Eurostar is the name that has been given to the high speed rail service which links London to Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel, which runs under the English Channel that separates Britain from the Continent. I could not find a suitable category under which to describe this most international of rail links so I’ve written this review under ’local trains’.
The Channel Tunnel dubbed Eurotunnel, runs between Folkestone on the English side and Coquelles south west of Calais in France. It was completed in the mid nineties at a cost of 15 billion dollars, and actually runs under the sea bed for a distance of 23 miles at an average depth of 150ft. The channel tunnel in fact consists of 2 single rail tunnels for travel in each direction with a smaller service tunnel in between.
I recently travelled from London to Brussels, my first trip using Eurostar and was impressed. The trains can accommodate upto 770 passengers divided between first and second class. The seating in second class was comfortable, with adequate leg room and ample storage space for luggage. The whole journey took 2hrs 40 mins and twenty of these minutes were spent under the English Channel. On the French and Belgian side of the Channel, these trains can travel at a speed of 300 km/hr (or around 185 mph in old money)with ease.
As well as passengers, this train service also takes cars, motor cycles and even bicycles with their passengers and riders. It gives these customers a faster alternative to crossing the channel with their vehicles on a ferry.
Air travel is undoubtedly quicker, but the big selling point of Eurostar is that it provides city centre to city centre transfer, avoiding the hassles of travelling to a peripheral airport, checking in 1-2 hours before, collecting baggage, etc. As a result this service has taken a lot of business away from the airlines on the London-Paris and London-Brussels sectors.
The main problem with the service is that it is relatively slow on the English side, top speeds being around 125mph (the railway is not as straight!) . However a new route is being built from the tunnel to a new London terminal station via East London which should shorten journey times further.
I would recommend this service as a serious alternative to air travel if not for the unique experience.....it’s not everyday that you can say that you’ve been under water.......... on a train!!!