Arrival at Brussel Zuid at 10.42 for the 12.52 Eurostar. 2729 leads IC4531 onwards to Charleroi. Connecting into Eurostar is always annoying due to the need to check in and carry out the formalities for entering Fortress Britain. Arrival an hour later should do it. On this occasion I allowed an extra hour as I wanted to book some tickets at the international booking office (not many of them left) while I was there.

Errands complete, there's time to mess around. Here is the first night train to arrive in Brussels for quite a few years. NightJet 424 conveys two portions - one from Wien Hbf (leaving 20.38 the previous evening), the second from Innsbruck (20.44). Initially this service doesn't run daily but hopefully that will change soon. The return workings depart Brussel Zuid at 18.04. Plenty of opportunities for connections at both ends.

The press like it too.

Of course night trains in Brussels are nothing new, nor are through services from and to London. This is 1 August 1979 and the through sleeping car from London Victoria is captured for posterity at Brussel Zuid. This left Victoria at 21.25 the previous evening, running combined with cars to Paris Nord via the Dover - Dunkerque train ferry, due Brussel Zuid at 08.50.

How do we know this? The coronavirus lockdown has provided some unexpected time for browsing the archives, much of which have been boxed up in Belper for many years but luckily shipped to Middelburg last year. This is table 11 from the Thomas Cook International Timetable for August 1979.

I couldn't help but notice the overnight service between Brussels and Wien in the same edition. Back in 1979 this ran to/from Oostende to connect with the ferry from Dover.

Meanwhile back in 2020, here's ICE316, the 09.43 from Koln Hbf arriving at 11.35. Given the 1979 timetable is still on my desk, it's hard not to look. By complete fluke there is a departure at 09.42 from Koln and it's the Oostende - Wien Express shown above. Back in 1979, we'd have had an extra 2 hours to savour this journey as arrival at Brussel Zuid was 13.30. Staying on this and taking the ferry from Oostende to Dover would get us into London Victoria at 20.17.

For the traveller in 2020, lunch is served on Eurostar. This is the veggie option and it tastes nicer than it looks despite being refrigerated to within an inch of its life.

Eurostar 9133, 12.52 from Brussel Zuid is due into St. Pancras at 14.05. Another advantage of 2020 over 1979 for those heading to the East Midlands is no lugging your bags on the Victoria Line. Having said that, it's a long walk from the rear of the Eurostar, down the platform, through the bowels of the station, past the shops and up the escalator to the East Midlands platforms. I have seen no crows at St. Pancras but I think it's 5 seconds as the pigeon flies.

Some may wish to wait for the next direct service to Derby. Not me.

Leicester. Next Derby, then Belper.