“NEW EUROSTAR” AND EUROPEAN PASSENGERS’ FEDERATION 22nd Annual Conference, Swindon, UK, June 13th & 14th 2025
EPF representatives from the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany recently met senior managers of Eurostar and Thalys in Brussels. These two operators are in the process of merging and are sometimes currently referred to as “New Eurostar”.
For more than a decade, AERA has been an associate member of the European Passengers’ Federation (EPF) which brings together public transport users’ organisations and related bodies in 20 different European countries. EPF is widely recognised as a well-informed independent voice of rail customers, which has regular dialogue with political and transport professionals and decision-makers. In this context we are pleased that AERA took part in EPF’s Conference this year, which took place in the Steam Museum, Swindon – the old main workshops of the Great Western Railway, one of the “big four” railway companies, which connected London with the West Country and the West Midlands, and was nationalised in 1948.
The Conference, which was attended by consumers and providers from 9 European countries, covered many topics, including “Women & Transport”, “EU Transport Policy”, “The experiences of the private and public sectors”, “Community involvement”, and Issues of Information & Ticketing”.
AERA Member Alex Nelson gave a presentation on the last of these, and the illustrations are courtesy of Simon Hodge, depicting the AERA Banner; Alex on stage; and one of Swindon Steam Museum’s prize exhibits, No. 6000 “King George V”, the Great Western’s largest and most powerful express passenger steam locomotive, built in 1927, retired in the mid 1960’s, but preserved in working order to work occasional special trains.
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FUTURE MEETINGS
With the exception of the Annual General Meeting, which is anticipated to be held in Aachen during the latter half of January 2026 (date to be confirmed), our meetings are normally held every two months, on the last Thursday of the month, at the Somers Town Coffee House (which is in reality a pub), 60, Chalton Street, LONDON NW1 1HS (Chalton Street is off the Euston Road between Euston and St. Pancras stations). Meetings start at 11:00; coffee is available from 10:30 and lunch is included.
November 27th (Thursday)
Guest speaker: Camille Härdi, Rhätische Bahn (Glacier Express)
January 28th and 29th 2026 (date to be confirmed) – AERA Annual General Meeting – Aachen
then March 26th; May 28th; July 30th; September 24th; November 26th
EUROPEAN YEAR OF RAIL?
2021 was European Year of Rail – though British readers may be forgiven for not knowing, since the fact has been barely publicised in the UK.
It is regrettable that the UK Government has failed to support this initiative during the same year that it jointly hosted the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
BY TRAIN TO GLASGOW?
Trains Are a Safe Way To Travel
Travel with a Rail Pass: How customer-friendly are they?
How customer-friendly are Rail Passes? What are the experiences of customers and how can these be improved? Find out more in our report on Rail Passes!
Click here to read more!
Wanted – IT ASSISTANT for ASSOCIATION OF EUROPEAN RAIL AGENTS
AERA wishes to appoint an IT assistant for the equivalent of one day a month (or: one day every two months). The assistant will invoice us every two months. The remuneration will be negotiable.
The job comprises:
- Keeping the AERA website up to date, deleting out-of-date material and adding new material such as travel advice, details of future meetings, guest speakers and activities as provided by the officers; but the assistant will also be encouraged to suggest items of their own.
(2) Keeping the LinkedIn account up to date and monitoring it.
- The assistant will be provided with minutes of AERA meetings to enable them to suggest material but may also attend some of these, in person or by zoom.
The function of the AERA website is to support the members and provide information for customers and potential customers.
The function of the LinkedIn account is to inform the news media and other outside bodies of the views and experiences of AERA members and their customers.
Further advice on both aspects of the job will be given by the outgoing webmaster.
The appointment will be initially for twelve months. The job could be suitable for any AERAmember or one of their staff.
Please reply to me by May 10th at the latest and if you have any questions about the job.
With best regards,
Trevor Garrod
Hon. Secretary