Since 1994, Eurostar has been the only high speed train that travels directly between the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands using the Channel Tunnel. Capable of top speeds exceeding 180 miles per hour, the Eurostar carries thousands of passengers a day between western European capitals.
Recently Eurostar has faced difficulties, with trains running almost a third empty due to bottlenecks in stations, caused by the regulatory effects of Brexit and a shortage of station and border control staff. Eurostar has responded by consolidating its operations, discontinuing journeys to Ashford and Disneyland Paris to focus on its core offering.
Eurostar acquired Thalys in 2022, a train operator using the high-speed network between Paris and Brussels. The company has integrated the two companies' branding, and is uniting the booking systems and loyalty schemes to offer a single package to customers anywhere on the network. It is hoped that this will offset the recent slump in customer numbers and allow Eurostar to reach its goal of 30 million passengers by 2030, which a new carbon-neutral Amsterdam terminal will also aid in reaching.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
