviera.   
      
   >As for me, the best train service I ever had in sweden, was when I by   
   >mistake ended up in the same train wagon as the ministers in the   
   >government a decade ago. Everything was free, everyone was polite,   
   >lightning quick service. I had no idea until I saw almost all government   
   >ministers sitting around me.   
   >   
   >I have no idea how I made it in there and why no one said anything, but   
   >such is life!   
      
   I am impressed that your ministers would take the train in the first place.   
   This is a sign of a government that eats its own dog food and I wish more   
   did that.   
   --scott   
   --   
   "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)