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Trains were a common sight growing up in England. In fact, I lived within walking distance of a small village railway station and could see and hear the trains go by from our little cottage. When I was very young the trains were steam and they left a trail of smoke as they chugged along the tracks. Mom and dad had wanted a thatched roof but were prohibited because a spark from the train could catch it on fire. Over the years the trains moved from steam to electric and became quieter and faster but it was always an adventure for us to travel to London to spend the day shopping in Oxford Street at some of the biggest department stores. For some reason railway stations held a fascination for me: part of it was trying to imagine where all the rushing throngs of people were going and part of it was just being close to those enormous beasts breathing out their smoke and letting of steam.
This week, St Pancras Station in London, one of the stations I knew so well growing up was re-opened by The Queen in an extravagant ceremony befitting what is possibly the world’s most expensive station. The station was originally built in 1868 and its transformation will mark the beginning of a new era of high-speed travel linking Britain to continental Europe. The Queen called the $800m St Pancras International “magnificent” and hoped people would consider it as not just a station but as “a destination” Work on the station began in 2001 to enable it to accommodate domestic rail services and Eurostar trains to and from France and Belgium. The new route will cut the journey to Paris by 20 minutes and to Brussels by 25 minutes. The front of the building, a neo-Gothic building will open as a five star hotel in 2009
The new station will take some getting used to. Along with all those fond memories I have of train travel I do still remember the harsh realities and problems that beset British Rail during the 1960’s. Trains were dirty and invariable late and had reoccurring problems with vandals, especially among rival soccer supporters. And everyone new better than to eat or drink anything in the station cafes: it was one of the few places in England where even the tea was bad! But that has all changed and the new look includes touch screen monitors and passenger information screens. It also has Europe’s biggest champagne bar and a host of up market boutiques. A note for the Green: Eurostar has pledged to make the journeys carbon-neutral by improving energy efficiency and offsetting carbon emissions. Comments3 Comments so far |
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