It is not the fastest way to cross the Channel, but after new passport controls are introduced, it may well be the slowest. That’s the fear of Belmond, the company that runs the Venice Simplon Orient Express. The company, famous around the world for once in a lifetime railway experiences, says the potential delays and inconvenience are not the sort of once in a lifetime experience it wants its passengers to endure. Belmond has therefore announced it is axing the British leg of its Orient Express experience, an evocative modern-day recreation of the luxurious boat train service. It means an end to passengers visiting historic Folkestone, where the harbour station was once the hub for European services.