Updated 25th February 2006
Rail Tours
The Longueau Winding Road
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Hertfordshire Rail Tours and the South East Branch |
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28 branch members and friends gathered at Ashford International on a very windy and cold Saturday morning the 25th. February to board Hertfordshire Rail Tours charter Eurostar 'The Longueau Winding Road' to Paris via Calais Ville and the ‘Classic’ route to Paris Nord via Hazebrouck, Arras, Albert and Alvrechy.
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The train was made up of sets 3017+3018 with a French crew outward and an English crew for the return. As has happened in this country from time to time there was a dispute between the signalman and the driver just south of Arras that brought us smartly to a halt. Our French driver insisted to the signalman that he did not want to rejoin the High Speed line but to continue with our planned route. A resetting of the route soon saw us on our way again.
With four hours in Paris members sampled their own particular delights of the French capital before a fast run back home in 2hrs 46 mins. There did not appear to be many takers for the specially arranged open top bus tour of the city in a very cold Paris. French rail travellers appeared to be quite bemused at the batteries of cameras concentrated at the buffer stop end of the main concourse where a feast of high speed units was on display including a relabelled French Eurostar.
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Your reporter and friends battled their way through Italian and French rugby crowds to St Denis where a continuous procession of high speed and local trains provided an excellent afternoon’s entertainment with some smart looking trams thrown in for good measure
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Pictures courtesy Andrew Humphreys
The branch looks forward to further Eurostar charters from Hertfordshire Rail Tours and will organise similar party bookings.