QUITE A JOURNEY
Business Traveller UK|November 2020 - January 2021
It has been an unprecedented time for the rail industry, both in the UK and across Europe. Here we look over the year’s developments.
ALEX MCWHIRTER
QUITE A JOURNEY

In many ways, the most significant news of the past year came from Eurostar, the high-speed trains of which link London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Since its launch in 1994, Eurostar has gone it alone as an international operator but in 2021 it will join forces with Franco-Belgian company Thalys.

Both Eurostar and Thalys are majority-owned by France’s SNCF, so one hopes that this merger will mean improved ticketing and connections for customers. When fully developed, it will mean easier onward links from Brussels to the Netherlands and Germany.

Still, this good news is overshadowed by the traffic decline that both operators are experiencing owing to Covid-19. Of the two operators, Thalys is the more bullish. At the time of going to press it had restored more services than Eurostar, while Eurostar was restricted to a sparse timetable, in November scheduling two to three services per day to Paris, two services to Brussels and one to Amsterdam. This contrasts with the good times, pre-Covid, when Eurostar would be operating more than 20 services daily, including trains to Marseilles and Disneyland Paris as well as the Netherlands. Eurostar says that it does not intend to serve its two Kent stations, Ashford and Ebbsfleet, or operate its seasonal route to the South of France until 2022.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2020 - January 2021 من Business Traveller UK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2020 - January 2021 من Business Traveller UK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BUSINESS TRAVELLER UK مشاهدة الكل
The rail thing - Why airlines and train companies are partnering to increase options for travellers on short journeys
Business Traveller UK

The rail thing - Why airlines and train companies are partnering to increase options for travellers on short journeys

An intercity flight connection operated by train would have been almost unthinkable in the early 1990s, but in 2024 it will increasingly be the default experience at many European hub airports. European nations have been among the world's leaders in adopting high-speed rail for short-distance trips, along with Asian countries such as Japan and China.

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2024
Adventures in Albania - From paranoid dictatorship to dream travel destination, why the Balkan nation is ready for its moment in the sun
Business Traveller UK

Adventures in Albania - From paranoid dictatorship to dream travel destination, why the Balkan nation is ready for its moment in the sun

Over the past few years, tourism has shot up stratospherically; recent figures from the European Travel Commission show it's grown 86 per cent since 2019. Its GDP per capita has also been increasing, and last year stood at US$8,800, while the average monthly salary is now around 84,000 lek (£704). Foreign direct investment is also on the rise, with countries including Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands targeting sectors such as energy, mining, information and real estate to a value of around US$1.5 billion in 2022, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report. Not bad for a country which used to depend on foreign food aid.

time-read
7 mins  |
September 2024
Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane, London
Business Traveller UK

Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane, London

Watching Kanesaka work his magic is performance in itself

time-read
1 min  |
September 2024
Scandic Spectrum, Copenhagen
Business Traveller UK

Scandic Spectrum, Copenhagen

An impressive corporate hotel just minutes from Copenhagen's centre

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
Kimpton Clocktower, Manchester
Business Traveller UK

Kimpton Clocktower, Manchester

The perfect mix of gorgeous heritage design with cool, cosmopolitan attitude

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
Business Traveller UK

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

A stunning success another calming experience in the capital

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
Eurostar Business Premier LONDON-PARIS
Business Traveller UK

Eurostar Business Premier LONDON-PARIS

It remains the superior service for those travelling from London to Paris

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER first class DOHA-HONG KONG
Business Traveller UK

Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER first class DOHA-HONG KONG

There is a lot to like, but my experience was far from perfect

time-read
2 mins  |
September 2024
4 HOURS IN...Vienna
Business Traveller UK

4 HOURS IN...Vienna

You'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to the Austrian capital's museums, galleries and historic cafes

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
SWITCHING OFF IN...THE LOIRE VALLEY
Business Traveller UK

SWITCHING OFF IN...THE LOIRE VALLEY

Escape to the secluded forests of the Loire Valley for a digital detox

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2024