On Tue, 16 Jan 2007 10:47:48 -0000, "Tim Fenton"
wrote:


"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
.. .

I've had almost the same reaction on telling people I went on the Subway
in New York to Brooklyn. "You did what? Do you know how dangerous that
is?"
"Err, I am standing here and am still alive to tell the tale. It wasn't
that bad."

My fellow pax on the flight to Porto were genuinely concerned at my decision
to travel into the centre by Metro. I suspect that when I get round to
revisiting Berlin, there will be more concerned pax urging that I avoid the
S-Bahn.

How else does one travel into the centre?

I was in Singapore over Christmas and I opted to use the MRT into town.
I knew where my hotel was so accepted there was a walk the other end
plus a change of line in the centre. However I figured without the
bizarre set up whereby the Airport line is operated entirely as a stub
branch with no through trains. The Airport station itself was huge and
visually stunning. Getting a smartcard ticket was fine but there was
nothing to suggest there was no direct service. I should also mention
that the MRT only serves Terminal 2 so I'd already had a trek from one
terminal to another to even find the station.

Still off we went and two stops further on most of the passengers get
off - I assumed they were changing to take the other branch of the East
West line. A train for that direction arrived but no one moved and it
was at this point that I realised my train was going no further. I then
got off and waited for the connection to town. This, of course, was busy
so it was stand the whole way and it got progressively busier and busier
and my connecting train was very busy too. Singapore do not manage the
HK trick which is to schedule trains at certain points so that the cross
platform interchange is out of one train and straight into a waiting /
arriving train. MRT services seem designed to just miss each other which
was also very frustrating.

Needless to say on the way back to the airport I took a taxi!

Still I don't believe in "doing a city" by going round in an air
conditioned tourist coach. I think it adds to the experience to travel
about how the residents do - the Tokyo rail system is certainly an
experience ;-)

The Rough Guides concluded some time ago that the top of their 10 sights for
Lisbon was to ride the 28 tram. The description started "Avoid guided
tours".

Not done Lisbon yet but I know a fair bit about the tram system and it's
clearly an experience not to be missed - despite the modernisation and
upgrading that is going on.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!