We in the UK shouldn't crow, this fiasco pales into insignificance when compared to the still unresolved 50 year saga of Heathrow expansion!

However when we did finally build T5, it went quite well really. It's especially bad for Germany's reputation at a time when Siemens is also having problems with trains.

The farce continues
 

I'm at loss for words

Berlin?s delayed Brandenburg Airport will not open in 2017 | News | DW.COM | 21.01.2017

I don't understand why though.

Like if there is so much wrong, and this was all acknowledged, and it being Germany, the fact these issues haven't been solved is just bizzare.

I would agree that the whole thing is really beyond surreal.

Ok there have are "safety" issues with whatever has been built initially. After Dusseldorf 96 I guess it is a fairly sensitive matter... I can even accept that there are missing blueprints and that work was subpar. But there doesn't seem to be clear understanding of what is really happening (at least not being communicated).

BER in business
 

Just realized BER is in fact in business !

http://i.imgur.com/IYIDxv6.jpg

You can already use the parking facilites there... :)

Better than nothing I guess...

Germany's reputation for steely-eyed efficiency is rather over-rated.

Barling Magna
Bit like the British one for over selling and under delivering in my experience of UK PLC. :E


Regards
Mr Mac

True, but we're talking about the Germans here.

Barling Magna
True, and the Germans have had other large capital project over run significantly before, I remember the canal link from Rhine to Danube was years late but it was completed eventually. My point is that it at least was built, when you compare with our Heathrow runway debacle where we are no nearer starting the bulldozers then we were 5 years ago. I wait with bated breath to see what happens with HS2 the train set nobody but the govt seems to want.


Regards
Mr Mac

I believe that some years ago a new standard contract was drawn up for major projects. That is why HS1 and, so far, Crosstalk, were/are on time and budget. The principle of HS2 is correct; the route and specification is wrong.

inOban
Final account is nowhere near being agreed on Cross Rail talking to the people compiling it, and currently they have considerable problems with M&E with more cable being ripped out than is going in. However as this is yet another London vanity project I suspect costs will be fudged and pushed down the road, and released on obscure day or under a bigger story and when they think we will all have forgotten about it. ;)


Regards
Mr Mac

I'm well aware of these issues. If I'm right, the cost will fall on the contractors, but we'll see.

Some infrastructure projects do work - Reading Station revamp was over £ 500 million but came in a year early and under budget for example

Exactly. I believe the contract encourages contractors to work smart and work together. The new Queensferry crossing may be late because of last winter's weather, but I think it's on budget.

Could I very gently suggest moving the discussion to Berlin rather than the more general topic of project management of large pieces of infrastructure construction ?

Agree. I think we are suggesting that the UK has now developed a project management structure which seems to work better than Germany's.

Is there any truth in the rumour that because of ever increasing passenger numbers Tegel will have to remain open and in fact be expanded?

It's called Schonefeld, IIRC.


Probably, it should have been done in the first place.

Robin757 - I've seen talk about Schoenefeld possibly reamining open because BER won't be able to cope with both the current Berlin airports being closed, but I've never heard anything about Tegel remaining open and even being expanded. Do you happen to have a source for this (even if it is in German) ?