Originally Posted by
LondonElite
The statement made last week is, in the opinion of several people I know who are professionally close to BER (sorry to be so vague), politically motivated. Their opinion, to put it succinctly, is 'we'll believe it when it actually happens'.
A declaration of opening rather like the New Istanbul Airport? To think the Brandenburg government would have to resort to something so unsubstantial instead of actually finishing a construction project.
Originally Posted by
UKtravelbear
I saw the reports of the need to replace them because they had reached the end of their life having been left on all the time - so a total waste of money on the screens but also on the electricity they used. Did no one think to turn them off?
I might guess that the continuous official attitude of "opening soon" combined with a fear that any delay due to turning the displays off, then on, then having to repair them would have been politically disastrous for whomever decided to turn them off, made it easier to leave the entire FIDS running. No-one would want to be able to be blamed for additional delay.
Originally Posted by
AlienInTheFatherland
Evidently, like any tunnel, this underground edifice is liable to mould up if not used. So for the last seven years some poor guy has spent the whole day driving an empty train up and down the tunnel in order to ventilate it.
Quite so. The railway operators are quite satisfied their railway station is completely functional - they've done their job on time. They do have to run a train once or twice a day to ventilate.
Originally Posted by
LondonElite
There are plans and then there are plans. The big picture about TXL remains open, not least because of capacity issues at BER. I wouldn't expect a city park or 'technology hub' anytime soon.
The big issue at TXL is noise. TXL is running on a specially extended noise waiver and renewing this is both politically problematic and, even worse in Germany, not exactly following the rules. So, watch this space indeed.