It used to be. The only reason anybody watches it, is if the maritime show, Thalassa, has an uninteresting subject. In the mysterious past, the fog of the north starts at the Gare du Nord. It is the night train or nothing, and the sleeping cars are the best. If there is no fog, then it is raining.
Sleet is good too.
The brims of men's hats hide their eyes, except for stray Hollywood glints. The conductors wear the dark blue of the train service, and their faces are ghostly blurs. Other dim shapes hurry past, carrying their belongings, sometimes in matching leather, sometimes in shabby cardboard. Facing the rails, 'Eurostar' is on the left, and the other northern lines are on the right. The entry platform at the wagon's end is dirty and its illumination is weak and yellow.