IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-N9RMBBF Subscribe now Login * Subscribe Now * Login * Please wait.... * * News + UK + World + US + UK Politics + Brexit + Tech + Science + Education + Environment + Health + Business + InFact * Politics + Brexit + Conservatives + Labour + Lib Dems + SNP + Green Party + DUP + Boris Johnson + Jeremy Corbyn + US Politics * Voices + Editorials + Shappi Khorsandi + Mary Dejevsky + Robert Fisk + Mark Steel + Janet Street-Porter + Chuka Umunna + John Rentoul + Jenny Éclair + Matthew Norman + Sean O'Grady + Tom Peck * Sport + Football + Rugby union + Cricket + F1 + Boxing + Tennis + Cycling + Golf + Miguel Delaney + Podcast + US sports * Culture + Film + Music + TV & radio + Books + Art + Photography + Theatre & dance + Streaming Hub + Geoffrey Macnab + Clarisse Loughrey + Ed Cumming + Crosswords & puzzles * Video * Indy/Life + Travel + Women + Fashion & beauty + Food & drink + Dating & relationships + Health & fitness + Tech + Money + Design & home + Motoring * IndyBest + Christmas + Home & garden + Kids + Books + Travel & outdoors + Fashion & beauty + Food & drink + Tech + Sports & fitness * Long Reads * indy100 * Vouchers + TUI + Groupon + Argos + Hyperoptic + Just Eat + Currys + Nike + Travelodge + National Trust + boohoo * Premium + Chris Blackhurst + Hamish McRae + Janet Street-Porter + Mary Dejevsky + Matthew Norman + Jenny Éclair * 20 Pledges * Please wait.... * + UK Edition + US Edition Subscribe Now Subscribe Now * News + UK + World + US + Politics + Brexit + Tech + Science + Education + Environment + Health + Business + InFact + Long reads * Politics + Brexit + Conservatives + Labour + Lib Dems + SNP + Green Party + DUP + Boris Johnson + Jeremy Corbyn + US Politics * Voices + Editorials + Shappi Khorsandi + Mary Dejevsky + Robert Fisk + Mark Steel + Janet Street-Porter + Chuka Ummuna + John Rentoul + Jenny Éclair + Matthew Norman + Sean O'Grady + Tom Peck * Sport + Football + Rugby union + Cricket + F1 + Boxing + Tennis + Cycling + Golf + Miguel Delaney + Podcast + US sports * Culture + Film + Music + TV & radio + Books + Art + Photography + Theatre & dance + Streaming Hub + Geoffrey Macnab + Clarisse Loughrey + Ed Cumming + Crosswords & puzzles * Indy/life + Travel + Fashion & beauty + Food & drink + Health & fitness + Dating & Relationships + Tech o iPhone o Tech news o Tech culture o Gaming o Cryptocurrency + Motoring + Women * Video * IndyBest + Christmas + Sports & Fitness + Home & Garden + Kids + Books + Fashion & Beauty + Food & Drink + Travel & Outdoors + Tech * Money + Mortgages + Loans + Savings + Pensions + Money transfers + Health insurance + Money Deals * indy100 * Voucher Codes + TUI + Groupon + Argos + Hyperoptic + Just Eat + Currys + Nike + Travelodge + National Trust + boohoo * Premium + Subscription offers + Independent Premium app + Daily Edition app + Chris Blackhurst + Hamish McRae + Janet Street-Porter + Mary Dejevsky + Matthew Norman + Jenny Éclair * 20 Pledges * UK Edition + UK Edition + US Edition Please wait.... Log in using your social network account OR Log in directly with The Independent {{message}} ____________________ Please enter an email address Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address ____________________ Please enter a valid password [ ] Keep me logged in (BUTTON) Submit Forgotten your password? Want an ad-free experience? Subscribe to Independent Premium. View offers Hi {{fullName}} * My Independent Premium * Account details * Help centre * Logout (BUTTON) Eurostar celebrates 20 years of service; the train links London with Brussels and Paris ( Alamy ) Why I'm a Eurostar sceptic Its first journey 20 years ago should have signalled the start of a golden era of train travel. But in spite of advances, there’s still more work to be done if Eurostar is to compete with the low-cost airlines, says Simon Calder * Simon Calder * @SimonCalder * Tuesday 11 November 2014 01:00 {{^moreThanTen}} * {{total}} comments {{/moreThanTen}} * Eurostar is celebrating this week. On Friday, the Channel Tunnel train operator will mark 20 years of running trains between Britain and Continental Europe. Three great capitals – London, Paris and Brussels – enjoy fast, frequent and safe connections. High-speed rail is the most civilised form of inter-city travel, and Eurostar adds the aesthetic advantage of operating to and from the world’s most beautiful transport terminal, St Pancras station in London. But from the point of view of many travellers, Eurostar has delivered a succession of failures. I don’t mean the occasional snarl-ups that strand thousands of people in the wrong country or, sometimes, on broken-down trains in the tunnel. I mean the failure to offer much beyond the narrow business of shuttling people from London to the French and Belgian capitals, while charging fares that reflect the natural near-monopoly that Eurostar possesses. Take the journey that Charlotte, one of thousands of Parisians working in London, will make to see her family at Christmas. She will head for St Pancras to catch a train – not Eurostar to the French capital, but Thameslink north to Luton airport for an easyJet flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle. Even with the rail costs to and from the airport, she found a better deal than the train. Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines (BUTTON) Download now When Eurostar opened for business, everyone thought the world’s busiest international air route – between London and Paris – would collapse. Surely everyone seeking to travel between Western Europe’s two biggest cities would opt for the train? Rail places far less stress on the traveller and the planet than does flying. But even with a city-to-city rail journey of as little as 2h15m (quicker still to Brussels), the skies between the British, French and Belgian capitals are still busy. Indeed, easyJet has recently launched flights from Gatwick to both Paris and Brussels. Some rail insiders insist Eurostar should carry twice as many people as it does now (Alamy) Eurostar enjoys, but is also stifled by, its unique position. Without a direct challenger, the train operator quite rationally extracts a handsome premium from passengers who need speed and flexibility. As long as plenty of business travellers are prepared to pay £490 for a “Business Premier” return, the company need not fret about losing Charlotte and thousands of others like her to the airlines and coach operators. Competition was due to arrive last year, in the shape of Deutsche Bahn. The German rail giant had announced trains from London that would split at Brussels, with half running east to Cologne and the remainder going north to Amsterdam. At last, we would have been able to see how much of a market exists for key routes to Holland and the Rhineland. But the Germans postponed the launch, and may finally make an appearance in 2016. By then, Eurostar will have some new trains and will itself launch a direct service to Amsterdam. Too little, too late. This regrettable state of affairs has its roots in the level of air fares a couple of decades ago. The business case for Eurostar assumed that the cost of flying would remain sky-high. In 1994, the cheapest air fare between London and Paris was £99 return. Eurostar’s launch fare was pitched at £95. What could possibly go wrong? Almost a year to the day after the first Eurostar train departed, a garish orange plane took off from Luton, destination Glasgow. As easyJet got off the ground between England and Scotland, Ryanair was expanding beyond the Irish Sea. The travelling public loved the fares and tolerated the absence of frills. Both airlines soon launched flights to the Continent to democratise international travel. Since then, the transportational balance of power has shifted so much that Eurostar’s original business plan now looks absurd. So does the structure for access payments to the tunnel owner. The precise formula is a closely guarded secret, but it is believed that Eurotunnel extracts a per-passenger and per-train payment amounting to at least £40 return for the average traveller on a reasonably full train. That is a negligible portion of a £490 business-traveller’s fare, but a large slab of the lowest fare Eurostar ever charges these days: £59 return. High access charges also help to explain why “Regional Eurostar” trains from provincial cities were doomed before they began. Rolling stock to connect Birmingham and Manchester with Paris was built at taxpayer’s expense, but was never used for its intended purpose and ended up shuttling from London to York and from Lille to Paris. As one highly experienced and respected railway figure told me this week: “If low-cost airlines had started earlier, the Channel Tunnel would never had been built.” Likewise, if Eurostar didn’t exist, you wouldn’t invent it. But since it’s here, what can be done to turn the train operator into a stellar 21st-century component of European transport? A good place to start: trains from London, by far the biggest travel market in Europe, deeper into the Continent. Eurostar has been running token services that go beyond Paris: seasonal winter-sports links to the French Alps and a summer Saturday service to Avignon. But the no-frills carriers have cornered the rest of the market. To regain an advantage for the train, security and immigration controls are two hurdles that need to be eased. Even in the relatively benign times of the early 1990s, the government decided that the Channel Tunnel was a prime terrorist target and therefore airline-like security must be applied. Lighten up, and the 30-minute check-in deadline can be eased, raising the perceived value of Eurostar. And since every other country manages to carry out passport and customs checks on board moving trains, it’s a shame that we can’t. Next summer, to its credit, Eurostar opens a new link from London via Lyon to Marseille: the Thames to the Med in six hours. The trouble is, the reverse trip takes seven, due to the need to get off at Lille, to shuffle through UK Immigration and security before re-boarding the train. No wonder the airlines are laughing. The other desperate need is for smarter pricing. No-frills airlines reward me for travelling at silly o’clock – departing absurdly early or returning at midnight – with very low fares. But Eurostar has never sought to fill its early and late departures. A more flexible deal with the owner of the tunnel would generate more traffic and, ultimately, income – particularly if very low fares are offered to passengers venturing beyond Paris and Brussels. Eurostar serves Marne-la-Vallée, the station for Disneyland Paris, but makes no effort to connect there with French Railways’ network of Ouigo low-cost, high-speed trains to the South of France. Last year, Eurostar carried more than 10m passengers for the first time. An important milestone – but remember cross-Channel ferries? Just one port, Dover, handles 25 per cent more passengers than the train operator. Some rail insiders insist Eurostar should carry twice as many people as it does now. They might be lured by new trains. As the prospect of competition approaches, Eurostar has at last decided to refresh its fleet with some 21st-century rolling stock. It will be unveiled tomorrow, just ahead of Friday’s celebration. I will not join the Eurostar party on Friday, because I am off to do some research in Maastricht. It is a journey that should be a natural for Eurostar, starting in London with quick changes at Brussels and Liège. Yet the train would get me to the Dutch city only by lunchtime, for a one-way fare of about £120. (I say “about” because Eurostar does not allow me to book direct to Maastricht; it sells tickets only to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and, ironically, Schiphol airport – so I would have to buy a separate ticket.) Flybe is taking me there for a flat £40. Even adding the expense and messing around of airport links, I will save a fortune and get to Maastricht in time for elevenses. Eurostar still looks all at sixes and sevens. Gare du Nord (Alamy) Other Independent writers do not share this jaundiced view of Eurostar. Here are some alternative opinions. Paris has always been one of my favourite destinations, but I’d always flown. However, I was told to try the Eurostar and I haven’t looked back since. Travelling by train feels like a breath of fresh air; it’s lovely to have nice views along the way. Next month, my husband and I are going to try the London to Brussels route. We love the vibe at St Pancras International – having a coffee and cupcake at Peyton and Byrne before checking in. Mars El Brogy I’m a big fan of rail travel and especially the TGV system – sliding through northern France at impressive speeds, not slowing until the graffiti-ed outskirts of Paris. When alone, I’ve had some great conversations with fellow travellers. I’ve also found Eurostar’s smart staff delightful, especially that frozen Christmas when trains were cancelled – we queued for hours at King’s Cross, nourished with free cakes and coffee. My only real gripe about the service is the experience of the Gare du Nord. It needs major investment. Last time I was there, the inadequate space was rammed with tetchy travellers and the toilets were mostly broken. Eurostar, for me, has been a fantastic service; it just needs to upgrade for the next 20 years. Mike North A few years ago, a Canadian friend of mine who had worked in London for a couple of years gave me a gift before she left: two Eurostar vouchers worth £50 each. They were, in a way, love tokens. I had developed a crush on a French girl called Clémence (middle name: Cliché), who had moved back to Paris from London. The Canadian, another former hopeless crush who was by then married, wanted me to visit the French girl. I never did, because I was hopeless, but some time later a barely more romantically adept friend of mine had hooked up with another French girl who then also moved home from London. So I passed on one token to him, keeping the other in my drawer – just in case. It’s still there, and may well have expired. But I’m marrying an English girl next year, so it’s fine. Simon Usborne I find it consistently amazing that I can get to Paris in about the same time it takes me to get to Manchester, where my family live. In fact, generally, I get there earlier. Comparing and contrasting the trip to Paris with travelling to any other European destination, the straightforward, straight-line simplicity of the Eurostar bowls me over. I’m gushing, but the lack of strip-searching and liquid-decanting, the early-morning rousing and grousing, the continuing connection of phone (and therefore self) to the outside world, make it the smoothest trip possible. Plus, no luggage limits. Except when I buckle under the weight. Alexander Fury Yes, the interiors are tired, the onboard croissants cardboard at best and the arrival in Paris decidely un-chic (at least until you’re out on the other side of the Metro), but I am a long-time lover of L’Eurostar. My first journey was to visit my best friend in Holland in the train’s very early days. Aged 14, it was the first time I’d been allowed to travel alone and it was tremendously exciting to be whisked off to Belgium and decipher the train-change for another country all by myself. Even today, I still feel a frisson of excitement – surely it can’t be that simple to get off the Tube and on to the train, to arrive in a foreign country after little more than a couple of hours? Sophie Lam Share your views at ind.pn/eurostardebate INDY/GO newsletter Time to Travel! ____________________ Enter your email address (BUTTON) Continue (BUTTON) Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in receiveIndyTravelNew [ ] I would like to receive news on where to go and what to know, every Saturday by email Update newsletter preferences Comments Share your thoughts and debate the big issues Learn more (BUTTON) {{#singleComment_p}}{{value_p}} Independent Premium comment{{/singleComment_p}}{{^singleComment_p}}{{value_p}} Independent Premium comments{{/singleComment_p}} (BUTTON) {{#singleComment_open}}{{value}} open comment{{/singleComment_open}}{{^singleComment_open}}{{value}} open comments{{/singleComment_open}} Open Comments Join the discussion (BUTTON) Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. * You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully * Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable * Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties * We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique Only letters and numbers accepted ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (BUTTON) Post (BUTTON) {{#moreThanOne}} * Newest first * Oldest first * Most liked {{/moreThanOne}} Loading comments... {{^comments}} There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts {{/comments}} {{#comments}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} {{/replies}} {{/replies}} {{/comments}} Loading comments... {{^comments}} There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts {{/comments}} {{#comments}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (BUTTON) Cancel (BUTTON) Post (BUTTON) {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (BUTTON) Cancel (BUTTON) Post (BUTTON) {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} {{/replies}} {{/replies}} {{/comments}} {{#showMore}} (BUTTON) Read more {{/showMore}} Minds Comments Join the discussion (BUTTON) Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. * You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully * Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable * Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties * We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. {{^nickname}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique {{/nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (BUTTON) Post (BUTTON) {{#moreThanOne_p}} * Newest first * Oldest first * Most liked {{/moreThanOne_p}} Loading comments... {{^comments}} There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts {{/comments}} {{#comments}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} {{/replies}} {{/replies}} {{/comments}} Loading comments... {{^comments}} There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts {{/comments}} {{#comments}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (BUTTON) Cancel (BUTTON) (BUTTON) Post {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (BUTTON) Cancel (BUTTON) (BUTTON) Post {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} (BUTTON) {{posVotes}} (BUTTON) {{negVotes}} {{/replies}} {{/replies}} {{/comments}} {{#showMore_p}} (BUTTON) Read more {{/showMore_p}} (BUTTON) Follow comments Enter your email to follow new comments on this article. ____________________ (BUTTON) Subscribe Thanks for subscribing! {{errorMessage}} (BUTTON) Vote Are you sure you want to submit this vote? (BUTTON) Submit vote (BUTTON) Cancel You must be logged in to vote. (BUTTON) Report Comment Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? (BUTTON) Cancel (BUTTON) Flag comment This comment has been flagged. (BUTTON) Subscribe to Independent Premium to debate the big issues Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. (BUTTON) Subscribe Already registered? Log in (BUTTON) Report Comment Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? (BUTTON) Flag comment (BUTTON) Cancel This comment has been flagged. (BUTTON) Delete Comment Are you sure you want to delete this comment? (BUTTON) Cancel (BUTTON) Delete comment Deleting comment... This comment has been deleted. This comment has been deleted. (BUTTON) About The Independent commenting Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. (BUTTON) Subscribe Already registered? Log in Sponsored features {{title}} * Get in touch + Contact us + Jobs + * Our products + Subscriptions + Install our apps + Archive * Other publications + Evening Standard + Novaya Gazeta * Extras + All topics + Voucher codes + Advertising guide + Syndication * Legal + Code of conduct and complaints + Contributors + Cookie policy + Privacy notice + User policies [unip?en=page_view] (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. Why I'm a Eurostar sceptic 1/2 Eurostar celebrates 20 years of service; the train links London with Brussels and Paris Alamy 2/2 Some rail insiders insist Eurostar should carry twice as many people as it does now Alamy