Talk:Regional Eurostar
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[edit] Cross-platform connections?
- "At the launch of St Pancras international in November 2007 the closest the UK will have to Regional Eurostars will be cross platform connections from cities along the Midland Main Line route e.g Leicester - Paris."
Will there really be cross-platform connections? I always assumed that St Pancras would operate much like Waterloo, with the international platforms in a tightly controlled security area (ticket barriers, x-ray scanners, passport inspections). I can't believe they would let passengers walk straight across the platform from a Midland Mainline train to a Eurostar. Presumably security is one of the main concerns with a multi-stop regional service: in order to make the service fully profitable, tickets would need to be sold for domestic journeys such as London-Edinburgh, to fill up seats vacated by international passengers leaving the train in London. This would mean that domestic passengers are mixing with international passengers, so all passport controls would need to be done on the train between London and Paris. Passport inspectors on a train do not have access to the same technology (e.g. Home Office computer systems) as those in a fixed terminal, and they do not have privacy to segregate passengers for questioning. Other European countries, e.g. Switzerland, do rely on on-train border control, but I imagine the UK government would be cautious. Mtford 12:27, 4 September 2007 (UTC)
- Since we aren't in the sheagen zone (the pan EU no passports thingy) you are probably right. Pickle 16:35, 4 September 2007 (UTC)
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- There are other non-Schengen countries where passports are checked on trains. I've been checked by French and Swiss officials on the Chamonix - Martigny line (Switzerland has signed the Schengen Agreement, despite being a non-EU country, but has not yet implemented it), and by various officials on trains entering the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. However, I have strong doubts that the UK government will do this for the Eurostar. Firstly, the Eurostar itself is a potential terrorist target, so governments will want to enforce baggage checks and also record identities of all passengers before they board the train. Secondly, the UK is more concerned about border security than any other country in Europe, due to high illegal immigration and fear of terrorism. Thirdly, the UK+Ireland have always been separated from Europe by a natural high-security border. It would be silly for the government to open an obvious loophole in that border by relying on inspectors walking down trains, as security standards would inevitably be lower than those in an airport or ferry terminal. Mtford 20:06, 5 September 2007 (UTC)
