In the last two decades Eurostar has revolutionised cross-channel travel, providing a swift, seamless link between the UK and mainland Europe. With passengers increasingly choosing high speed rail over plane for short-haul travel and demand at an all-time high, the business is now set for further expansion of its services into Europe.

On the eve of its 20th anniversary Eurostar unveiled in public for the first time its new state-of-the-art e320 train scheduled to enter commercial service at the end of 2015. At the same time the company announced its decision to augment its fleet with a further seven new e320 trains. With the original order of 10 e320s now in the final stage of completion, this increases the number of new trains to 17 in total.

Beyond its core routes of Paris, Brussels and Lille, Eurostar serves a range of destinations including the French Alps, Swiss Alps and Geneva. May 2015 will see the start of a new year-round direct service to Provence, stopping at Lyon, Avignon and Marseille, followed at the end of 2016 by the launch of a direct route to Amsterdam with stops in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Schiphol along the way.
Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive of Eurostar, said:

“Having had 10 consecutive years of growth, we are seeing a record demand for our services and the addition of new trains to our fleet will be key to our growth ambitions. With just one year to go until our new e320 train comes into service, our passengers will soon see a complete transformation of our service. The combination of bold design, chic interiors and wifi connectivity will raise the bar, providing an unprecedented level of style and comfort for our customers.”

(Source: Eurostar)