Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
Sep 19th 2006, 11:36 pm
#1
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Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
The Times (UK)
September 20, 2006
Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
>From Charles Bremner in Paris
THE final joint will be welded in a new high-speed rail line between
Paris and Germany today as France celebrates the 25th anniversary of a
train that has shrunk the map and transformed the life of the country.
Dominique de Villepin, the Prime Minister, is officiating at the
ceremony at Chauconin-Neufmontiers, which finishes the �2 billion
route of the TGV-Est, the eastern train � grande vitesse. Trains
running at up to 200mph (320km/h) will put Rheims within a 45-minute
commute from Paris and bring Strasbourg within 2 hours 20 minutes
instead of 4 hours.
The imminent arrival of the link has boosted property prices along its
stops. It is likely to knock out airline services between Paris and
Strasbourg and Metz, in the same way as it has taken most of the
traffic between Marseilles, London and Brussels. The completion of the
eastern line, which crosses the vineyards of Champagne, has been timed
to coincide with festivities for the quarter century since the late
President Mitterrand opened the first TGV, between Paris and Lyons, on
September 22, 1981. A show with two full-scale mock-ups of the sleek
blue and white trains opens by the Eiffel Tower at the weekend.
While France is beset by gloom and economic uncertainty, the TGV is
being celebrated as a triumph of Gallic vision, with no match except
for Japan's older and less flexible network of Shinkansen.
"The legend goes on," said Guillaume Pepy, the deputy chief of SNCF,
the state railway, as politicians crowded in to share the credit. In
another anniversary act, SNCF tested TGV trains at 225mph on the
Mediterranean line on Monday with a view to raising their cruising
speed. (The fastest British trains do not exceed 125mph). The
1,250-mile (2,010km) TGV network, a product of the French tradition of
centralised power and state engineering, has transformed life, bringing
cities such as Tours, 230 miles from Paris, within commuting range. A
daily season ticket on that TGV route costs �390 a month. Between
Paris and Lille (127 miles each way), daily commuting costs �415 a
month. Vend�me, 260 miles to the southwest of the capital, has become
a dormitory town. About 400,000 people use the TGV for daily work.
The TGV project, which was launched by the late President Pompidou in
1974, has brought northern prosperity to the Mediterranean and Atlantic
regions as well as opening them to weekend tourism from Paris. The
opening of the service to Avignon and Aix-en-Provence in 2001 brought a
flood of second-homebuyers into Provence, now under three hours from
the capital.
"The TGV is the Concorde plus commercial success," Clive Lamming, a
railway historian who wrote the Larousse des trains et des chemins de
fer encyclopaedia, told The Times. "The TGV has virtually reduced
France to one big suburb. This has increased the independence of
businesses from Paris. Workers are more mobile and their costs are
less."
The TGV runs on separate high-speed lines that keep it away from the
mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
September 20, 2006
Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
>From Charles Bremner in Paris
THE final joint will be welded in a new high-speed rail line between
Paris and Germany today as France celebrates the 25th anniversary of a
train that has shrunk the map and transformed the life of the country.
Dominique de Villepin, the Prime Minister, is officiating at the
ceremony at Chauconin-Neufmontiers, which finishes the �2 billion
route of the TGV-Est, the eastern train � grande vitesse. Trains
running at up to 200mph (320km/h) will put Rheims within a 45-minute
commute from Paris and bring Strasbourg within 2 hours 20 minutes
instead of 4 hours.
The imminent arrival of the link has boosted property prices along its
stops. It is likely to knock out airline services between Paris and
Strasbourg and Metz, in the same way as it has taken most of the
traffic between Marseilles, London and Brussels. The completion of the
eastern line, which crosses the vineyards of Champagne, has been timed
to coincide with festivities for the quarter century since the late
President Mitterrand opened the first TGV, between Paris and Lyons, on
September 22, 1981. A show with two full-scale mock-ups of the sleek
blue and white trains opens by the Eiffel Tower at the weekend.
While France is beset by gloom and economic uncertainty, the TGV is
being celebrated as a triumph of Gallic vision, with no match except
for Japan's older and less flexible network of Shinkansen.
"The legend goes on," said Guillaume Pepy, the deputy chief of SNCF,
the state railway, as politicians crowded in to share the credit. In
another anniversary act, SNCF tested TGV trains at 225mph on the
Mediterranean line on Monday with a view to raising their cruising
speed. (The fastest British trains do not exceed 125mph). The
1,250-mile (2,010km) TGV network, a product of the French tradition of
centralised power and state engineering, has transformed life, bringing
cities such as Tours, 230 miles from Paris, within commuting range. A
daily season ticket on that TGV route costs �390 a month. Between
Paris and Lille (127 miles each way), daily commuting costs �415 a
month. Vend�me, 260 miles to the southwest of the capital, has become
a dormitory town. About 400,000 people use the TGV for daily work.
The TGV project, which was launched by the late President Pompidou in
1974, has brought northern prosperity to the Mediterranean and Atlantic
regions as well as opening them to weekend tourism from Paris. The
opening of the service to Avignon and Aix-en-Provence in 2001 brought a
flood of second-homebuyers into Provence, now under three hours from
the capital.
"The TGV is the Concorde plus commercial success," Clive Lamming, a
railway historian who wrote the Larousse des trains et des chemins de
fer encyclopaedia, told The Times. "The TGV has virtually reduced
France to one big suburb. This has increased the independence of
businesses from Paris. Workers are more mobile and their costs are
less."
The TGV runs on separate high-speed lines that keep it away from the
mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
Sep 20th 2006, 7:48 am
#2
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Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
[email protected] wrote:
> The Times (UK)
> September 20, 2006
> Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
> >From Charles Bremner in Paris
> THE final joint will be welded in a new high-speed rail line between
> Paris and Germany today as France celebrates the 25th anniversary of a
> train that has shrunk the map and transformed the life of the country.
> Dominique de Villepin, the Prime Minister, is officiating at the
> ceremony at Chauconin-Neufmontiers, which finishes the �2 billion
> route of the TGV-Est, the eastern train � grande vitesse. Trains
> running at up to 200mph (320km/h) will put Rheims within a 45-minute
> commute from Paris and bring Strasbourg within 2 hours 20 minutes
> instead of 4 hours.
> The imminent arrival of the link has boosted property prices along its
> stops. It is likely to knock out airline services between Paris and
> Strasbourg and Metz, in the same way as it has taken most of the
> traffic between Marseilles, London and Brussels. The completion of the
> eastern line, which crosses the vineyards of Champagne, has been timed
> to coincide with festivities for the quarter century since the late
> President Mitterrand opened the first TGV, between Paris and Lyons, on
> September 22, 1981. A show with two full-scale mock-ups of the sleek
> blue and white trains opens by the Eiffel Tower at the weekend.
> While France is beset by gloom and economic uncertainty, the TGV is
> being celebrated as a triumph of Gallic vision, with no match except
> for Japan's older and less flexible network of Shinkansen.
> "The legend goes on," said Guillaume Pepy, the deputy chief of SNCF,
> the state railway, as politicians crowded in to share the credit. In
> another anniversary act, SNCF tested TGV trains at 225mph on the
> Mediterranean line on Monday with a view to raising their cruising
> speed. (The fastest British trains do not exceed 125mph). The
> 1,250-mile (2,010km) TGV network, a product of the French tradition of
> centralised power and state engineering, has transformed life, bringing
> cities such as Tours, 230 miles from Paris, within commuting range. A
> daily season ticket on that TGV route costs �390 a month. Between
> Paris and Lille (127 miles each way), daily commuting costs �415 a
> month. Vend�me, 260 miles to the southwest of the capital, has become
> a dormitory town. About 400,000 people use the TGV for daily work.
> The TGV project, which was launched by the late President Pompidou in
> 1974, has brought northern prosperity to the Mediterranean and Atlantic
> regions as well as opening them to weekend tourism from Paris. The
> opening of the service to Avignon and Aix-en-Provence in 2001 brought a
> flood of second-homebuyers into Provence, now under three hours from
> the capital.
> "The TGV is the Concorde plus commercial success," Clive Lamming, a
> railway historian who wrote the Larousse des trains et des chemins de
> fer encyclopaedia, told The Times. "The TGV has virtually reduced
> France to one big suburb. This has increased the independence of
> businesses from Paris. Workers are more mobile and their costs are
> less."
> The TGV runs on separate high-speed lines that keep it away from the
> mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
has it?
> The Times (UK)
> September 20, 2006
> Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
> >From Charles Bremner in Paris
> THE final joint will be welded in a new high-speed rail line between
> Paris and Germany today as France celebrates the 25th anniversary of a
> train that has shrunk the map and transformed the life of the country.
> Dominique de Villepin, the Prime Minister, is officiating at the
> ceremony at Chauconin-Neufmontiers, which finishes the �2 billion
> route of the TGV-Est, the eastern train � grande vitesse. Trains
> running at up to 200mph (320km/h) will put Rheims within a 45-minute
> commute from Paris and bring Strasbourg within 2 hours 20 minutes
> instead of 4 hours.
> The imminent arrival of the link has boosted property prices along its
> stops. It is likely to knock out airline services between Paris and
> Strasbourg and Metz, in the same way as it has taken most of the
> traffic between Marseilles, London and Brussels. The completion of the
> eastern line, which crosses the vineyards of Champagne, has been timed
> to coincide with festivities for the quarter century since the late
> President Mitterrand opened the first TGV, between Paris and Lyons, on
> September 22, 1981. A show with two full-scale mock-ups of the sleek
> blue and white trains opens by the Eiffel Tower at the weekend.
> While France is beset by gloom and economic uncertainty, the TGV is
> being celebrated as a triumph of Gallic vision, with no match except
> for Japan's older and less flexible network of Shinkansen.
> "The legend goes on," said Guillaume Pepy, the deputy chief of SNCF,
> the state railway, as politicians crowded in to share the credit. In
> another anniversary act, SNCF tested TGV trains at 225mph on the
> Mediterranean line on Monday with a view to raising their cruising
> speed. (The fastest British trains do not exceed 125mph). The
> 1,250-mile (2,010km) TGV network, a product of the French tradition of
> centralised power and state engineering, has transformed life, bringing
> cities such as Tours, 230 miles from Paris, within commuting range. A
> daily season ticket on that TGV route costs �390 a month. Between
> Paris and Lille (127 miles each way), daily commuting costs �415 a
> month. Vend�me, 260 miles to the southwest of the capital, has become
> a dormitory town. About 400,000 people use the TGV for daily work.
> The TGV project, which was launched by the late President Pompidou in
> 1974, has brought northern prosperity to the Mediterranean and Atlantic
> regions as well as opening them to weekend tourism from Paris. The
> opening of the service to Avignon and Aix-en-Provence in 2001 brought a
> flood of second-homebuyers into Provence, now under three hours from
> the capital.
> "The TGV is the Concorde plus commercial success," Clive Lamming, a
> railway historian who wrote the Larousse des trains et des chemins de
> fer encyclopaedia, told The Times. "The TGV has virtually reduced
> France to one big suburb. This has increased the independence of
> businesses from Paris. Workers are more mobile and their costs are
> less."
> The TGV runs on separate high-speed lines that keep it away from the
> mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
has it?
Sep 20th 2006, 8:22 am
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
> The TGV runs on separate high-speed lines that keep it away from the
> mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
has it?
It put the hovercraft out of business, and has caused lots of problems for
the ferries.
> mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
has it?
It put the hovercraft out of business, and has caused lots of problems for
the ferries.
Sep 20th 2006, 9:11 am
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
"Harry" <[email protected]> wrote:
>The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
>has it?
Exactly. The ferries are transporting a record number of vehicles.
Meanwhile, Eurostar claims it has something like 70% of the
London-Paris and London-Brussels passenger market, yet Eurostar
traffic is running at only **one third** of its projections.
I wonder where the other two thirds would have come from. <g>
>The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
>has it?
Exactly. The ferries are transporting a record number of vehicles.
Meanwhile, Eurostar claims it has something like 70% of the
London-Paris and London-Brussels passenger market, yet Eurostar
traffic is running at only **one third** of its projections.
I wonder where the other two thirds would have come from. <g>
Sep 20th 2006, 9:15 am
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
"Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]> wrote:
>It put the hovercraft out of business,
Nonsense. The hovercraft were put out of business by the high speed
catamaran ferries, plus the fact that they were life expired, noisy,
uncomfortable and exceptionally expensive to operate because of their
extremely high fuel consumption.
>and has caused lots of problems for
>the ferries.
More nonsense! The ferries are carrying more traffic than ever.
>It put the hovercraft out of business,
Nonsense. The hovercraft were put out of business by the high speed
catamaran ferries, plus the fact that they were life expired, noisy,
uncomfortable and exceptionally expensive to operate because of their
extremely high fuel consumption.
>and has caused lots of problems for
>the ferries.
More nonsense! The ferries are carrying more traffic than ever.
Sep 20th 2006, 9:16 am
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:22:42 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>> The TGV runs on separate high-speed lines that keep it away from the
>> mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
>> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
>The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
>has it?
>It put the hovercraft out of business, and has caused lots of problems for
>the ferries.
but nothing like the problems that it has caused it's own
shareholders.
--
Martin
<[email protected]> wrote:
>> The TGV runs on separate high-speed lines that keep it away from the
>> mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
>> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
>The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
>has it?
>It put the hovercraft out of business, and has caused lots of problems for
>the ferries.
but nothing like the problems that it has caused it's own
shareholders.
--
Martin
Sep 20th 2006, 9:16 am
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
"Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:22:42 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >> The TGV runs on separate high-speed lines that keep it away from the
> >> mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
> >>
> >>
> >> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
> >
> >The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
> >has it?
> >
> >It put the hovercraft out of business, and has caused lots of problems
for
> >the ferries.
> >
> but nothing like the problems that it has caused it's own
> shareholders.
Or the riches to those who get onboard at the right time.
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:22:42 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >> The TGV runs on separate high-speed lines that keep it away from the
> >> mixed traffic on which fast trains in Britain and elsewhere operate.
> >>
> >>
> >> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...366229,00.html
> >
> >The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
> >has it?
> >
> >It put the hovercraft out of business, and has caused lots of problems
for
> >the ferries.
> >
> but nothing like the problems that it has caused it's own
> shareholders.
Or the riches to those who get onboard at the right time.
Sep 20th 2006, 9:31 am
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:11:58 +0100, Tony Polson <[email protected]>
wrote:
>"Harry" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
>>has it?
>Exactly. The ferries are transporting a record number of vehicles.
>Meanwhile, Eurostar claims it has something like 70% of the
>London-Paris and London-Brussels passenger market,
Is that claim really sustainable though, it seems very high, how's it
calculated, where's the independant audit?
>yet Eurostar traffic is running at only **one third** of its projections.
>I wonder where the other two thirds would have come from. <g>
New customers of course - it just turned out that flying to places
further away turned out even cheaper than taking a train.
Jim.
wrote:
>"Harry" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
>>has it?
>Exactly. The ferries are transporting a record number of vehicles.
>Meanwhile, Eurostar claims it has something like 70% of the
>London-Paris and London-Brussels passenger market,
Is that claim really sustainable though, it seems very high, how's it
calculated, where's the independant audit?
>yet Eurostar traffic is running at only **one third** of its projections.
>I wonder where the other two thirds would have come from. <g>
New customers of course - it just turned out that flying to places
further away turned out even cheaper than taking a train.
Jim.
Sep 20th 2006, 9:35 am
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
Jim Ley <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:11:58 +0100, Tony Polson <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >"Harry" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >>The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
> >>has it?
> >
> >
> >Exactly. The ferries are transporting a record number of vehicles.
> >
> >Meanwhile, Eurostar claims it has something like 70% of the
> >London-Paris and London-Brussels passenger market,
>
> Is that claim really sustainable though, it seems very high, how's it
> calculated, where's the independant audit?
>
> >yet Eurostar traffic is running at only **one third** of its projections.
> >
> >I wonder where the other two thirds would have come from. <g>
>
> New customers of course - it just turned out that flying to places
> further away turned out even cheaper than taking a train.
And not everyone travelling between London and Paris lives near one of
those destinations. I'm off to Paris on Friday (hi Magda!) and wouldn't
have considered the train, either for cost or time. (I'm in Manchester,
but flying from Liverpool on Easyjet.)
--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://www.davidhorne.net/pictures.html http://soundjunction.org
> On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:11:58 +0100, Tony Polson <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >"Harry" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >>The "Chunnel" hasn't put the channel ferries or Ryanair out of business
> >>has it?
> >
> >
> >Exactly. The ferries are transporting a record number of vehicles.
> >
> >Meanwhile, Eurostar claims it has something like 70% of the
> >London-Paris and London-Brussels passenger market,
>
> Is that claim really sustainable though, it seems very high, how's it
> calculated, where's the independant audit?
>
> >yet Eurostar traffic is running at only **one third** of its projections.
> >
> >I wonder where the other two thirds would have come from. <g>
>
> New customers of course - it just turned out that flying to places
> further away turned out even cheaper than taking a train.
And not everyone travelling between London and Paris lives near one of
those destinations. I'm off to Paris on Friday (hi Magda!) and wouldn't
have considered the train, either for cost or time. (I'm in Manchester,
but flying from Liverpool on Easyjet.)
--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://www.davidhorne.net/pictures.html http://soundjunction.org
Sep 20th 2006, 10:15 am
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
"Tony Polson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >It put the hovercraft out of business,
> Nonsense. The hovercraft were put out of business by the high speed
> catamaran ferries, plus the fact that they were life expired, noisy,
> uncomfortable and exceptionally expensive to operate because of their
> extremely high fuel consumption.
> >and has caused lots of problems for
> >the ferries.
> More nonsense! The ferries are carrying more traffic than ever.
How many ferries are there now.
How many were there before the chunnel ?
How many ferry operators are there now ?
How many were there before the chunnel ?
news:[email protected]...
> "Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >It put the hovercraft out of business,
> Nonsense. The hovercraft were put out of business by the high speed
> catamaran ferries, plus the fact that they were life expired, noisy,
> uncomfortable and exceptionally expensive to operate because of their
> extremely high fuel consumption.
> >and has caused lots of problems for
> >the ferries.
> More nonsense! The ferries are carrying more traffic than ever.
How many ferries are there now.
How many were there before the chunnel ?
How many ferry operators are there now ?
How many were there before the chunnel ?
Sep 20th 2006, 10:20 am
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 23:15:44 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"Tony Polson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected].. .
>> "Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >It put the hovercraft out of business,
>> Nonsense. The hovercraft were put out of business by the high speed
>> catamaran ferries, plus the fact that they were life expired, noisy,
>> uncomfortable and exceptionally expensive to operate because of their
>> extremely high fuel consumption.
>> >and has caused lots of problems for
>> >the ferries.
>> More nonsense! The ferries are carrying more traffic than ever.
>How many ferries are there now.
>How many were there before the chunnel ?
There were plenty running empty before the Chunnel. The cross channel
routes had over capacity for most of the year.
>How many ferry operators are there now ?
>How many were there before the chunnel ?
Can you answer any of your questions? :-)
--
Martin
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"Tony Polson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected].. .
>> "Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >It put the hovercraft out of business,
>> Nonsense. The hovercraft were put out of business by the high speed
>> catamaran ferries, plus the fact that they were life expired, noisy,
>> uncomfortable and exceptionally expensive to operate because of their
>> extremely high fuel consumption.
>> >and has caused lots of problems for
>> >the ferries.
>> More nonsense! The ferries are carrying more traffic than ever.
>How many ferries are there now.
>How many were there before the chunnel ?
There were plenty running empty before the Chunnel. The cross channel
routes had over capacity for most of the year.
>How many ferry operators are there now ?
>How many were there before the chunnel ?
Can you answer any of your questions? :-)
--
Martin
Sep 20th 2006, 10:38 am
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
"David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the royal duchy of city south and
deansgate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> And not everyone travelling between London and Paris lives near one of
> those destinations. I'm off to Paris on Friday (hi Magda!) and wouldn't
> have considered the train, either for cost or time. (I'm in Manchester,
> but flying from Liverpool on Easyjet.)
There's no doubt that the train does save time if you live in the south.
It takes me 30 minutes to Waterloo rather than almost an hour to Gatwick,
longer to Gatwick - and just forget Luton and Stansted - plus all the
hanging around at airports both ends and then getting from CDG to my
clients' office.
The same won't be true when E* moves to St. Pancras though - it'll add
another 20 minutes to the journey.
Ian
deansgate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> And not everyone travelling between London and Paris lives near one of
> those destinations. I'm off to Paris on Friday (hi Magda!) and wouldn't
> have considered the train, either for cost or time. (I'm in Manchester,
> but flying from Liverpool on Easyjet.)
There's no doubt that the train does save time if you live in the south.
It takes me 30 minutes to Waterloo rather than almost an hour to Gatwick,
longer to Gatwick - and just forget Luton and Stansted - plus all the
hanging around at airports both ends and then getting from CDG to my
clients' office.
The same won't be true when E* moves to St. Pancras though - it'll add
another 20 minutes to the journey.
Ian
Sep 20th 2006, 10:41 am
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
Ian F. <[email protected]> wrote:
> "David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the royal duchy of city south and
> deansgate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> > And not everyone travelling between London and Paris lives near one of
> > those destinations. I'm off to Paris on Friday (hi Magda!) and wouldn't
> > have considered the train, either for cost or time. (I'm in Manchester,
> > but flying from Liverpool on Easyjet.)
>
> There's no doubt that the train does save time if you live in the south.
> It takes me 30 minutes to Waterloo rather than almost an hour to Gatwick,
> longer to Gatwick - and just forget Luton and Stansted - plus all the
> hanging around at airports both ends and then getting from CDG to my
> clients' office.
You live in London though. When I lived near you in Balham, I took the
train to Paris and Brussels too.
> The same won't be true when E* moves to St. Pancras though - it'll add
> another 20 minutes to the journey.
Not a big deal though. The Eurostar won't be attractive to people
further away (other than enthusiasts) unless they markedly reduce the
price of travelling _to_ London for a Eurostar trip.
--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://www.davidhorne.net/pictures.html http://soundjunction.org
> "David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the royal duchy of city south and
> deansgate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> > And not everyone travelling between London and Paris lives near one of
> > those destinations. I'm off to Paris on Friday (hi Magda!) and wouldn't
> > have considered the train, either for cost or time. (I'm in Manchester,
> > but flying from Liverpool on Easyjet.)
>
> There's no doubt that the train does save time if you live in the south.
> It takes me 30 minutes to Waterloo rather than almost an hour to Gatwick,
> longer to Gatwick - and just forget Luton and Stansted - plus all the
> hanging around at airports both ends and then getting from CDG to my
> clients' office.
You live in London though. When I lived near you in Balham, I took the
train to Paris and Brussels too.
> The same won't be true when E* moves to St. Pancras though - it'll add
> another 20 minutes to the journey.
Not a big deal though. The Eurostar won't be attractive to people
further away (other than enthusiasts) unless they markedly reduce the
price of travelling _to_ London for a Eurostar trip.
--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://www.davidhorne.net/pictures.html http://soundjunction.org
Sep 20th 2006, 10:43 am
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 23:38:09 +0100, "Ian F."
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the royal duchy of city south and
>deansgate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> And not everyone travelling between London and Paris lives near one of
>> those destinations. I'm off to Paris on Friday (hi Magda!) and wouldn't
>> have considered the train, either for cost or time. (I'm in Manchester,
>> but flying from Liverpool on Easyjet.)
>There's no doubt that the train does save time if you live in the south.
I think you mean if you live a short commute to Waterloo, which isn't
the same as "live in the south", most people living in the south are
not a short commute from waterloo.
Jim.
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the royal duchy of city south and
>deansgate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> And not everyone travelling between London and Paris lives near one of
>> those destinations. I'm off to Paris on Friday (hi Magda!) and wouldn't
>> have considered the train, either for cost or time. (I'm in Manchester,
>> but flying from Liverpool on Easyjet.)
>There's no doubt that the train does save time if you live in the south.
I think you mean if you live a short commute to Waterloo, which isn't
the same as "live in the south", most people living in the south are
not a short commute from waterloo.
Jim.
Sep 20th 2006, 10:46 am
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Times: Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary
"Jim Ley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I think you mean if you live a short commute to Waterloo, which isn't
> the same as "live in the south", most people living in the south are
> not a short commute from waterloo.
Yup, correct. That's what I meant, although if you're near Ashford (Kent)
it can work too - although I understand far fewer trains stop there now.
Ian
news:[email protected]...
> I think you mean if you live a short commute to Waterloo, which isn't
> the same as "live in the south", most people living in the south are
> not a short commute from waterloo.
Yup, correct. That's what I meant, although if you're near Ashford (Kent)
it can work too - although I understand far fewer trains stop there now.
Ian
