Eurostar question: which end is Coach 1 at Brussels?

[oldtrvller]

Just purchased a business premier ticket to Brussels for travel in June. The seat I have is in coach 1 so this will be on a new e320 train.
Can someone advise whether in Brussels this coach be at the buffer end or the country end. If country end I must change this as I have the 20 minute connection to Cologne and doubt I can make that if not nearer buffer end.

Thank you
Chris

 

[Joe Paxton]

Coach 1 should be at the country end.

e320 seating plan

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

But you will be fine with a country-end seat to make the connection. The stairs by the lift next to the arrival platform will be congested but there is a down escalator about 20m away which is much easier to use and there are no checks on entry to the ICE platform any more so you will be fine.

 

[MarcVD]

Those stairs allow to bypass the security controls that have been put in place after the terrorist attacks à year ago so they have been closed. Not sure they are reopened yet.

Envoyé de mon GT-I9505 en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[317666]

Those stairs allow to bypass the security controls that have been put in place after the terrorist attacks à year ago so they have been closed. Not sure they are reopened yet.

I don't think the Couloir Sud/Zuidgang is being referred to, but as you come out of the Eurostar platforms, where everyone is queuing for the lifts/stairs, if you walk a little further on there are some escalators going down instead - I always use these as indeed they're much less congested!

 

[oldtrvller]

Solution found - As I have a flexible ticket Brussels to Cologne and just in case I have problems, I decided to book a seat reservation only on the 16:16 ICE - this being cheaper than booking on the semi-fast 14:56 with 2 changes which requires a new ticket.
Interestingly the 16:16 is shown as departing from platform 14 and not from 4 or 5.

 

[kentman]

Those stairs allow to bypass the security controls that have been put in place after the terrorist attacks à year ago so they have been closed. Not sure they are reopened yet.

Envoyé de mon GT-I9505 en utilisant Tapatalk

Seat61 says the short cut is opened again:

https://www.seat61.com/news.htm

Brussels short cut reopens..
The couloir sud short-cut at Brussels Midi from an arriving Eurostar to the other platforms for onward connections will reopen from Monday 8 May. It has been closed for security reasons since November 2015 and I had almost given up hope of it ever reopening. This is great news for people connecting between Eurostar and a Thalys or ICE to Amsterdam or Cologne, as it saves several crucial minutes compared to shuffling round through the main Eurostar exit with all the other Eurostar passengers.

 

[33Hz]

I went through at the weekend and the new check in was open (in the original location), so I guess the temporary check in is gone and the couloir sud is free to be opened now. The whole Thalys extra security farce has gone again.

Does anyone know if the Thalys Lounge will be moved back across the road?


By the way, the escalator that is referred to above was broken, so the usual smart move to bypass the lift queue backfired as I had to drag a heavy case down that long escalator.

 

[30907]

Solution found - As I have a flexible ticket Brussels to Cologne and just in case I have problems, I decided to book a seat reservation only on the 16:16 ICE - this being cheaper than booking on the semi-fast 14:56 with 2 changes which requires a new ticket.
Interestingly the 16:16 is shown as departing from platform 14 and not from 4 or 5.

It is a new working and leaves off-pattern, no doubt because the path at xx25 was taken by a peak train.

 

[coupwotcoup]

When time is tight for my connection at GdL, I always get in the
front carriage - easy at Ebbsfleet or at St Pancras I say I'm going
to the bar and rack my luggage accordingly.

Then wait until train has left its last stop - Ashford/Fréthun and
plonk myself down in any free seat - simples.

 

[Fred43123]

Just purchased a business premier ticket to Brussels for travel in June. The seat I have is in coach 1 so this will be on a new e320 train.
Can someone advise whether in Brussels this coach be at the buffer end or the country end. If country end I must change this as I have the 20 minute connection to Cologne and doubt I can make that if not nearer buffer end.

Thank you
Chris

Hello, what time is the train off London? I'm trying to find out what workings the E320s will do to Brussels but not sure.

 

[oldtrvller]

Eurostar is 10:58 off St Pancras International

Chris

 

[oldtrvller]

No problem at Brussels - at St Pancras I was automatically changed to coach 18 without asking - coach nearest exit at Brussels.
"Correspondance" was open but didn't need to use it.

Chris

 

[philjo]

I'll be doing a similar connection onwards to Cologne on the 10:58 from St Pancras on Wednesday. I'm in standard class for that leg - it was coach 18 when I booked but because it is now a 320 when I collected my ticket is was rebooked in to coach 7. (front 3 coaches are 1st) though should be OK as I plan to use the "Correspondance" escalator & colouir-sud. - I think this is somewhere near coach 11 ?
The ICE is booked for platform 5 according to DB planner.

 

[duesselmartin]

Look at the information screens in Midi. I have seen seen spontainous platform changes to three or four.