Eurostar to invest in 50 new trains to meet 'huge' rail travel demand
Ilaria Grasso MacolaEurostar is set to invest in a new fleet of trains as it looks to carry an additional 11.5 million passengers in the next six years.
The train operator on Thursday (16 May) revealed up to 50 new trains will start operating alongside the existing fleet from the early 2030s.
The new trains will feature an improved energy consumption system compared to the current ones and will be designed based on staff and customer feedback.
“There is huge demand for our services and we have big European ambitions,” said chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave.
“Investing in up to 50 new trains will provide more capacity and give customers something really special, offering a cutting-edge experience in terms of comfort, accessibility and sustainability.”
The announcement comes as the operator posted annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of €432 million (£363 million) – 8% up on the previous year.
Group revenue reached €2 billion (£1.7 billion) for the first time ever as Eurostar carried 18.5 million passengers over the past year and managed to refinance its existing debt.
According to Eurostar, routes from London saw the biggest growth in 2023, with the London-Amsterdam route growing by 38% while London-Brussels and London-Paris increased by 33% and 25% respectively.
“In our 30th birthday year, Eurostar has set out ambitious plans to carry 30 million passengers by 2030 and become the backbone of sustainable travel in Europe,” Cazenave added.
“Just seven months after the launch of the new Eurostar, we are well on our way, breaking records in 2023 in terms of passenger numbers and revenue.”
In mid-October, the chief executive told TTG she was confident Eurostar could scale its operations up to 30 million annual passengers despite the challenges it faced while rebounding from the pandemic – one of the toughest periods in its 30-year history.
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Ilaria Grasso Macola
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