PalenQ

For at least this summer from late June on Eurostar will offer direct trains from London via Lille to Avignon - building on last year's experiment with direct Eurostar trains to Aix-en_provence, which will not be served apparently this year - just Avignon but in any case negating the former change of trains to French TGVs in Lille.

Expect also direct Eurostar trains London to points in Germany and hopefully Amsterdam.

Current service to EuroDisney from London and the special Alps ski trains have been rolling for years now.

thursdaysd

Cool.

hetismij2

One of the only good things to come from the Fyra debacle is the plan for Eurostar to Amsterdam. The sooner the better.

hetismij2

Just checked and we don't get Eurostar until December 2016, as the route needs new engines for the Dutch signalling system. Ah well.

PalenQ

along with more thru trains to places other than Brussels or Paris Eurostar is also going into some kind of partnership where you can buy a London to xxxxxxxx fill in the blank station if served by Thalys, German ICE or French TGVs - one ticket so now or soon what goes around will come around-

whereas years ago you could buy a ticket between London and Contental destinations or between any two stations Europe and the UK I believe - since everything was flat one fare but with the advent of Byzantine fare structures mimicking airlines but taking it even more in many different fares and availabilities you now or soon will at least be able to buy thru tickets between London and many Continental destinations, hopefully at the same as now - buy way early cheaper, etc.

Britain's long ago faded plan to run Eurostar train sets beyond London seems however dead as a doornail - like to Birmingham or Manchester, Liverpool, etc.

Last I knew those new train sets once purchased before the scheme was scrubbed were sitting forlorn and out of use at North Pole - a train depot along the line from Paddington to The West - seems these trains may have been sent to Continental Europe however for use there - not sure. anyone know?

benterry

That's good news, more connections. Every tourist that is coming to London and wants to go afterwards for a 1-2 day(s) trip somewhere else is expecting the Eurostar to Amsterdam.

Ricardo_215

PalenQ - you mentioned North Pole Depot before (in a reply to a post of mine in 2008) & I had just assumed that the name was a joke, meaning they were out in the cold somewhere. I only just now checked & realise it really is the name of a rail depot. Now, train ride to the North Pole anyone?

PalenQ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole_depot

PalenQ

I assume since they say Eurostar trains were depoted here until 2007 that the old Eurostar train sets, meant to run Brussels/Paris to the hinterlands of England routes have also been moved. North Pole is still there but not a passenger station. Old Oak Common I think would be the nearest passenger station.

Ricardo_215

I remember wandering around Old Oak Common as a trainspotter, when a young teenager, must have been 1970, got train to Willesden and walked from there. I think it's quite near the Wormwood scrubs prison. Wow, I don't think my (caring) parents ever realised! I wouldn't have let my kids wander around there unsupervised.

PalenQ

Ricardo - I camped several times at Tent City on Old Oak Common and it was not the prisoners you had to be worried about but the little urchins who would steal things from campers - anything not tied down - Tent City is now gone with just some foundations.