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Suspicious Character at Ebbsfleet

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Dom395

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Earlier today, with many other forum members I was getting a loop train from Ebbsfleet Int. to Gravesend. At Ebbsfleet before the forum members arrive from St Pancras (or St Pancake as Mojo may say), I see a strange person sitting on a seat on the Eurostar platform bound for St Pancras. He couldn't have been staff due to him having 2 or 3 bags on the floor next to him, so what might he have been doing?
 
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embers25

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Earlier today, with many other forum members I was getting a loop train from Ebbsfleet Int. to Gravesend. At Ebbsfleet before the forum members arrive from St Pancras (or St Pancake as Mojo may say), I see a strange person sitting on a seat on the Eurostar platform bound for St Pancras. He couldn't have been staff due to him having 2 or 3 bags on the floor next to him, so what might he have been doing?

Did you get any issues with your tickets or have southeastern finally communicated to accept these tickets to their staff?
 

yorkie

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St pancras gateline staff won't honour itineraries. I will be advising 2 members to seek refunds.
 

Clip

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A passenger can't catch a Eurostar from Ebbsfleet to St Pancras. They could still be staff travelling back though.
I wonder what kind of bags the passenger had?

Is it possible to walk down to the wrong platform at Ebbsfleet?


OP - did you report your concerns to anyone or did you just leave when your train came in?
 

Dom395

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A passenger can't catch a Eurostar from Ebbsfleet to St Pancras. They could still be staff travelling back though.
I wonder what kind of bags the passenger had?

He had 2 or 3 bags that looked like normal suitcase bags.
 

MCR247

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Maybe he had just alighted from a Eurostar train and was sat on the platform waiting for someone to pick him up?
 

Dom395

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Is it possible to walk down to the wrong platform at Ebbsfleet?


OP - did you report your concerns to anyone or did you just leave when your train came in?

It is if you can get down an up moving escalator.

We saw a member of staff patrolling the platform and she just walked past him so we just left it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Maybe he had just alighted from a Eurostar train and was sat on the platform waiting for someone to pick him up?

I'm pretty sure he would be ushered to the main concourse.
 

richa2002

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Here's what happens when you create a climate of everyone being a suspect. It was just a person with some bags.
 

WestCoast

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I've been to Ebbsfleet a couple of times, catching trains and passing through on Eurostar. I'm pretty sure station staff would be aware of this gentleman's presence as I'd imagine the CCTV coverage to be fairly extensive and Eurostar arrivas/departures monitored. If not, he'd be picked up pretty quickly.

Although the large luggage is probably evidence to the contrary, due to the closed border to the rest of Europe he could be any type of support staff. At Ebbsfleet, there's French immigration officers (do they shuttle back and forth between UK station and France I wonder?), now and then UK Border Agency and customs staff, as well as security screeners and customer service staff employed by Eurostar or a contractor. Eurostar is an interesting operation really from a logistics point of view. :idea:
 

Dom395

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Here's what happens when you create a climate of everyone being a suspect. It was just a person with some bags.

True, but would you really see a staff member with that many bags. Also he can't have been staff because there was already a staff member on the platform.
 

Busaholic

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Perhaps he was related to a couple of suspicious characters who've been seen hanging around on the platforms at Brixton NR for years now.
 

WestCoast

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True, but would you really see a staff member with that many bags. Also he can't have been staff because there was already a staff member on the platform.

I've seen airline staff with many big bags before, I'd imagine they're off on long-haul trips for quite some time though! :lol:

It's interesting really, on the continent popping across the border is often like going to another county in the UK these days. The borders are observed and discreet checks do take place from time to time, but nothing like you see on Eurostar. A debate for another time and place no doubt...
 

Taunton

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I've alighted at Ebbsfleet a couple of times, and on both occasions managed to just prevent someone from overseas getting off the train thinking they were in London. One was actually down on the platform. So I presume this is a regular occurrence, and that the procedure is just to put them on the next Eurostar onward to London (which might sometimes be a long wait).
 

Dom395

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I've been to Ebbsfleet a couple of times, catching trains and passing through on Eurostar. I'm pretty sure station staff would be aware of this gentleman's presence as I'd imagine the CCTV coverage to be fairly extensive and Eurostar arrivas/departures monitored. If not, he'd be picked up pretty quickly.

Although the large luggage is probably evidence to the contrary, due to the closed border to the rest of Europe he could be any type of support staff. At Ebbsfleet, there's French immigration officers (do they shuttle back and forth between UK station and France I wonder?), now and then UK Border Agency and customs staff, as well as security screeners and customer service staff employed by Eurostar or a contractor. Eurostar is an interesting operation really from a logistics point of view. :idea:

I understand were you are coming from, but still unless he was staff undercover or something he was a regular guy in casual clothing.
 

anme

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Sounds indeed like he had got off by mistake, and was waiting for the next train to take him to St Pancras.
 

ralphchadkirk

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I understand were you are coming from, but still unless he was staff undercover or something he was a regular guy in casual clothing.

Who cares? It was a bloke with some bags. It's not like Lord Lucan decided to make an appearance, or Al-Quaedia decided to send someone to case the joint.
 

EM2

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True, but would you really see a staff member with that many bags. Also he can't have been staff because there was already a staff member on the platform.
Just because there was a member of station staff on the platform, it doesn't mean that this person couldn't also be a member of staff from another function (police, customs, cleaning, technical, contractor, and so on).
It could be a a member of staff normally based at St Pancras but working at Ebbsfleet on that day that needs to get back to St P.
There are any number of explanations.
 

pemma

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Maybe it was some French man who just posted on a French forum that he was sitting on the platform waiting for someone and some suspicious looking Englishman kept looking at him.
 
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