Eurostar
Franchise(s): Not subject to franchising
International joint operation
Service began 1994
Main
stations(s):
London St Pancras,
Paris Gare du Nord,
Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid,
Other
stations(s):
Ebbsfleet Int., Stratford Int., Ashford
Int., Calais-Fréthun, Lille-Europe,
Marne-la-Vallée, Avignon Centre,
Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Aime-la-
Plagne, Moûtiers
Fleet size:
27 Class 373 sets
Stations
called at:
13
National Rail
abbreviation:
ES
Parent
company:
Eurostar (U.K.) Ltd.,
SNCF, NMBS/SNCB
Web site:
www.eurostar.com
Eurostar
is a high-speed train passenger
service in Western Europe connecting Lon-
don and Ashford, Kent in the United Kingdom
with Paris and Lille in France and Brussels in
Belgium. In addition, there are limited ser-
vices from London to Disneyland Resort Paris
(Gare de Marne-la-Vallée - Chessy) and sea-
sonal destinations in France. All Eurostar
trains cross the English Channel through the
Channel Tunnel.
The service is operated by 18-carriage
Class 373 trains at up to 300 km/h (186 mph)
on a network of high-speed lines. Since
Eurostar began in 1994, new lines have been
built in Belgium (HSL 1) and southern Eng-
land (High Speed 1) to the same standard as
the LGV Nord line originally used in France,
reducing journey times. In the UK the two-
stage Channel Tunnel Rail Link project was
completed on 14 November 2007, when the
London terminus of Eurostar transferred
from Waterloo International to St Pancras In-
ternational station.
Eurostar has become the dominant market
force in cross channel passenger travel, car-
rying more passengers than the airline com-
panies between the three capital cities;
however rival rail operators have been plan-
ning to set up services of their own along the
same route in competition.
History
The history of Eurostar can be traced to the
1986 choice of a rail tunnel to provide a
cross-Channel
link between Britain and
France.[1] In addition to the tunnel’s shuttle
trains carrying cars and lorries between
Folkestone and Calais, this decision provided
for through passenge