Eurostar - Welcome to High Speed Europe

Eurostar

RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE RAILWAY BRITAIN

Eurostar – Welcome to High Speed Europe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWSep2v1B_w

The Eurostar Story:

Eurostar is the high-speed rail service directly linking the UK to France and

Belgium

via the Channel Tunnel. It started operating in 1994, providing city centre to city centre services. Eurostar launched services from its new London station, St. Pancras International, on 14th November 2007 with the completion of the second section of the UK’s first high-speed line. Services to/from Waterloo International ended on 13th November 2007. Following the move Eurostar’s fastest journey times have fallen with London-Paris taking 2 hours 15 minutes, London-Brussels 1 hour 51 minutes and London-Lille just 1 hour 20 minutes.

There are direct daily services from London and Ashford International to the gates of Disneyland® Resort Paris and, during the winter holiday season, Eurostar operates two services every week from London and Ashford International to Moutiers and Bourg St Maurice in the French Alps. Eurostar also runs a direct service to Avignon in Provence on Saturdays during the Summer.

In addition, Eurostar offers connecting tickets to over 100 destinations across France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. For example, Lyon can be reached in five hours from London and Marseille in six and a half hours. Brussels Midi is the gateway for the Netherlands and Germany with easy connections to Amsterdam (about five hours from London) and Cologne (about five hours).

Eurostar also offers through fares from 68 towns and cities across Britain to Paris, Brussels and Disneyland Resort Paris as well as 75 connecting destinations across France with return fares starting from only £67.

Since starting operations in November 1994, Eurostar has more than doubled the total number of passengers travelling (by air or rail) between London and Paris/Brussels.

To establish the Eurostar service, it was necessary to overcome significant rail network differences between the UK, France and Belgium. European rail networks primarily focus on domestic services, employing different technologies, for example, in power supply and signalling, as well as in commercial areas such as ticket distribution systems. Eurostar has successfully overcome all these obstacles, operating safely and efficiently across the three territories.

Eurostar was owned, when launched, by SNCF, SNCB and British Rail. Prior to the UK rail privatisation, a subsidiary, European Passenger Services (EPS), was created which included British Rail's interest in Eurostar. In June 1996, this was sold to London & Continental Railways (LCR). In October 1996, LCR changed the name to Eurostar UK Ltd (EUKL).

EUKL, SNCF and SNCB are each responsible for the running of Eurostar services on their own territory.

In 1998, LCR awarded to InterCapital and Regional Rail Ltd (ICRR) a management contract to manage EUKL until 2010. ICRR is a consortium comprising the National Express Group (40% shareholding), SNCF (35% shareholding) SNCB (15% shareholding) and British Airways (10% shareholding). BA is a sleeping partner.

In September 1999, Eurostar Group, a unified management structure, was established to drive some of the commercial direction and strategy of the business. The three railways are each represented on the Board of Eurostar Group.

Eurostar has been at the leading edge of innovation in the rail industry, setting new standards for travel by train. It was one of the first rail operators to introduce business lounges and a loyalty programme.

In July 2006 Eurostar joined the pan-European “Railteam Alliance” which includes Deutsche Bahn, Netherlands Railways, Austrian Railways, Swiss Railways, Belgium Railways and French Railways. Railteam will make travel across the European rail network as seamless as possible. It is a cooperation between Europe’s leading high-speed rail operators, currently DB (Germany), SNCF (France), Eurostar (UK, France and Belgium), NS Hispeed (Netherlands), ÖBB (Austria), SBB (Switzerland) and SNCB (Belgium), as well as two of their high-speed subsidiaries Thalys and Lyria, with the possibility of more train operators joining in the future.

Independent research commissioned by Eurostar has shown that flying between London and Paris or Brussels generates ten times more carbon dioxide emissions than taking Eurostar. As part of the ‘Tread Lightly’ environment programme Eurostar hopes to reduce its carbon emissions by 25% per traveller journey by 2012. This will be achieved through a combination of internal reduction schemes and though participating in carbon offsetting.

Eurostar currently operates a fleet of 27 trains between the UK and France/Belgium. In addition, three Eurostar trains are being used on domestic services in France and a fourth is based in Belgium.

Eurostar trains are 400 metres long and comprise 18 passenger carriages and two power cars. There are 750 seats on each train, almost equivalent to capacity levels of two 747 Boeing planes. Of the seats, 544 are in standard class and 206 in Business Premier and Leisure Select.

The Eurostar Timeline:

17^th May 1993
Completion of London Waterloo International Terminal

20^th June 1993
First test train arrives in the UK through the Channel Tunnel

6^th May 1994
The Channel Tunnel is inaugurated by President Francois Mitterrand and HM Queen Elizabeth II.

14^th November 1994
Public Eurostar services commence with two services each way to Paris Nord and Brussels Midi from London Waterloo.

8^th January 1996
Start of services from Ashford International station in Kent.

1^st June 1996
With the privatisation of British Rail, London & Continental Railways assumes ownership of European Passenger Services, the British operator of Eurostar.

29^th June 1996
Start of direct services to Disneyland Paris.

14^th November 1996
Eurostar Frequent Traveller, Eurostar’s Loyalty programme, is launched.

13^th December 1997
Start of ski train services to the French Alps.

14^th December 1997
Inauguration of the Belgian high speed line reduces the London to Brussels journey time to 2 hours 40 minutes.

1^st October 1998
Work starts on the construction of the UK high speed line between the Channel Tunnel and London.

11^th March 1999
Formation of the Eurostar Group is announced.

20^th July 2002
Start of direct services from London Waterloo and Ashford to Avignon.

30^th July 2003
Eurostar sets a new UK rail speed record of 208.0 mph or 334.7 km/h.

16^th September 2003
The Section 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link opens on time and on budget.

28^th September 2003
Passenger services begin on section 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

24^th August 2004
Eurostar sets a new punctuality record with 97.35% of trains arriving on time or early during the week of 16^th -22^nd August 2004.

7^th September 2004
Eurostar launches its first refurbished train.

14^th November 2004
Eurostar celebrates its 10^th Birthday.

5^th January 2005
Record passenger figures, sales revenue and punctuality announced.

1^st September 2005
Eurostar reinvents First Class, splitting business and leisure travellers with the launch of Business Premier and Leisure Select.

9^th January 2006
Eurostar celebrates 10 years at Ashford International.

4^th July 2006
Eurostar joins the pan-European “Railteam Alliance” which includes Deutsche Bahn, Netherlands Railways, Austrian Railways, Swiss Railways, Belgium Railways and French Railways.

17 April 2006
Eurostar launches the ‘Tread Lightly’ initiative. This means that all Eurostar journeys to/from St Pancras International will be carbon neutral. Eurostar also pledges to reduce its overall carbon emissions by 25% by 2012

11 July 2007
Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh travel with Eurostar to Brussels

4 September 2007
Eurostar makes its inaugural run between Paris Nord and St Pancras International. The journey takes only 2 hours 3 minutes

20 September 2007
Eurostar makes the inaugural run from Brussels Midi to St Pancras International in only 1 hour 41 minutes

2 October 2007
Eurostar opens its new depot, Temple Mills International, in East London in preparation for the switch of services to St Pancras International

13 November 2007
The last Eurostar services arrive and depart from Waterloo International

14 November 2007
Eurostar launches services from St Pancras International

19 November 2007
Services are launched from Ebbsfleet International, Eurostar’s newest station located just off Junction 2 of the M25 in Kent