A new Eurostar terminal has been opened at the Gare Lille Europe last Thursday
Wow that was quick. Must have been reading this thread!
A new Eurostar terminal has been opened at the Gare Lille Europe last Thursday
Good to see the BBC talking about this sort of thing.
I totally agree, from personal experience, that if you make the journey part of the holiday for leisure travellers then you can easily increase journey times. It's the fact you can sit and relax, sleep, eat, watch films without having to change trains and try and make connections that makes it so much more pleasant.
Once you're on the train, there's little to worry about from then on.
But something has to be done about passport controls. I can only think of the solution being checks done in London, and the operators some sort of checks of their own to try and filter out people that could cause them problems (financial penalties).
I do have to wonder how much the penalties would impact the likelihood of greater profits from increased patronage. I'm definitely put off by a 75 minute break in service, and having to carry my bags throughout.
I'd certainly be put off by a needless 75-minute delay and hoicking luggage around. But that's the price we pay for pandering to racist paranoia.
But something has to be done about passport controls. I can only think of the solution being checks done in London, and the operators some sort of checks of their own to try and filter out people that could cause them problems (financial penalties).
Comments from angry passengers shuffling for an hour through Lille Intl staring to appear on social networks. Watch for hostile press coverage soon
Deutsche Bahn is known to be worried about what Smith gives as the third big problem complicating expansion of services through the tunnel.
"There's an obvious difficulty caused by Britain not being part of the EU Schengen treaty and retaining passport controls," he says. "It creates a massive headache for trains back to the UK which of course doesn't apply outbound. There's now a workaround at Lille and we'll see what passengers make of it all."
It was clear when I travelled back from Marseille that many passengers hadn't realised they would be required to leave the train at the northern city of Lille for passport checks.
Only Lille, Paris and Brussels have "juxtaposed" border control facilities which process UK-bound passengers before they board for London. Passengers from the South of France - and presumably new destinations to come - will need to get off at Lille, go up to the customs hall and in effect start their journey again.
An extra 75 minutes is factored in for the process.
Even some of those who knew of the Lille stop were surprised to find they had to carry their luggage throughout. Numerous small children were noisily displeased.
Meanwhile there is an article on the Marseilles srvice in the BBC News magazine.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32916197
Anyone elese hear an echo from a few posts down?
You're seriously mistaken if you think joining the Schengen is even a remote possibility. It's going to be difficult enough persuading people to vote to remain in the EU nevermind persuade them to remove border controls with Europe.This could work out well in the end. MPs getting letters demanding joining Schengen will perhaps start to roll in.
Meanwhile there is an article on the Marseilles srvice in the BBC News magazine.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32916197
and
You're seriously mistaken if you think joining the Schengen is even a remote possibility. It's going to be difficult enough persuading people to vote to remain in the EU nevermind persuade them to remove border controls with Europe.
So I think we should have a referendum on joining Schengen. But votes can only be cast at Baggage reclaim at an international airport in the UK.
is it racist to want to keep illegal immigrants out of the UK benefit system, using up your and my hard earned tax revenue? If the migrants are genuine asylum seekers, they could claim asylum in the 1st safe country they reach, or France/Belgium/Germany/Netherlands rather than hop over to the UK simply to get better treatment. All of those countries are safe for asylum seekers, yet the UK is the chosen country of better benefits. It isn't racist, it's economics.
The idea that benefits are better in the UK than elsewhere in Europe is simply wrong. I'm surprised this poster doesn't know that, given their name.
The idea that benefits are better in the UK than elsewhere in Europe is simply wrong. I'm surprised this poster doesn't know that, given their name.
All parties should sit down and work out what needs to be done to achieve pre or on train screening. Until then, either fly, or take the direct Marseille Lille TGV and then change onto one of the regular Paris/Brussels to London Eurostars, avoiding the crowds that come with the direct train.
And did the French speak english? We (some supporters of our local football club) need to play in Marseille against Olympique in the last week of November 2015. I know it has nothing to do with trains, but still ..... (want to know).
And did the French speak english? We (some supporters of our local football club) need to play in Marseille against Olympique in the last week of November 2015. I know it has nothing to do with trains, but still ..... (want to know).
Once you leave London we were served fresh croissants, tea and coffee,... after a little nap... we were served a delicious dinner.