40 years on: the first plans for Eurostar
Long before anyone had even heard of Eurostar, the British Rail Board (BRB) published a series of indicative timetables for a possible Channel Tunnel rail service linking London with Paris. We reproduce below what we believe is the first iteration of that timetable, released 40 years ago in 1973. Britain had just joined the European Communities (precursor of the modern European Union) and timetable planners at BRB in London had Paris in their sights.
You can read more about this initiative in an issue of hidden europe’s Letter from Europe issued on Monday 25 March 2013.
The timetable below is interesting in many ways. It suggested Victoria as the London terminus for the Channel tunnel rail service. The proposed station — shown in the timetable below — at Saltwood (near Folkestone) was of course never built.
When first published in 1973, this draft timetable was presented in the standard BRB layout then favoured for mainline train timetables in Britain. The timetable was printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd, and its style would have been instantly recognisable to regular rail travellers. That distinctive typography and layout was very important — it gave a palpable sense that a Channel Tunnel rail service really was possible (and would exist quite soon). In the table below we have not reproduced that original layout and typography.
| Type | Exc. | Paris Nord | Saltwood | London Victoria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEE | SuX | 0800 | 1140 | |
| RB* | 0825 | 1130 | 1235 | |
| TEE | SuX | 1100 | 1440 | |
| RB | 1115 | 1420 | 1525 | |
| RB | SuX | 1430 | 1735 | 1840 |
| TEE | 1700 | 2040 | ||
| RC | 1715 | 2020 | 2125 | |
| TEE | SSuX | 1900 | 2240 | |
| ON | 0015 | 0620 |
| Type | Notes |
|---|---|
| TEE | Trans-Europe Express, 1st class only, full restaurant service at passengers' own seats |
| RC | Restaurant car |
| RB | Bistro: light refreshments and hot dishes |
| * | Conveys through sleeping cars (1st and 2nd class) and couchettes (2nd class) to and from Ventimiglia via Cannes, Nice and Menton |
| SuX | Does not run on Sundays |
| SX | Does not run on Saturdays |
| SSuX | Does not run on Saturdays and Sundays |
| ON | Overnight service London-Paris and vv. Conveys only sleeping cars (1st and 2nd class) and couchettes (2nd class). Passengers may board the train from 2230 and sleeping car passengers may remain in their berths until 0800 on arrival. |
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About The Authors
Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries
Nicky and Susanne manage hidden europe, a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. From 2005 to 2023, they were the editors of hidden europe magazine. Nicky and Susanne are dedicated slow travellers and the authors of the book Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide. The 18th edition of that book was published in October 2024. You'll find a list of outlets that sell the book on this website. Susanne and Nicky also provide consultancy to the rail industry on fares, routes and ticketing. Between them, they know a thing or two about rail APIs.