Date: 24.04.2024
Train number: 9157
Starting station: Amsterdam Centraal
Final station: London St. Pancras
Number of stops: 4
Maximum delay: +10 minutes
Train type: Velaro e320 (Class 374)
Operator: Eurostar
Vmax. train: 320 km/h
Vmax. railway: 300 km/h
Scheduled travel time: 04:02 h
Actual travel time: 04:12 h
Welcome to my first trip by Eurostar!
The Video starts on the platform 15 b in Amsterdam Centraal. Because you have to arrive very early before departure when travelling by Eurostar, due to the luggage and border controls, I was able to watch the previous train to London, the EST 9147, at departure, which I recorded with my smartphone.
Later the EST 9157 departed on time and began heading towards Rotterdam. At Schiphol the HSL Zuid begins, the high speed railway towards Belgium. But until near Rotterdam the railway speed is severely restricted due to construction errors, at some parts down to 80 instead of 300 km/h. The extended journey time was implemented into the schedule, but even then the train was a little delayed at Rotterdam. On the second part of the HSL Zuid there were 300 km/h possible again. On the border to Belgium the HSL Zuid merges into the HSL 4 to Antwerpen, which also allows 300 km/h. The Eurostar just passes through Antwerpen on it´s way to the next stop: Bruxelles Midi. Just before entering that station the train got restrained for a while, which made it arrive two minutes late at the platform, after running even a little earlier than the schedule. The departure got delayed even more by other trains crossing the tracks, so the Eurostar left with a delay of 8 minutes. From Brussels the journey continues towards France on the HSL 1, reaching a top speed of 300 km/h again. This railway merges into the LGV Nord at the border, continuing further to Calais. Not far from that city there is located the entrance of the Channel tunnel, a 50 km long railway tunnel crossing below the Channel. After transiting this tunnel for more than 20 minutes the Eurostar finally reached the UK. There the train takes the yet only high speed railway in the country, the HS1 to London. Although the maximum speed is 300 km/h there, this train went a little slower. Probably there was a South Eastern High Speed train running ahead, which the Eurostar overtook in Ebbsfleet. The final station London St. Pancras was reached with a delay of 10 minutes.
The video ends with a video clip I took one day later with my smartphone. That day I went to Stratford International and recorded the same train, EST 9157.
The trains in operation are Velaro e320 trainsets, which are also known as Class 374. They are part of the Velaro series by Siemens, which was developed from the ICE 3 in Germany. One trainset consists of 16 carriages and has a length of nearly 400 metres. Six carriages, three both at the head and the end of the train, are business class carriages. I recorded this video from the next to last carriage, which is a non-powered one.
Time indication:
0:01:35 Amsterdam Centraal
0:16:52 --- Schiphol Airport
0:44:17 Rotterdam Centraal
1:03:56 --- Border Netherlands/Belgium
1:06:07 --- Noorderkempen
1:15:05 --- Antwerpen Centraal
1:26:17 --- Mechelen
1:37:04 --- Bruxelles Nord
1:53:24 Bruxelles Midi
2:20:39 --- Border Belgium/France
2:26:44 --- Lille Europe
2:50:34 --- Calais Fréthun, Channel tunnel entrance
3:16:55 --- Channel tunnel exit, UK
3:23:07 --- Ashford International
3:37:34 --- Ebbsfleet International
3:45:01 --- Stratford International
3:49:55 London St. Pancras
Have a nice trip!