Tough break for small-bladdered train passengers
Passengers on a train running between Borlänge and Gävle in central Sweden couldn’t believe their ears on Sunday afternoon when the conductor told them why the train’s toilets had been shut off.
In a calm and nonchalant tone, the train’s conductor explained to confused passengers that if too many people flushed the train’s toilets, the train would stop, according to the Arbetarbladet newspaper.
Why?
It turns that the same compressor responsible for triggering the emergency brake is also connected to several other systems on the train including the suspension and the toilets.
“When the pressure sinks below a certain level, the emergency brakes are triggered automatically. In other words, it’s possible to flush on the emergency brake,” said Mats Gustavsson, a technical official with the Bergslagen train line, to the newspaper.
Engineer Hans Kaplan was one of the passengers forced to hold it in for the rest of the trip on account of the train’s unique assembly.
“It’s completely nuts, there has to be a mistake in the construction,” he said.
Gustavsson understands passengers’ bewilderment over the situation.
“I have the utmost respect for people who don’t understand why the toilets were shut off. I was also quite curious when I first heard about it,” he said.
Comments
See Also
In a calm and nonchalant tone, the train’s conductor explained to confused passengers that if too many people flushed the train’s toilets, the train would stop, according to the Arbetarbladet newspaper.
Why?
It turns that the same compressor responsible for triggering the emergency brake is also connected to several other systems on the train including the suspension and the toilets.
“When the pressure sinks below a certain level, the emergency brakes are triggered automatically. In other words, it’s possible to flush on the emergency brake,” said Mats Gustavsson, a technical official with the Bergslagen train line, to the newspaper.
Engineer Hans Kaplan was one of the passengers forced to hold it in for the rest of the trip on account of the train’s unique assembly.
“It’s completely nuts, there has to be a mistake in the construction,” he said.
Gustavsson understands passengers’ bewilderment over the situation.
“I have the utmost respect for people who don’t understand why the toilets were shut off. I was also quite curious when I first heard about it,” he said.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.