State-Owned French Rail Company Spends $20 Billion On Trains That Are Too Wide

Because it’s fun to laugh at the French.

The French train operator SNCF has discovered that 2,000 new trains it ordered at a cost of 15bn euros ($20.5bn; £12.1bn) are too wide for many regional platforms.

The BBC’s Christian Fraser in Paris says that it is an embarrassing blunder that has so far cost the rail operator over 50m euros ($68.4m; £40.6m).

Our correspondent says that the cost is likely to rise even further.

They were given the wrong dimensions but didn’t double-check them.

“Close enough for government work” became a saying for a reason, kids.