- 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, which is a European business, is operated jointly by Eurostar (UK) Ltd (EUKL), SNCF and SNCB. The commercial direction, policy and service development for the overall Eurostar business is determined by Eurostar Group.
- Eurostar runs 17 Intercapital services to Paris and eight to Brussels daily. The journey time between London and Paris is three hours and 2 hours and 40 minutes between London and Brussels. In addition, 11 trains stop at Lille in northern France, and three services stop at Calais Frethun en route. Also, 14 trains call daily at the terminal at Ashford International, which serves as the principal passenger gateway from Kent.
- There are direct daily services from Waterloo and Ashford to the gates of Disneyland Paris and, during the winter holiday season, Eurostar operates two services every week from Waterloo and Ashford to Moutiers and Bourg St Maurice in the French Alps.
- From July 2002, Eurostar will introduce a direct train service to Avignon, which will operate on Saturdays throughout the summer.
- In addition, together with the high speed rail services in France (TGV) and Belgium (Thalys), Eurostar Plus provides convenient connections to French and Belgian provinces and further afield to Germany and Netherlands including Cologne and Amsterdam.
- Eurostar offers a same day or next day parcels and collection service between London, Paris and Brussels under the name of Esprit Eurostar.
- Eurostar's ticket prices vary to meet all budgets. These include business fares from London to Paris at £298 return in standard class and £405 in first class. These are fully flexible tickets, with no conditions on length of time. Leisure travellers, who are usually able to book ahead, enjoy the cheapest fares - from £70 for a weekend day return or £79 for a return ticket booked 14 days in advance. These tickets are non-exchangeable and have stay away conditions. All Eurostar prices are market based and aim to provide better value than competing modes of transport.
- 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. By 30 December 2001, Eurostar had carried 40 million people since operations were launched.
- To establish Eurostar, 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: Setting new standards for international train travel
- 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, a loyalty programme, The Frequent Traveller Programme, and meal inclusive tickets for first class passengers.
- It has successfully built up a significant market share by offering a number of advantages over other forms of transport. These include:
- Convenient, city centre to city centre travel
- Greater punctuality in service than competitors
- Comfort and space
- Time efficiency and cost competitiveness
- Fast and convenient check-in
- Arrival in city centre, no queues, no baggage reclaim
- Transparent and generous compensation policy, in the event of delay or cancellation
- Benefits for regular users as part of The Frequent Traveller Programme, including free travel as well as offers from a wide range of partners, in hotels, car hire, or leisure activities.
To ensure it remains at the leading edge of the industry and to offer its passengers new levels of comfort and style, Eurostar has started the "Welcome to the New Eurostar" initiative, which will revitalise all areas of its service over the next three years.
Welcome to the New Eurostar: New Style and Comfort
Eurostar is investing £35m on its refurbishment programme. Philippe Starck, the well-known French designer has been appointed artistic director to oversee the programme which will include all aspects of the service including rolling stock interiors, lounges, terminals, ticket offices, check-in, crockery, the visual identity and staff uniforms. The programme will be implemented in all three countries.
Passengers will soon be able to see the start of construction work at Waterloo International and Gare du Nord. These new lounges, which will be both extended and enhanced in terms of their style, will be opening in the summer (2002). There are also plans to improve facilities at Brussels Midi and to create a business lounge in Lille Europe station.
