[Anonymous]

[SimonS1]

I suppose it wouldn’t be a holiday weekend without some sort of balls up on Eurostar.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27059834

[Tom Otley]

I went through London St Pancras Station tonight – tired myself coming back from Asia and on the final leg home, but nothing compared to what those poor passengers were going through – huge queues, all trains cancelled – and many of them had been there with children etc… since lunchtime. Very sorry for them, as you say, a desperately sad start to the Easter break for those going home for Easter or going away for a break.

[SimonS1]

Very sad, but let’s face it the management of Eurostar have demonstrated on many occasions that they would struggle to run a bath, let alone an international rail service.

[BigDog.]

Eurostar London to Marseille (also Lyon Avignon) return from under £90.

With journey times around 6.5 hours and probably no luggage restrictions it is a very competitive offering imo.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2870353/Eurostar-reveals-fares-new-destinations-south-France-returns-Marseille-costing-100.html

[AMcWhirter]

Good to see Eurostar adding a new route.

But not sure what passengers will make of the 75 mins Lille stopover on the return. UKBA rules mean that passengers and their bags must disembark at Lille (for immigration/security checks) before rejoining the train for the final leg to London.

[BigDog.]

London – Marseille direct route starts

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32916197

[PeterCoultas]

Mad May’s efforts to keep our borders safe but why cannot Eurostar check documents on board?

My first return from abroad (boat to train connection at Dover) in 1956 somehow avoided all customs and entry procedures by wandering along from the boat to the train – maybe just sitting on the train and refusing to move might be a useful ploy – there must be a better solution than lugging all baggage on and off in Lille.

Interesting that HM’s Navy have rescued some 4,000 would be migrants from drowning in the Med – somehow these migrants got off the boat in Italy without realising that British warships are British territory and they should have been able to go directly to Mrs May’s immigration checks in the UK

[AMcWhirter]

BigDog –

The London-Marseilles service actually started on May 1.

PeterCoultas –

Passengers’ documents were checked on board Eurostar in the first few years of service.

Indeed the trainsets were built complete with office facilities for the customs & immigration staff. They also have a number of secure compartments where passengers without correct documentation could be locked away until the train arrived at its final destination.

Then the authorities moved to a pre-clearance system. And there are facilities in Brussels and Paris along with Lille.

Lille is used in cases where passengers originate from points other than Brussels or Paris.

So it’s used for the Marseilles service, it will be used when Amsterdam starts next year and it’s also used now for those passengers taking connecting TGV trains (via Lille) to London (using Eurostar for Lille-London).

[PeterCoultas]

AMcWhirter: If there are through trains why not pre-clear at boarding.

In all airports there is the nonsense of a minion checking passports/visas before you board for the UK (even after airline check in) and then the third check when you arrive in the UK.

If they need all that redundancy in their system (presumably because it is run so badly) why not employ another group of unnecessary staff on the railways – preferably paid for by the Home Ofiice as they are the idiots who can’t do an efficient job (visa as per aussi and sensible entry system that is quick and straightforward with hardly any personal involved) !

[AMcWhirter]

PeterCoultas –

As to “If there are through trains why not re-clear at boarding ?”

Pre-clearance facilities were established by UKBA at Brussels, Paris and Lille. These were Eurostar’s original core destinations.

UKBA recently said it would not fund any further pre-clearance.

Marseilles-London is a through train but there are several en route stops.

And the same will apply to Amsterdam-London or indeed any other routes which Eurostar might start in the future.

Why ? Simply because a Eurostar trainset holds either 750 passengers or 900 passengers (the new trainsets yet to enter service) so en route stops are needed to fill the seats.

The rules and regulations governing international rail travel via the Tunnel are lengthy and complex. They defeated DB’s plans to operate trains to London.

Instead DB found it far easier to operate its buses !

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/101613/deutsche-bahn-buses-coming-to-london

[LuganoPirate]

I seem to remember immigration controls were done during the Dover-Calais or Ostend and vv crossings back in the 60’s and early 70’s and I think when you arrived you just walked off.

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