Could Eurostar Red run to Lille

[FlyingPotato]

Now firstly I know that Eurostar stops at Lille, but that's only on UK services and I also know that Thalys used to run there as well

A person from Lille can get a ticket to Amsterdam one way but not a proper return

So I was wondering if any Eurostar red trains could run there in the future as they are getting new stock

I was thinking some German services could go there (if they split at Brussels of course, as Paris can't lose any in reality).
The way this would work (assuming they go for 200m sets), Cologne Brussels, with 200m to Paris and 200m to Lille

It could allow Lille residents more international trains, and could provide an easier change for UK passengers than Brussels which could be easier than building passport controls in places like Germany. It could also allow new services to places like Switzerland to be trialed before they extend them to the UK (if they do of course)

 

[Snow1964]

Lille has TGV trains to Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Rennes, Montpellier, Nantes, Strasbourg
They also call other places like Avignon, Le Mans, Poitiers, Tours etc

Perhaps the question should be should some of these trains start back at St Pancras.

To some extent it is more a question of deemed border for travelling, to some extent running along HS1 with doors locked, and doing passports at arrival station is not a lot of different in principle to an international flight landing on a UK runway, both are on UK soil prior to immigration.

 

[zwk500]

Operationally I don't see particularly why not, although how much market would there be?

Regarding the option of mid-journey passport checks, that would be a very big disincentive for UK-Germany travel to have to do a Lille Shuffle. I don't think Eurostar would want to try it.

 

[FlyingPotato]

Lille has TGV trains to Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Rennes, Montpellier, Nantes, Strasbourg
They also call other places like Avignon, Le Mans, Poitiers, Tours etc

Perhaps the question should be should some of these trains start back at St Pancras.

To some extent it is more a question of deemed border for travelling, to some extent running along HS1 with doors locked, and doing passports at arrival station is not a lot of different in principle to an international flight landing on a UK runway, both are on UK soil prior to immigration.

Lille does yes, which I know and have experienced
That's why I was focusing more on services to the east which currently don't serve Lille

In a perfect world these might start in the UK, but as many places don't have border controls for the UK yet, it would be difficult to implement

Operationally I don't see particularly why not, although how much market would there be?

Regarding the option of mid-journey passport checks, that would be a very big disincentive for UK-Germany travel to have to do a Lille Shuffle. I don't think Eurostar would want to try it.

The market I can't comment on, but it would allow Lille residents to travel further without changing

I think it might be easier than asking people to change in Brussels, as Lille is much smaller and nicer to be in

 

[cle]

Maybe operationally it helps clear platforms at Brussels, and of course does offer better connections to CDG/Disney - as well as other French services, although those are very far from any type of clockface operation.

Lille isn't a huge, affluent market in itself, or major inbound draw (especially from Benelux, it's sort of the worst of that and the worst of France) - but it's a big railhead and hub.

In theory Eurostar to AMS could call more, but they really need that non-stop Brussels run to be competitve. Although these days it basically is by default, with Ebbs/Ash/Calais being out of action for them. Would there be demand for Aachen, Liege, Koln, Frankfurt? Maybe a little.

 

[stuu]

There's hourly-ish connections between Lille and Brussels already, with the combination of Eurostar and TGVs, is there really any more demand?

 

[30907]

Now firstly I know that Eurostar stops at Lille, but that's only on UK services and I also know that Thalys used to run there as well

I was thinking some German services could go there (if they split at Brussels of course, as Paris can't lose any in reality).
The way this would work (assuming they go for 200m sets), Cologne Brussels, with 200m to Paris and 200m to Lille

I can't imagine ES Red would prioritise running a set to Lille rather than using it to provide extra capacity to Paris.

 

[Peterthegreat]

If I remember correctly Thalys tried a Lille to Amsterdam service a few years ago.

 

[FlyingPotato]

If I remember correctly Thalys tried a Lille to Amsterdam service a few years ago.

I looked at the times, and they weren't that good, late in evening, early in the morning

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

A lot of Lille TGV services start from Flandres rather than Europe which is a pain for London passengers. CdG Airport is the main market for these services - French passengers jetting off somewhere - and are often fully booked.

 

[MarkyT]

Operationally I don't see particularly why not, although how much market would there be?

Regarding the option of mid-journey passport checks, that would be a very big disincentive for UK-Germany travel to have to do a Lille Shuffle. I don't think Eurostar would want to try it.

The original Lille shuffle, where everyone had to get off with their luggage while the same train just sat there, blocking a platform for an hour is bonkers from a customer service and economic point of view. They might as well change onto a new train that rolls in after the border procedures while the original one carries on earning some revenue. More long distance trains and a broader range of destinations from Lille sounds great but could the customs and immigration facilities cope with increased numbers using them? Also nothing can really be done to increase demand until the border facilities at St Pancras are improved to cope adequately with current numbers.

A lot of Lille TGV services start from Flandres rather than Europe which is a pain for London passengers. CdG Airport is the main market for these services - French passengers jetting off somewhere - and are often fully booked.

Not much of a pain. About 400m concourse to concourse, all fairly level, no roads to cross, a partially covered option available alongside under the overhang of the shopping centre and hotel complex (though there are some steps that way). You could walk further WITHIN many individual stations. Google streetview images show the pedestrian link being very busy with people including many happily wheeling luggage between the terminals.

 

[Trainbike46]

If I remember correctly Thalys tried a Lille to Amsterdam service a few years ago.

they did; they were withdrawn due to very low passenger numbers - and given that experience I don't think Eurostar is likely to try again anytime soon.

Don't some of the TGV services from Brussel to places across France go via Lille? if so, passengers could just change at Brussel-Zuid

 

[30907]

Don't some of the TGV services from Brussel to places across France go via Lille? if so, passengers could just change at Brussel-Zuid

All, or nearly all, it seems

A lot of Lille TGV services start from Flandres rather than Europe which is a pain for London passengers. CdG Airport is the main market for these services - French passengers jetting off somewhere - and are often fully booked.

The vast majority of "Province-Province" TGVs start from Europe, or serve it en route from/to Brussels.