Orient Express - UK Portion to end

[Jan Mayen]

Orient Express to axe UK section after 41 years due to Brexit

Luxury train operator cuts service ahead of biometric passport checks so passengers will have to join train in Paris

amp.theguardian.com

Orient Express to axe UK section after 41 years due to Brexit

Luxury train operator cuts service ahead of biometric passport checks so passengers will have to join train in Paris

I assume it will still operate it's other British journeys?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I assume it will still operate it's other British journeys?

Yes, and that's where most of the business is anyway. The connecting runs are not a huge number.

 

[duesselmartin]

How many passenger did that train carry. Would it affect the " European" end of it?

 

[urbophile]

Yet another Brexit Benefit!

 

[ShadowKnight]

Was it ever feasible to haul the VSOE through the channel tunnel? Then onto I dunno st pancras (or more realistically Ashford) for the border crossing?

 

[AdamWW]

Was it ever feasible to haul the VSOE through the channel tunnel? Then onto I dunno st pancras (or more realistically Ashford) for the border crossing?

Putting security/border requirements aside, I think there might be a slight conflict between tunnel safety regulations and historic coaching stock.

 

[zwk500]

Was it ever feasible to haul the VSOE through the channel tunnel? Then onto I dunno st pancras (or more realistically Ashford) for the border crossing?

The actual VSOE set is a sleeper train, the coaches used in the UK are a day train only, so it'd have been a change in France anyway. The UK coaches are only rated to 75mph, so they'd have taken rather a long time to reach Paris, even if you'd found a path, locos, staff and satisfied the tunnel fire regulations.

 

[30907]

Yet another Brexit Benefit!

Quite, but AIUI the Calais-Paris section was also problematic. If I were VSOE I would be happy to knock several hours off the round trip for the stock.

 

[MarkyT]

Was it ever feasible to haul the VSOE through the channel tunnel? Then onto I dunno st pancras (or more realistically Ashford) for the border crossing?

Putting security/border requirements aside, I think there might be a slight conflict between tunnel safety regulations and historic coaching stock.

The actual VSOE set is a sleeper train, the coaches used in the UK are a day train only, so it'd have been a change in France anyway. The UK coaches are only rated to 75mph, so they'd have taken rather a long time to reach Paris, even if you'd found a path, locos, staff and satisfied the tunnel fire regulations.

A set of historic CIWL UIC gauge coaches, not the VSOE train, but another rake operated by SNCF, was brought to London St Pancras International in 2017 as a promotion for the London premiere of the Kenneth Branagh Murder on the Orient Express film. Hauled through the tunnel by a class 92, the set was taken onwards to London via HS1 from Dollands Moor by Eurotunnel-owned Krupp diesels normally used for tunnel rescue and engineering work. The movements were planned and operated by GB Railfreight and no passengers could be carried in the vintage vehicles due to safety regulations.