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Rebuilt Canfranc Station Opened

Discussion in 'International Heritage Railways/Tramways' started by burmister, Apr 29, 2021.

  1. burmister

    burmister Member

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    Plenty of U Tube Reports on the recent reopening of the rebuilt Spanish Station at Canfranc in the middle of nowhere on the Spain/French border currently closed via the tunnel to France.

    A couple of things struck me,

    1) The Spanish compliance or rather lack of to COVID precautions, plenty of masks at the Opening but precious little distancing.

    2) The site has seen some rationalisation but the provision is still mind boggling for some 3 trains per day. It is like B Ffestiniog getting a new overall roofed 4 platform terminus with subways with more columns and provision for the roof expansion to take 12 coach dmus. Lets hope like the speeches said the link through the tunnel does get reopened. Lots of new concrete sleeper track and points. Must have cost millions of Euros although the restoration of the old Customs Building has been done nicely.

    3) The old roundhouse with turntable appears to have been kept and filled with Carriages but I cannot find any details of who or what this is intended to be.

    Brian
     
    burmister, Apr 29, 2021
    #1
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  2. Dunfanaghy Road

    Dunfanaghy Road Well-Known Member

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    EU largesse, no doubt. :rolleyes:
    As my late father (a soldier) used to say, 'There's nothing so easy as spending other people's money!'
    Pat
     
    Dunfanaghy Road, Apr 30, 2021
    #2
  3. D1002

    D1002 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Often thought of using it in the picture puzzle (Europe) thread, but it would have been too easy for the sleuths on there.

    A4D13666-0809-434D-9F84-0113F1E816C0.jpeg A2D737CF-DA4B-49FE-AC1F-A127AA35293D.jpeg 82024856-98E0-4661-8BAA-C39251A35944.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2021
    D1002, Apr 30, 2021
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  4. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    Although it is not actually other people's money. EU spends the EU's money on projects in the EU. No different to any government spending money on vanity projects or projects with more political value than anything else. (Hello HS2, hello 'levelling up projects', a billion pounds for Northern Ireland).

    You could argue the same about EU funding that came into the UK and went to heritage railway projects. It is ironic to mention Blaenau Ffestiniog which received £12 million in funds from the EU for regeneration.

    It's in an area that has suffered economic decline in recent years, it is also a historically significant place - in railway terms but also regional, european and global history (its place in WW2). It seems like the obvious project to invest in.

    It is worth noting that there are several dubious projects such as the trams in Jaen which were more about politics but that is about domestic politics.
     
    Monkey Magic, May 1, 2021
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  5. goldfish

    goldfish Nat Pres stalwart

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    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/19/canfranc-europe-unluckiest-train-station-hotel

    Would be a fun place to stay near the start of the Camino if anyone fancied a (long) walking holiday in Spain…

    Simon
     
    goldfish, Jul 20, 2021
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