There are myriad issues with services to Europe from outside London, not least the security and immigration issues. Whilst existing routes are proving very successful now, operators are struggling to develop routes from London beyond the initial three capitals network and the handful of occasional and seasonal destinations in France, but within a few years we should see a new regular Eurostar service to Amsterdam, and once their new train designs have approval, DB may resurrect their deferred plans to run between London and Germany. The big question is what kind of frequency and range of destinations could be offered realistically in Europe from say Birmingham? Perhaps one or two daily return workings to Paris? That would be difficult to reconcile with business demand for flexibility, and if those trains couldn't also serve the London market easily, tying up a whole trainset on such a marginal route at peak business times could be very unnattractive commercially. London St. Pancras is always going to offer the best range and frequency of European destinations, and with a fully developed high frequency HS2 service from the north and midlands, most potential travellers will (in my opinion) prefer the flexibilty of choosing their time of departure and changing trains at a major hub rather than having to tie their plans to a very infrequent through service. The exception for through services might be some sort of charter operation from Birmingham and Manchester which might run outside weekday business peaks and on which tour operators could fully book trains of holidaymakers to southern European destinations, but still the security and immigration issues would need to be addressed.
Well the security issues are frankly just political ones, so they can be resolved. The rest of Europe seems to get on quite well without near paranoid security measures, and have no more of a problem with illegal immigration or terrorism than we do. So maybe for journeys onto the near continent it's time to revisit how we deal with passport control & security.
As for the flexibility of changing at hub, well we already have a similar model at airports like Heathrow. However, despite a myriad of US bound flights (for example) there is still growing demand for trans-Atlantic flights from other airports such as Manchester which offer only a limited number. So it's not just the number & times of connections that's important, it's the ease of getting to the destination. This might well be true of future train services through to the continent. This is a market that could well grow in time, especially as the airspace over the UK & especially the South East is becoming like many of our roads, congested. You can build all the runways you like, but too many aircraft in the air at one time will lead to chaos. I actually think that with demand for medium to long haul flights growing, pressure will build on airline companies, the CAA & ATCs to give priority slots to these flights over shorter hauls in the coming years. This will lead to more flights being subject to tighter take off & landing slots, and potentially will lead to more delays. This is where regional rail services to Europe might find a market.
Instead of having to arrive at the airport 1 to 2 hours before your take off slot for Paris, then finding you've been delayed for a further hour before you even get moving you could be well on your way from Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds. Don't be too quick to dismiss the potential for these and even longer Euro journeys in the future. DB for example seem to think there's a market to be tapped, and maybe if they do ever get the London-Frankfurt service up & running this might prove to the sceptics here in the UK that there is a market for Euro services of up to 4, 5 and even 6 hours.
Of course with the recommendation that the existing link be dropped, then it's time to look at a more feasible & cost effective solution to link HS2 with HS1. The Heathrow loop as suggested is certainly one solution, but perhaps another more ambitious solution could be found. Maybe the next Crossrail project should be for IC / Euro services through London, with a single terminus at Euston / St Pancras? Not only would it offer a direct route through to HS1 from HS2 whilst still serving central London, but it might offer the chance for IC services from the North West, North East & Scotland to run through to the South Coast. This would then free up capacity on the Overground / Underground as passengers travelling through London would have the option not to change. Yes, lots of cost involved here, but lots of benefits too. Just a thought!
Ships said:
I do it pretty much every day going to work and it takes 5 minutes tops (even at peak rush hour) and the ticket fellas on the bridge are usually sound, and theres only one set you ever have to go through.....
Ah but you do it every day, so you'll probably be used to it & are able, albeit possibly subconsciously, to optimise your transit through the station. I used to be the same travelling through Leeds, I always found myself positioning myself on the train for a quick exit & usually was able to position myself so as to be close to one of the bridges for a swift transit. It's what makes the seasoned commuter stand out
. But put yourself in the shoes of someone doing it for the first time...
