My recent experience on Eurostar suggests that I might be quite unfair in criticising South Eastern when other operators seem to have even greater problems.
The 7.28 from Ashford is due to get to Bruxelles at 1008 and it duly left on time and pulled up in Lille on schedule. There we sat for a bit until the announcement came that there was a fatality in Belgium and we would be delayed until 1015 and then take a slower route. That’s understandable and I expected to take the old route through Tournai and be, perhaps, 30-40 minutes late in Bruxelles. I had plenty of time today going out so that didn’t really matter.
But we left at 10, on the LGV at speed and crossed the Belgian border at about 1010 before grinding to a halt alongside the conventional line near Silly (what an appropriate spot). And there we sat for about 2 hours (moving two short distances) as we had conflicting announcements that we would arrive at 11.30, then 12.15, then 13.00. Some of the announcements said we would transfer to the conventional line and some that we would stay on the LGV which would re-open.
And during this time we watched trains go past on the conventional line. Not that many – the service from Ath to Bruxelles is only two an hour. During the whole of the two hour delay SNCB managed to route only two trains in each direction between the old line and the LGV.
To be fair to Eurostar they continued to let us know what they knew – which wasn’t much and kept changing – and we got an extra cup of coffee!
Our final arrival in Bruxelles Midi – Two and a half hours late. Compensation? You will have to ask back in London, sir!
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