Published on October 22, 2025
Eurostar, nan world obstruction usability connecting nan United Kingdom pinch France, Belgium, and nan Netherlands, has unveiled a groundbreaking €2 cardinal finance to present double-decker trains. The company’s eager move will make Eurostar nan first obstruction usability to tally these two-storey trains done nan Channel Tunnel, importantly expanding spot capacity and accommodating much passengers. This awesome measurement aligns pinch Eurostar’s target to grip 30 cardinal passengers annually, helping nan institution meet increasing request and heighten nan value of work crossed Europe.
A New Fleet for Enhanced Passenger Experience
As portion of this description , Eurostar has confirmed an bid for 30 double-decker trains, pinch an action for 20 much successful nan future. The caller fleet, dubbed nan Eurostar Celestia, will beryllium built by Alstom Group, a leader successful obstruction carrier manufacturing. These precocious trains will tally connected Eurostar’s existing routes, covering each 5 countries presently served by nan operator, including France, Belgium, nan Netherlands, nan UK, and caller destinations specified arsenic Geneva and Frankfurt.
The preamble of these double-decker trains will summation Eurostar’s seating capacity by 20%, offering much comfortableness and convenience for passengers. Each caller train is expected to accommodate astir 1,080 seats successful a 400-meter configuration, a notable summation successful capacity compared to existent models. Eurostar’s existent fleet, which includes 37 trains, will beryllium supplemented pinch these caller Celestia trains, bringing nan full to 67 by 2031.
The Growth Strategy: New Destinations and Future Expansion
The caller fleet will not only service existing celebrated routes but will besides link passengers to caller destinations, peculiarly Geneva and Frankfurt. This will importantly heighten Eurostar’s beingness successful cardinal Europe, creating caller recreation opportunities and strengthening nan obstruction operator’s position arsenic a leader successful European high-speed obstruction travel.
The first of these double-decker trains will beryllium delivered successful January 2031, pinch nan commercialized services expected to commencement successful May of nan aforesaid year. Initially, six trains will beryllium operational, pinch further trains joining nan fleet gradually. The nonstop timeline for erstwhile nan afloat complement of double-decker trains will beryllium operational has yet to beryllium confirmed, but nan wide description is expected to make a important effect connected nan company’s capacity and nan wide acquisition of its passengers.
Environmental Impact and Employment Opportunities
Eurostar’s caller finance is not conscionable astir enhancing rider comfortableness and expanding its network; it besides reflects nan company’s committedness to sustainability. The Celestia fleet is portion of Eurostar’s wider strategy to support its activity successful environmentally friends and sustainable travel. By investing successful cutting-edge train designs, Eurostar intends to make world obstruction recreation much energy-efficient and trim nan c footprint of long-distance travel.
The institution besides plans to found a caller attraction installation astatine nan Temple Mills depot successful London, which will create astir 350 highly skilled jobs. This caller depot will support nan accrued number of trains, providing basal services specified arsenic maintenance, cleaning, and repairs. This finance is portion of Eurostar’s broader strategy to thrust some operational ratio and occupation creation successful nan UK.
Competition and Future Developments
Eurostar’s announcement of its €2 cardinal finance comes astatine a clip erstwhile respective different obstruction operators are eyeing title pinch nan company. The Italian authorities railway group, Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), has already revealed plans to motorboat a high-speed obstruction work betwixt Paris and London by 2029. FS has allocated a fund of €1 cardinal for nan task and is partnering pinch Spanish patient Evolyn, led by nan Cosmen family. This task is portion of a broader inclination of expanding title connected nan high-speed obstruction corridor betwixt nan UK and mainland Europe.
Furthermore, Virgin Group is besides exploring opportunities to motorboat cross-channel train services, seeking finance partners to support nan improvement of high-speed obstruction networks. While Virgin has not yet committed to launching a service, nan company’s plans correspond a increasing situation to Eurostar’s existent monopoly connected nan Temple Mills depot.
Despite these emerging competitors, Eurostar remains assured successful its expertise to lead nan market. The company’s important finance successful caller exertion and infrastructure, including nan improvement of nan Eurostar Celestia trains, is designed to support it up of nan title and guarantee that it continues to meet nan increasing request for sustainable, efficient, and comfortable obstruction recreation crossed Europe.
Eurostar’s Future successful European Rail Travel
With nan announcement of nan €2 cardinal finance and nan motorboat of nan Eurostar Celestia fleet, nan institution is mounting a bold people for nan early of high-speed obstruction recreation successful Europe. The caller trains will not only grow Eurostar’s web and capacity but will besides heighten nan rider experience, offering a much comfortable and sustainable measurement to recreation betwixt awesome European cities.
As Eurostar prepares to motorboat nan first of these caller trains successful 2031, nan company’s committedness to sustainability, growth, and invention remains strong. The description to destinations for illustration Geneva and Frankfurt will further solidify Eurostar’s position arsenic a starring usability successful nan European obstruction industry, offering much options for travelers while contributing to nan greenish translator of nan carrier sector.