Eurostar news
Railway Gazette International brings you the latest news about Eurostar, which operates high speed train services between France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands and to London St Pancras International station in the UK via the Channel Tunnel.
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NewsEurostar and DB develop plans to launch direct London to Germany trains
EUROPE: Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn are working together to develop plans to launch direct high speed train services between London and major German cities such as Köln and Frankfurt in the early 2030s.
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Rail Business UKVirgin Trains granted depot access paving the way for launch of Channel Tunnel high speed services
UK: The rail regulator has approved Virgin Trains’ application for depot access which it needs under its plans to launch high speed passenger train services from London through the Channel Tunnel to Paris and Brussels from 2030.
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NewsEurostar orders Celestia double-deck high speed trains
EUROPE: Eurostar has announced a €1·4bn order for 30 Alstom Avelia Horizon double-deck high speed trainsets, with options for 20 more.
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NewsTaskforce to study launch of direct UK – Germany trains
EUROPE: The British and German governments are to establish a joint taskforce to study the requirements for the launch of direct passenger trains services between the countries within the next 10 years.
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Rail Business UKAgreement to more than double international passenger capacity at London St Pancras station
EUROPE: London St Pancras Highspeed and Eurostar have signed a letter of intent to more than double international passenger capacity at London St Pancras station.
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NewsEurostar plans direct trains from London to Frankfurt and Genève
EUROPE: Eurostar has announced plans to offer direct London – Frankfurt, London – Genève and Amsterdam – Brussels – Genève services once new trains are delivered in the early 2030s.
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Rail Business UKCross-Channel depot has room for one more train operator, says ORR
UK: The rail regulator has concluded that there is room for at most one new Channel Tunnel train operator at the Temple Mills international depot in London.
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NewsIncentive scheme aims to increase international trains on HS1
EUROPE: High Speed 1 concessionaire London St Pancras Highspeed has announced a International Growth Incentive Scheme designed to encourage new and existing train operators to introduce services and increase passenger volumes on the route between London and the Channel Tunnel. Two incentives ...
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Rail Business UKEurostar depot capacity increase to support cross-Channel competition
UK: A report has found that additional capacity could be provided at Temple Mills depot in London to support plans for new cross-Channel passenger services. However incumbent operator Eurostar says the options would not provide sufficient capacity to support even one operator’s plans without significant investment.
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NewsHigher capacity UK terminal opens at Amsterdam Centraal station
NETHERLANDS: A larger and more modern terminal for UK-bound Eurostar passengers has opened at Amsterdam Centraal station.
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NewsEurostar targets Chinese market with WeChat payment option
EUROPE: Eurostar has worked with EuroPass and payment company PayXpert to launch a ‘mini-program’ enabling people to buy tickets through the WeChat messaging app which is popular with Chinese travellers. This offers Chinese customers ‘a familiar and convenient’ way to buy tickets, said Tuesday-Ann Castle, Head ...
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Rail Business UKLondon St Pancras International expansion planning advances
UK: Almost 40 companies have so far expressed interest in a contract to further develop plans for the expansion of facilities for handling international passengers at London St Pancras station. An initial study which infrastructure concessionaire HS1 Ltd commissioned from customer experience design agency Active Thinking ...
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NewsEurostar drops biometric check-in as it prepares for EU Entry/Exit System
EUROPE: Eurostar is to cease offering the SmartCheck biometric check-in service at London St Pancras International station in February, but says it has boosted capacity in preparation for the introduction of the EU Entry-Exit System. Following an initial trial, SmartCheck using technology from iProov was opened ...
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Rail Business UKStudy finds international passenger capacity at London St Pancras could be doubled
UK: A study has found that international passenger capacity at London St Pancras station could be more than doubled to improve the user experience and potentially facilitate new train services. Station operator HS1 Ltd commissioned the study from customer experience design agency Active Thinking, which has ...
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News‘Turning point’ reached for potential new Channel Tunnel train operators
EUROPE: The rail industry has finally reached a ‘turning point’ which will facilitate the launch of new international passenger train operators competing with Eurostar on routes to the UK.
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In depthStations: Keeping Eurostar passengers connected
Road transport provider CMAC has been working with Eurostar to provide taxi, bus and coach services, which enable the pan-European operator to manage disruption better and support pre- and post-shift travel for its traincrew.
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NewsEurostar confirms date for return of direct Amsterdam – London trains
EUROPE: Direct trains between Amsterdam Centraal and London will be reinstated from February 10 2025, with the opening of a higher capacity departure terminal for passengers on Eurostar’s cross-Channel service. Through services were suspended from June 15 because remodelling works meant there was no space for ...
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NewsEurostar to offer airline alliance sustainable rail connections
EUROPE: High speed train operator Eurostar has signed a memorandum of understanding to become the first non-airline partner of the SkyTeam aviation alliance. The partnership is expected to launch in the first half of 2025, with travellers able to combine long and medium-haul flights into SkyTeam’s ...
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NewsStudy looks at how to increase international capacity at London St Pancras
EUROPE: High speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd has appointed ‘experience design’ agency Active Thinking to undertake an in-depth study into expanding passenger capacity at London St Pancras International station to cope with increased demand for international travel and the potential arrival of competitors to Eurostar. Eurostar ...
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NewsWiremind software to help Eurostar optimise revenue
EUROPE: International high speed train operator Eurostar has signed a five-year contract to use Wiremind’s CAYZN software to modernise its revenue management processes, identify new revenue opportunities and increase load factors. It is expected to go live in Q1 2025. Eurostar Chief Commercial Officer François Le ...