Free Republic

"The complete collapse of the entire railroad network in the country could happen in days," the channel said. "[Russian Railways] chiefs have been ordered to work to the point of exhaustion. Those who fail to cope are threatened with dismissal and 'execution.' This is the motivation." Russian Railways in 2023 reported that the number of trains suspended due to issues with its trains more than doubled to 42,600 amid a shortage of critical parts. This was due to "insufficient maintenance of the locomotive fleet," Kommersant reported in March. A Russian Railways spokesperson told Vedomosti in February that the issue "became...

SALZBURG, Austria — In this alpine border town, the suspension of train service into neighboring Germany has been a boon to taxi drivers. Taha, who asked to use only his first name lest local tax collectors hound him about his earnings, makes 300 euros every time he drives a stranded traveler the 143 kilometers (about 90 miles) to Munich. Since Germany stopped rail service from Austria in mid-September as a way to slow the tide of refugees pouring northward, Taha has made 18 such trips. “Normally in a month I would go to Munich one time,” he said last week...