Eurostar Pedantry...

[rhythmaning]

This morning on Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland, they interviewed Simon Calder, the Independent's travel writer, about an article in today's paper on the new St Pancras station, and what it means for travel within Britain.

During the interview, either Calder or the GMS team (I can't remember who) said the fast rail link both "redraws the map of Europe" and "brings [Europe] closer to London".

I am pleased to say that neither of these things happened. The Channel is safe - Paris hasn't suddenly been dumped nearer Kent; and the maps are the same - though I guess someone may need to redraw the OS maps of south east England to include the new rail line. And it will take less time to get to Paris.

I must remember to visit the redeveloped St Pancras - the photos look wonderful.

Comments

[blonde222.livejournal.com]

Inanity. I hope it was the GMS team because up until reading this I always rather liked Simon Calder.

[coughingbear]

How very silly of them. Though I thought the article was spot on about the slowness of trains within the UK, particularly routes like London-Manchester where it's mad that people are flying so much. I am going to Lille for the day on the 17th, and can't quite believe that it's going to take noticeably less time than it does to go to Salisbury to meet my parents.

[topicaltim.livejournal.com]

I remember Brussels and Paris appearing on the timetables at Coventry station; they looked incongruous and somewhat romantic alongside destinations such as Stourbridge, Dudley, Nuneaton and Wolverhampton. Of course, you quickly realised it was meant to be a sort of pointer to the future rather than a key part of planning your Continental trip; what it said, of course, was "yes, we know these are in fact the times of trains to London Euston; obviously you will need to make your own way from there to Waterloo...and yes, get a Eurostar, but let's all play along and pretend that this unloved corner of the West Midlands really is now connected to the rest of the European rail network."

[frankie-ecap.livejournal.com]

You make me laugh a lot. In a good way.

Do you happen to know offhand what's going to happen to the Nicholas Grimshaw terminal at Waterloo now that the Eurostar link is being closed? I think it's a beautiful building.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I think he's rather good, too - not least because he refuses to have any freebies, so he can be truly independent.