Amsterdam Eurostar

[sarahj]

Last time I was there (Rotterdam) there was a good model railway near the station. They were rebuilding the station at the time.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The rest of NL is a fair whack less touristy and less in your face than Amsterdam, I think I'm with you in preferring other cities. Den Haag is worth a visit too.

 

[AlexNL]

Last time I was there (Rotterdam) there was a good model railway near the station.

That must've been Miniworld Rotterdam, which is a stonesthrow away from the station.

They were rebuilding the station at the time.

That is quite a while ago, as the rebuilt station's official opening was in March 2014.

 

[stut]

The rest of NL is a fair whack less touristy and less in your face than Amsterdam, I think I'm with you in preferring other cities. Den Haag is worth a visit too.

I love Amsterdam despite the crowds (and they're easy enough to escape, to be fair, just hop on a bike) but there's no end of great places in the Netherlands, and not just the cities, either.

Utrecht is one of my favourite cities, Delft is rather lovely too, as is Gouda. But get out of town and visit the Waterland region, or the rural parts of the Groene Hart, maybe the Waddensee islands... So much to see and do beyond the capital.

 

[eastwestdivide]

...Out of interest what’s Rotterdam like? Any different to Amsterdam not keen on all the culture in Amsterdam.

Good for modern quirky architecture, far less touristy than Amsterdam. Also a good maritime museum, and the all-day port tour by Spido is well worth doing - takes you all the way out to Europoort and the newly-reclaimed port extensions at Maasvlakte.

 

[33Hz]

Just been through Brussels Midi and there is now security screening down the middle of platform 3 and 4, with roller doors every few metres than can allow the platform to be joined or separated.

There is also building work going on in what used to be the Thalys lounge which does have a connection into the Eurostar terminal. From that it looks like you will come out next to the escalator up to platform 3 from the south corridor.

 

[GingerSte]

Thanks for the photos, 33Hz.

The roller shutter doors in the second pic don't look as intrusive as they could, which is good! Mind you, they're not closed in this case.

I've just been trying to remember if the other platforms have lobby areas at the top of staircase/escalators, or if this is purely for platform 3/4. I know Birmingham New Street has these (at the bottom of stairs/escalators, in this case) to control the spread of fire and smoke and create a contained fire escape route.

 

[duesselmartin]

They could name the service the flying dutchman

If you know Wagner's opera, one michm reconsider, unless one enjoys Wagner that is

 

[33Hz]

The NS PR lady seemed to be exited about a run to London happening today...

 

[AlexNL]

RTT doesn't show any runs to/from Amsterdam for today, but does show a return journey planned for tomorrow.

 

[MisterT]

Dutch media are reporting today that the passport controls will not take place in the Netherlands at the start of the Eurostar service.
The treaty that would make it possible has not been signed yet.
Passengers will have to disembark at Brussels for the time being.

 

[33Hz]

If you mean https://www.volkskrant.nl/economie/...r-londen-het-kan-vanaf-dit-voorjaar~a4564468/ that is disappointing.

No doubt a very low priority while our government is distracted with Brexit issues like this: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...c-to-cope-with-no_uk_59f873f2e4b09b5c2568f822

I hope we don't need to wait until 2019 to get that sorted out.

 

[Groningen]

The Eurostar will have a barrier somewhere in the train with no passing through. One part is for passengers to Brussel (A-side on platform without control) and the other part will be for London (B-side with control). There will be British bordercontrol in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, but it still has to be signed. As long that is not complete control will be done in Brussel with added time. On the platform is also a barrier.

 

[plcd1]

Railway Gazette tweeted earlier today that work has started at Rotterdam CS to create the segregated facilities there. Scheduled to take 9 weeks with a completion date of 26 March 2018.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...ion-to-be-modified-for-eurostar-services.html

NETHERLANDS: Work to adapt Rotterdam Centraal station to accommodate Eurostar’s future Amsterdam – London services has begun, VolkerRail announced on January 31.

The work is being undertaken by VolkerRail and Arcadis on behalf of infrastructure manager ProRail.

During a nine-week possession tracks will be realigned and a platform which currently faces track 1 will be widened by 4 m to face onto track 2, providing an extra 3 000 m2 of space to separate passenger who have passed through security screening. The contract includes changes to signalling and control systems.

Completion is planned for March 26.

 

[33Hz]

Scheduled to take 9 weeks with a completion date of 26 March 2018.

Academic if the agreement isn't place to check passports there, though. De-training in Brussels is really not ideal. I'd rather take a Thalys and check-in in my own time.

 

[TrishOB]

So if one is traveling from London to Amsterdam, there is no need for disembarkation? I ask because we have a one-way planned going in that direction in May, and would love to see the direct route become available.

 

[TheSeeker]

Similar to the agreement that the UK has with France to allow passports to be checked there. I think Macron has already said this agreement will be under review post-brexit.

 

[Goldfish62]

Academic if the agreement isn't place to check passports there, though. De-training in Brussels is really not ideal. I'd rather take a Thalys and check-in in my own time.

Given that security checks will still be done prior to boarding, what is to stop the London part of the train being locked at Brussels and Border staff checking passports on the train?

 

[33Hz]

Given that security checks will still be done prior to boarding, what is to stop the London part of the train being locked at Brussels and Border staff checking passports on the train?

Because of all the passport scanning and photo taking paraphernalia they have these days?

 

[MisterT]

With the timetable change in december 2018, NS and Eurostar are exploring the possibilities for a third Eurostar between Amsterdam and London.
This third service would be a direct service for London. Passengers can board at Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Brussels, but only for the destination of London, not for the intermediate stations.
This would reduce the travel time to 3.5 hours max.

 

[Goldfish62]

Because of all the passport scanning and photo taking paraphernalia they have these days?

Last year I had my passport scanned at St Pancras by someone using a handheld scanner.

 

[33Hz]

Last year I had my passport scanned at St Pancras by someone using a handheld scanner.

On the way out, yes. On the way back in, no. And the security had changed a lot since last summer.

 

[AlexNL]

I haven't traveled on Eurostar since Easter of 2016, what has changed to security at StP for someone coming from the continent?

Offtopic, but the same question goes for going into the UK by car, which I haven't done that since July 2016 using a Calais - Dover ferry.

 

[Goldfish62]

Having done the journey last week, absolutely nothing.

 

[33Hz]

Electronic passport gates at St Pancras (for the French) and Brussels (for the UK) are what is new.

Outbound passport checks at St Pancras are cursory and done by Mitie contractors. They use a handheld scanner, albeit behind a desk.

Inbound to the UK is treated differently and is done by borders agency staff (or they supervise the machines). There they are and were not using a handheld scanner, but a PC which they check your id against.

 

[Groningen]

There is indeed talk about a third Amsterdam - London train in 2019 (with timetablechange in December 2018) and the NS thinks of a traveltime of 3,5 hours.

 

[edwin_m]

I can't see any reason why the passport scanner couldn't be made handheld, as long as there is a good wifi signal. The photo recognition would be more awkward but since an officer would be needed to do the scanning they would also confirm the accuracy of the passport photo. As they have several hours to work their way through the train, only a handful of officers with scanners would be needed. There might need to be restrictions on people passing the officers to go to the buffet during this time, and perhaps some toilets locked out, to remove possible means of avoiding the checks.

Having said that the fixed passport gates needn't be a big impediment to travel as long as there are enough of them. It's the baggage scanning that is the real problem.

 

[Groningen]

Let us give more attention to the new trains and not so much on bordercontrol!

 

[AlexNL]

This thread is about Eurostar's new destinations, i.e. Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The safety and immigration procedures are a significant part of it as they will make or break the whole experience.

If you just want to talk about the Class 374 trains themselves there's a dedicated thread in the Rolling Stock subforum.

 

[dutchflyer]

Given that security checks will still be done prior to boarding, what is to stop the London part of the train being locked at Brussels and Border staff checking passports on the train?

Your border guards will not and never wanted to do that. Thats what was always stated on it in magazines like Todays railways etc.