Reported today on The New York Times For the full article visit:
For the Eurostar Tribe, Brexit Could Make Brussels Feel Even Farther AwayThe high-speed rail link was once the locomotive embodiment of the ideal of a border-free Continent. But Britain's withdrawal from the E.U. leaves the service facing an uncertain future.ON THE LONDON TO BRUSSELS TRAIN - Just as the high-speed train dived under the English Channel, Mujtaba Rahman frantically typed an email on his smartphone and hit send.A short ride later, through a dark void that briefly blocked both his ears and his cellphone reception, he was hurtling across the rolling fields of France. "On the way in and out of the tunnel is a really good time to do some thinking," Mr. Rahman said. What he thinks a lot about these days is Brexit. Mr. Rahman once worked for the British government, helping tie its fortunes ever more closely to the European Union. Today, he consults private clients on the risks of Britain's withdrawal from the bloc. He is part of a tribe of lawyers, economists, journalists and trade experts who helped turn the high-speed train, known as the Eurostar, into the embodiment of the idea of the near-borderless world that the European Union stood for.Ironically, the Eurostar, which turned 25 last week, has become the primary vehicle they use for going back and forth to undo the relationship they once helped build. For those living in London, the Eurostar has made weekends in Paris (or Brussels, or now even Amsterdam) - or vice versa - simple, fast and relatively affordable. It enabled a professional class to bounce back and forth under the English Channel that once served as a moat - protective or isolating, depending on the traveler's perspective.These days, regular passengers include the British negotiators working on pulling their country out of the European Union
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