In an unforeseen turn of events, a multitude of European Parliament members and staff were left stunned as their typical commute was unexpectedly populated by roller coasters and Mickey Mouse. On the usual journey from Brussels to Strasbourg city in France, the parliamentary special train experienced a quirky detour. Its final stop: Disneyland Paris.
This somewhat whimsical transportation service, chartered once a month, provides transit for MEPs between parliament’s seats in the bustling epicenters of Brussels and Strasbourg. On this particular occasion, a signalling blunder significantly altered the course of their travels.
In an unusual twist of fate, instead of traversing the conventional landscapes of construction and city living, both members and staff were offered a visually arresting view of Disneyland Paris’s sparkling rollercoasters much to their surprise.
The incident led to some light-hearted banter, with one MEP humorously decrying, “We are NOT a Mickey Mouse parliament.” Yet, it also sparked debates with numerous personnel suggesting the incident underscored the need for parliament to remain and conduct business activities in Belgium rather than commuting to the North-East French city.
This fueled speculation with Pelle Geertsen, a press aide to a Danish MEP, humorously conjecturing if Disneyland could be an apt and unconventional replacement for the Strasbourg edifices if the parliament were to permanently establish itself in Brussels.
However, despite their proximate location to the ‘happiest place on earth’, the delay was limited to only 45 minutes, leaving no time for attendees to sample the enticing array of rides. According to French railway company, SNCF, a technical lapse in the track signalling system caused the train to bypass an integral interconnecting line, rerouting its path towards the remarkable backdrop of greater Paris region.
This amusing interruption was only temporary, with the train re-routed onto the correct track for Strasbourg, demonstrating the adage that all’s well that ends well, even in the face of a Disney diversion.
