Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

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mercalia
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Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by mercalia »

Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route
Does it mean anything for cyclists?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43002908


https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/train/netherlands
Last edited by mercalia on 9 Feb 2018, 7:36pm, edited 1 time in total.
PH
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by PH »

Brilliant and from £35 each way could be a bargain. I was in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago and this would have made it cheaper, easier and quicker.
whizzzz
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by whizzzz »

mercalia wrote:Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route
Does it mean anything for cyclists?


I saw this and tried to work out if their old policy on bikes had lightened ( especially as it was Amsterdam they were heading to).

Looks like you can pay a bit extra for big stuff and they put it in their equivalent of the guards van. Or stick in in a box or bag.

Has anyone experience of either method as I really do fancy cycling up to the islands.
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robgul
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by robgul »

whizzzz wrote:
mercalia wrote:Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route
Does it mean anything for cyclists?


I saw this and tried to work out if their old policy on bikes had lightened ( especially as it was Amsterdam they were heading to).

Looks like you can pay a bit extra for big stuff and they put it in their equivalent of the guards van. Or stick in in a box or bag.

Has anyone experience of either method as I really do fancy cycling up to the islands.


Suggest you ask Eurostar Freight at St Pancras (usually very helpful) - AIUI there are 2 options for bikes at the moment depending on the new or old rolling stock for Paris & Brussels - what I do know is that they do not take bikes on the longer services to the S of France (Marseille) - my money would be on the Amsterdam service not taking bikes.

That said - Eurostar with bike to Brussels and change on to a bike friendly train to Amsterdam is easy (the Amsterdam service will call at Brussels AIUI)

Rob
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jgurney
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by jgurney »

There will be through services to Amsterdam but for some time not back. Until there are customs, etc, facilities at Amsterdam Centraal all London bound passengers will have to get off the train at Brussels, go through the checkpoint there, then re-board a later train. Meanwhile the train that brought them from Amsterdam will have taken on another set of passengers and departed.

Technically there will be through Amsterdam - London trains but only their crews will actually be able to make the through journey.
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LinusR
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by LinusR »

jgurney wrote:There will be through services to Amsterdam but for some time not back. Until there are customs, etc, facilities at Amsterdam Centraal all London bound passengers will have to get off the train at Brussels, go through the checkpoint there, then re-board a later train. Meanwhile the train that brought them from Amsterdam will have taken on another set of passengers and departed.


A couple of years ago I took the train from St Pancras direct to Marseille. A great journey. Show your passport at St P then board the train and enjoy the journey through the English then French countryside to emerge from a tunnel and see the Mediterranean Sea. On the way back you have to get off at Lille, climb the stairs to the passport control and then descend to the train again that leaves about 45 minutes later. So, little different to the London Amsterdam return.

But you can already travel by train to Amsterdam from London -- you just need to change at Brussels and it takes about 4 hours 40 minutes each way. Anyone done it?

As for getting a £70 return ticket, you'll be lucky...
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robgul
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by robgul »

LinusR wrote:
jgurney wrote:There will be through services to Amsterdam but for some time not back. Until there are customs, etc, facilities at Amsterdam Centraal all London bound passengers will have to get off the train at Brussels, go through the checkpoint there, then re-board a later train. Meanwhile the train that brought them from Amsterdam will have taken on another set of passengers and departed.


A couple of years ago I took the train from St Pancras direct to Marseille. A great journey. Show your passport at St P then board the train and enjoy the journey through the English then French countryside to emerge from a tunnel and see the Mediterranean Sea. On the way back you have to get off at Lille, climb the stairs to the passport control and then descend to the train again that leaves about 45 minutes later. So, little different to the London Amsterdam return.

But you can already travel by train to Amsterdam from London -- you just need to change at Brussels and it takes about 4 hours 40 minutes each way. Anyone done it?

As for getting a £70 return ticket, you'll be lucky...


Yep the return on the S of France route is mad - when it first started (to Avignon) you went straight to London - there was a temporary passport set up with armed guards patrolling the platform where the Eurostar was parked in Avignon. Nowadays to get back from S of France it's simplest to get a TGV to Lille and change (it's also usually cheaper too) - downside for us with the Eurostar return means that it gets to London to late to get a train home to the Midlands so another expensive night in London.

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HarryD
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by HarryD »

I'm still waiting for the Eurostar service from Leeds that was promised at the outset. The rolling stock was even built and put into use on the East Coast Main Line. It was a cut above the rest being designed for continentals but may be worn out by now.
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Reminds me of Isambards broad gauge, at Gloucester all passengers from Birmingham to Bristol had to change from stanard gauge to broad gauge
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Sweep
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by Sweep »

HarryD wrote:I'm still waiting for the Eurostar service from Leeds that was promised at the outset. The rolling stock was even built and put into use on the East Coast Main Line. Iy b.


Didn't it used to bring the shoddily built brit overhead power cables down through?
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robgul
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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by robgul »

HarryD wrote:I'm still waiting for the Eurostar service from Leeds that was promised at the outset. The rolling stock was even built and put into use on the East Coast Main Line. It was a cut above the rest being designed for continentals but may be worn out by now.


What about the original plans for an option to load lorries on le Shuttle at Rugby? That never happened either.

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Re: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route

Post by millimole »

robgul wrote:
HarryD wrote:I'm still waiting for the Eurostar service from Leeds that was promised at the outset. The rolling stock was even built and put into use on the East Coast Main Line. It was a cut above the rest being designed for continentals but may be worn out by now.


What about the original plans for an option to load lorries on le Shuttle at Rugby? That never happened either.

Rob
Actually it does - sort of. There are regular freight runs from Forin parts to DIRFT near Rugby and I assume in the opposite direction. They are container trains - they come up to somewhere near Stratford under wires then a class 66 takes them to DIRFT (Or used to - it may all be electric by now).
A recent BBC link shows this type of operation : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-39549077

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