Better Direct Links Into Europe

[Driver74]

The set up regarding rail links in Paris has always amazed me. Having to switch stations in Paris depending on one’s destination in Europe is not very far sited. Billions were spent on building the new Paris to Basle route when a great deal of travelling time and inconvenience could be saved had there been a direct route link to this new line from the UK Eurostar links. I don’t think any of the Disney trains go to either of the Paris city terminals.
Having travelled on Eurostar at varying times of the day. I would never say the trains were half empty. Quite the opposite. The new St.Pancras starting point makes access much easier than having to cross London as in the past and naturally more accessible to passengers from the far North of the UK.

Taking the Eurostar to Brussels at the moment is the most, if not longer direct route into Europe. Staying over in Brussels is far more acceptable than staying over in Paris before continuing one’s journey on. To make my point clearer. Why is it not possible to travel directly into Europe (with a suitable point for driver change over) without having to drag luggage across Paris in order to continue one’s journey?

 

[gordonthemoron]

To be fair, Gare de L'Est is virtually next door to Gare du Nord. Also, if you want to travel south of Paris, it's easier to change trains at Lille.

Brussel-Zuid is good for changing onto ICE to Frankfurt, Thalys to Amsterdam/Cologne and Night Train to Hamburg & Berlin

 

[KeithP]

I would never say the trains were half empty. Quite the opposite.

That'd be half full then.

 

[gordonthemoron]

That'd be half full then.

I only use E* to Brussels and I've never been on one which was more than 20% full, even during the World Cup in 2006

 

[Crompton Karl]

I only use E* to Brussels and I've never been on one which was more than 20% full, even during the World Cup in 2006

I have to say i use Eurostar quite a lot 20 + times a year to Brussels and probably 30 + times to Paris, i also have a lot of involvement in the reservation system that books these journeys too (as i am SNCF's/Rail Europes Reservation System trainer). If you have only ever seen 20% full on trains on this route then you have been very lucky. The trains i have travelled on and the service availability i have seen with my own eyes most trains on the Brussels Route indicate on average a 55% take up on tickets, its steadily improving all the time, Eurostar now have a 67% market share on the London - Brussels route when compared to its competitors (Airlines/Coach operators etc). The last train i was on from Brussels was last weekend at about 5 from Brussels and it was Chocka Block, it took 45 mins just to queue up and check in.

Karl

Karl

 

[gordonthemoron]

I tend to go out to Brussels on the last train of a Friday and return on first train monday morning.

 

[Driver74]

The last train i was on from Brussels was last weekend at about 5 from Brussels and it was Chocka Block, it took 45 mins just to queue up and check in.

Karl

Karl

Karl; you brought yet another niggling point to notice. When last in Paris and returning to London. Two queues were formed whilst awaiting the call to our train. One for British passport holders the other for non British Passport holders. When clearance was give to proceed to Passport control, both queues moved off together creating mayhem at the check in point. Having queued for 35 minutes, a further 20 minutes to get checked through doesn’t make for a great experience and one is certainly glad to be able to sit down whilst awaiting the okay to board one’s train. Leaving from London was completely hassle free. So why this disorganised arrangement in Paris?
I would like to think travelling out of a British airport more distressing than travelling on Eurostar so one has to turn the other cheek?

 

[gordonthemoron]

If you get a through DB ticket from London to Germany using E* and Thalys or NachtZug, the tickets don't work in the E* automatic gates, so you have to go through the manual first class check-in which is a lot quicker

 

[andrew_r]

If you visit the Eurostar website, the UK version, you can enter a destination from Europe (a main one that is, such as Lille or Brussels), and instead of going only to London, you can now choose a major UK station as your journey destination. If you do it early enough, you should be able to get a reduced rate ticket for less than £50. I put in Lille to Leeds, and there were trains as low as £43.00, which included the NXEC ticket. Unfortunately, if you visit the site in French, you can only go from a French station to London at the most. It would be better to go from any station to any station regardless of language version.

 

[paul1609]

Have to say that my experiences mirror gordonthemoron 20% is a good loading for a Brussels train. The reality is that there is virtually no leisure market for London to brussels. The fact that Eurostar has 67% of the market proves that.
I agree with cromptoncarl that occupancy has improved in the last few years, at one time it was common to have a carriage to oneself! but the reality is that there is insufficent market to support Eurostar trains. If this was a commercial operation brussels would be limited to a few "politicians" trains a week.
Im surprised that the Nol sets havent been used on the brussels line as they would provide ample capacity.

 

[KingBBoogaloo]

The Bruxells services in my expresience have always been lightly loaded compared to the Paris services.

On saying that, latley the Bruxells services Ive been on have been around 75% full, and on one service I got the last staff ticket, something than was normaly only found on the Paris services.

Im assuming the comment about Billions being spent on the Paris-Basel route refers to the LGV Est. This line was built to get those in the east of France to Paris quicker, and as a result of that, benifits those services from Swizerland and Germany too.

Any traffic from the UK is way down the list of priorites if on the list at all for this line, and considering how close Est and Nord are its a simple change anyway, simpler if a concourse was built over the north end of Est.