To be updated during the day

Up at 04:30, coffee in my room at 04:45, left hotel at 05:10 for the 05:25 train from Almeer Central into Amsterdam.  Seamless ... much more I could write.








write up at 07:30 ...

Oh dear ... ""Due to logistical problems at boarding procedures" this train has been rescheduled and will now leave on time at 06:55 rather than 06:40".  Translated into English - "only half of our security equippment is manned an opeational and we're having to put everyone through two lines rather than four.  It's a Friday morning so lots of people are booked, they have a lot of luggage for the weekend away, and being a very early train they're only just arriving in time."

Horrendous - a queue running right up the steps into the main concourse to join the queuing zig-zag between belts to reach the single (or she may be married) lady scanning in reservations. Then another zigzag queue to reach the security screens, which are the true pinch point as people who perhaps aren't regular travellers remember various things in their pockets.

I asked one of the Eurostar staff who was standing around to make sure people understood which way the queue went if this always happened.  Apparently not all of the time - but it's "quite common for the first train".   

The departure lounge is completely empty ... as I rush through at 06:35 (not being yet aware of the delay - sorry - the "reschedule") having taken around 40 minutes for that part of the process!

And ... my first class Interrail pass, plus the mandatory extra "seat reservation" charge of around 40 Euros, buys me "Eurostar Plus" on their services.  Not first class as far as they're concerned which include a skip-the-queue checkin. But I am now seated in a comfortable seat, all alone in this half carriage and served water, crackers, and a small coffee (of the size, though, that would count as large here on mainland Europe). Rear facing middle seat, though I have been invited to move opposite facing for a while as those passengers won't be joining us until Brussels (we also pick up at Rotterdam and Lille).

 
We got into St Pancras at 10:24 ... and a long walk to the front of the train then through the barriers and chicane of border control and customs - into Kings Cross by 10:35 which I felt was a remarkable performance - knowing theway out under the platforms between the Eurostar checkin zigzags and their custmer service desks.

Into - absolute chaos - at King's Cross.  All the boards blank - "Person hit by train near Hitchin" at around 07:30. I have a reserved seat on the 11:00 ... which was on time, then 11:02, then 11:30, then 11:40, the oops - the driver has to complete his legally required break and we left at 11:55 ... which means that the pack of cards I had lined up falls over.  A very interest environment to watch.   I did consider aborting my journey totally, but as I had a reserved seat on a train declared as "reservations only" it really seemed to not make sense to let it go empty.  Our train manager has confirmed, sadly, that the incident was a fatality.

I am finalising "Plan B" ...

 

Indeed, sad news regarding that latest railway-related fatality. 

Looking forward (and knowing him quite well), I can say that grahame always has a 'Plan B' - and usually a 'Plan C' as well. 

 

B is OK thus far

Bailed at York ...  A very interesting experience day - in terms of seeing how things were being handled, guessed, informed, passengers helped, and then engaging with fellow passengers on my way north.  I meet fascinating people as I travel!

 
From the cHaOs at kInGs cRoSs ..

The departure board only telling us what not departing ...



And the touch screen at 2 minutes to 11 wildly optimistic about the 11 O'Clock leaving 2 minutes after. That's the offial estimate - I would have, at that point, guessed 30 to 40 late if it ran at all.

 
Final train ... home by 23:25 ... been an interesting day.

 
Welcome home, grahame