M. Aoyama's Eurostar trip

9.7 hours of trip from Paris to London (June 27, 1995)

Departure

• 1213 The train (Train No. = 9027) left Paris Gare du Nord (voie 6) on time. (Equipment = Paris <- 3019 + 3018 -> London (belongs to Europe Passenger Service))
• The crew began champagne service soon after the departure.
• 12** Our train began to run on the TGV Nord line and increased in speed gradually.
• 1226 Aeroport Charles de Gaulle was seen just at the right side of the train.
• 1235 The crew asked me the main dish of lunch (chicken or fish).
  • Today's menu (1st class)
• 1246 The train passed about Chevrieres along HWY A1.

1st stop

• 1249 The train stopped with noisy alarm sound of "funfunfunfun...." from the speaker. Then, the airconditioning was stopped and the room light was reduced by 2/3.
• After a little while, the crew announced that the unknown trouble delayed us for 30 minutes.
• 1313 TGV 7165 passed by the right line of the our standing train. (TGV 7165 = Paris Gare du Nord 1237 -> 1414 Valenciennes)
• 1318 Salad service was beginning. It was the only capable meal service without microwave oven.
• 1322 Electric supply (room light, air-conditioning, etc.) was resumed.
  
  
  
• 1339 The train began to move and crossed Canal de la Somme (?).
• Main dish was served (Grilled fish on rice). The rice was most untasty I have ever eaten because it was very sodden and tasteless. (Today's Menu)
• 1405 The train passed Arras.

Change train

• 1417 The train reached Lille Europe (43). It was announced that the equipment would be changed here before the arrival.
• 1425 The crew announced "Please wait at your seat. Another train will come after 15 minutes."
• 1436 The new train arrived at the next line (voie 45), and the passengers and the crew changed to it.
  • The new equipment = Paris <- 3228 + 3227 -> London (belongs to SNCF)
• 1451 The (new) train departed Lille Europe.
• Desert and tea service. The strawberry cake (cream) and chocolate tasted so sweet to me that I could not eat them completely.
• 1517 The train passed Calais-Frethun slowly.
• Announce : "We will enter the Channel tunnel soon. It will take 20 minutes to pass the tunnel. Please measure the exact time by your watch."
• 1520 22" The train entered the Channel Tunnel. I felt quieter than in the Seikan tunnel which is longest (53.85km) tunnel under the sea-bottom in Japan.
• 1444 54" The train emerged from the tunnel. There is an hour's difference between Paris and London time.
• 1458 The train passed Ashford. The station was under construction (is now in service).
• 1502 The train became very slow again with noisy alarm sound of "funfunfunfun...." as well as at Chevrieres.

2nd stop

• 1514 The train stopped after slowly passing Headcorn.
• 1528 Announce : "We will stop for a while because of a trouble of the motor." Most of the passengers giggled.
• 1538 Announce said that the trouble was dissolved and the train would move soon.
  
  
  
• 1540 The train began to move slowly.
• 1554 Announce : "We will arrive at London Waterloo at 1700. Tickets will be refunded after the arrival at London."

  3rd and most unfortunately stop

• 1615 Our train slowed gradually and eventually stopped in the tunnel before Sevenoaks.
• 1640 Announce said that it was unknown when would arrive at London.
• 1732 Announce : "It became impossible to run furthermore. We will wait rescues from London. They will arrive at 1830."
• 1747 Sudden failure of electric power supply made utter darkness in the train. I missed my way from the rest room to my seat. (The electric power supply was recovered within about 2 minutes.)
• 1810 Passengers became reticent though they spoke at the early time "this tunnel gives more enjoyment to us than the Channel tunnel."
• A doctor came to examine a patient of diabetes.
• Crews sometimes came to our car and explained the accident.
• Drink service came many times until all the drinks in the train was consumed.
• 1850 Announce : "The technicals has arrived. They are making efforts to be able to continue your travels."
• 1929 Announce : "Our train will be attached to another train. It will be finished in a short time." The technicals were seen to run about the train.
• 1938 A slight shock was felt owing to the attachment.
• 1949 The airconditioning was stopped and the room light was reduced by 2/3.
• 2002 Our train moved for about 3 seconds. It stopped just after a passenger said "move".
• 2007 Our train began to move continuously but very slowly.
• 2012 Our train eventually escaped from the tunnel after the four hours' exploration, and it stopped at the exit for a while.
• Announce : "We go to Waterloo as we are. You don't need to get off. We will arrive at Waterloo after 35 - 45 minutes."
• 2019 Our train began to move to go to Waterloo, although the reduction of the room light and the stop of the airconditioning were continued.
• 2020 We passed Sevenoaks. Passengers at the platform waved or clapped their hands. (It remains about 35 km to London.) Our train increased in the speed to 40 - 60 km/h.
• 2052 Announce : "We will be arrive at Waterloo in a few minutes. Very sorry."

  Arrival

• 2054 We arrived at London Waterloo (track 24).
• I walked to the head of the train to take photos in spite of the advice by the clerk as no exit such direction. To my great regret, I had only an instant camera without flash at that time and it became dark. Nobody except me took the photos of the train. A reporter interviewed some passengers.
  • The head of our train with the locomotive (JPEG 68Kbyte)
  • Attachment between our Eurostar and the flatcar. (JPEG 55Kbyte)
  
  

Links of trips by the Eurostar

• The Story of Erik Evrard's first Eurostar Trip
• Julian Morgan has travelled more than 20 times on Eurostar.
• Steve Sangwine's Story of His First Trip
• TGVweb - Jeff Lunden's Eurostar Trip Report

My interestings about rail

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