‘This poorly negotiated choke contract must be urgently reconsidered’: Diabolo tunnel turns out to be a very expensive joke

7 comments

1. In total passengers and the SNCB have paid 446 million euros to the private companies that funded it. While the project only cost 290 million euros to construct.

   Complete waste of money and reeks of a shady deal.

2. Anyone got non paywall link?

3. We’re taking (incredibly) expensive taxis from Antwerp to the airport these days. It’s cheaper than taking that train connection. 

   (Obviously not traveling alone: it all depends on how many people you’re traveling with.)

4. If you live in Antwerp you might as well take the train to Schiphol and fly from there

5. I’m positively shocked!

   Who could have anticipated a private company extracting profits for shareholders would be more expensive over the long term?!

6. Gee, it’s almost like having a privatized tunnel be part of an otherwise state owned railway is a very inconvenient idea for everyone involved except the private owners.

   Look at the Liefkenshoek tunnel, the thing should have been handed over to the country after 30 years of private ownership. We’re 33 years later and still paying a ridiculous fee for it.

7. When you read that the government “found” money for a new project, this is what they mean. They defer the cost to the next government and generation.

   Why aren’t the names of politicians that keep doing this now widely documented. Couldn’t we create a database of such disasters and attach political parties and individuals to these projects?