Eurostar orders first double-decker trains

Eurostar has announced plans to run double-decker trains through the Channel Tunnel for the first time.

The cross-Channel rail operator has confirmed it will order up to 50 trains from manufacturer Alstom, eventually increasing the size of its fleet by almost a third.

It was stated that expansion plans would include heavy investment in a significant warehouse in London.

But questions remain about whether the facility has enough space for both Eurostar and potential rival operators to use it.

In the €2bn (£1.74bn) deal confirmed on Wednesday, Eurostar has ordered 30 ‘Celestia’ trains, with an option for 20 more.

Eurostar plans to start using the first six trains in 2031.

Each train will be 200 meters long. If the two were operated together as they are now, the resulting 400-meter service would have approximately 1,080 seats.

These will be the first double-deck high-speed trains to pass through the Channel Tunnel.

The only other double-deck ship to appear on Britain’s railways was an experiment that had begun. in 1949.

Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar’s chief executive, said she was “particularly proud to be bringing double-decker trains to the UK for the first time”, adding that they would bring “exceptional comfort”.

Eurostar carried 19.5 million passengers last year. The company aims to increase that number to 30 million, Ms. Cazenove said.

The firm said the new fleet of trains, some of which will replace older trains, will lead to a 30% increase in the number of trains serving London.

Double-decker train deal comes after Eurostar announced its expansion plan Including new routes from London to Geneva and Frankfurt in June.

Eurostar also said it would invest €80 million to develop its Temple Mills depot in London, the only depot in the UK capable of accommodating larger trains used in continental Europe.

Owned by the government’s London St Pancras High Speed ​​organisation, this depot is currently used exclusively by Eurostar.

Eurostar is also currently the only company to offer cross-Channel rail services between London and Paris, although others are looking to establish rival services.

These companies include Spanish start-up Evolyn, Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin and the partnership between Gemini Trains and Uber.

The Office for Rail and Road is examining their proposals to use Temple Mills, as well as Eurostar’s plans to increase services.

The regulator is expected to make a decision on access to the repository within a few weeks.