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Eurostar today and a good day

Joined
29 Aug 2012
Messages
467
I always enjoy the Eurostar but I was bit concerned about St Pancras today. I was on the 7.04 to Brussels. School holiday and three trains very close together. I arrived about 5 minutes before my sugggested check in time. They were already admitting people for my train and the two previous. Twenty minutes to go through all formalities, half an hour in the lounge with my book, and we boarded. It looked like chaos but it was well organised.

I was very surprised by the train manager who was not very corporate. The announcements were definitely following the usual script. Perhaps Eurostar is now encouraging such individualism. It did make a change. It was lovely to be back on one of the old trains.

Before Brussels also told all the Cologne passengers to move forward. We were a good few minutes late and they had to get an earlier train. The Cologne train was going Brussels Nord.

I had a later Eurostar Red which was going to be diverted leaving me a little concerned about any delay and my change at Cologne. The Eurostar enquiries at Brussels gave me precautionary HOTNAT stamp. They did not stamp their own ticket. They stamped the DB ticket from Cologne. They seemed pleased it was a paper ticket.

It was my first time on a Eurostar Red and it was bit tired and dirty. Also no real catering. Expensive and not as good as DB I thought.

All in all a great day on trains
 
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martin2345uk

Established Member
Joined
21 Sep 2011
Messages
2,391
Location
Essex
I always enjoy the Eurostar but I was bit concerned about St Pancras today. I was on the 7.04 to Brussels. School holiday and three trains very close together. I arrived about 5 minutes before my sugggested check in time. They were already admitting people for my train and the two previous. Twenty minutes to go through all formalities, half an hour in the lounge with my book, and we boarded. It looked like chaos but it was well organised.

I was very surprised by the train manager who was not very corporate. The announcements were definitely following the usual script. Perhaps Eurostar is now encouraging such individualism. It did make a change. It was lovely to be back on one of the old trains.

Before Brussels also told all the Cologne passengers to move forward. We were a good few minutes late and they had to get an earlier train. The Cologne train was going Brussels Nord.

I had a later Eurostar Red which was going to be diverted leaving me a little concerned about any delay and my change at Cologne. The Eurostar enquiries at Brussels gave me precautionary HOTNAT stamp. They did not stamp their own ticket. They stamped the DB ticket from Cologne. They seemed pleased it was a paper ticket.

It was my first time on a Eurostar Red and it was bit tired and dirty. Also no real catering. Expensive and not as good as DB I thought.

All in all a great day on trains
I believe the TM in question (very nice chap if it's who I think it is) has a YouTube channel where he shows the occasion "day in the life" type thing :)
 
Joined
29 Aug 2012
Messages
467
I believe the TM in question (very nice chap if it's who I think it is) has a YouTube channel where he shows the occasion "day in the life" type thing :)

That is very interesting. I will look for his channel. He did seem a nice chap. Thank you.

Great Eurostar allows this individualism. Everything always seems to be so on the brand identity.
 

Haywain

Veteran Member
Joined
3 Feb 2013
Messages
24,476
I always enjoy the Eurostar but I was bit concerned about St Pancras today. I was on the 7.04 to Brussels. School holiday and three trains very close together. I arrived about 5 minutes before my sugggested check in time. They were already admitting people for my train and the two previous. Twenty minutes to go through all formalities, half an hour in the lounge with my book, and we boarded. It looked like chaos but it was well organised.

I was very surprised by the train manager who was not very corporate. The announcements were definitely following the usual script. Perhaps Eurostar is now encouraging such individualism. It did make a change. It was lovely to be back on one of the old trains.

Before Brussels also told all the Cologne passengers to move forward. We were a good few minutes late and they had to get an earlier train. The Cologne train was going Brussels Nord.

I had a later Eurostar Red which was going to be diverted leaving me a little concerned about any delay and my change at Cologne. The Eurostar enquiries at Brussels gave me precautionary HOTNAT stamp. They did not stamp their own ticket. They stamped the DB ticket from Cologne. They seemed pleased it was a paper ticket.

It was my first time on a Eurostar Red and it was bit tired and dirty. Also no real catering. Expensive and not as good as DB I thought.

All in all a great day on trains
What on earth is there in that to be concerned about?
 

martin2345uk

Established Member
Joined
21 Sep 2011
Messages
2,391
Location
Essex
I think he meant he was concerned about it before he got there, as you do hear some stories about the chaos it can be, but it actually turned out to be fine..?
 

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