Operator signs €2bn deal with Alstom amid boom in international rail travel from UK
Eurostar is to start running doubledecker trains through the Channel tunnel to meet growing demand for international rail travel from the UK.
The rail operator announced it had signed a €2bn (£1.7bn) deal for at least 30 – and up to 50 – new trains from the manufacturer Alstom.
The doubledeckers will start operating from 2031, with each able to carry more than 1,000 passengers.
Eurostar said the Celestia trains, the first high-speed doubledeckers to run on the UK mainland, would have about 20% more seats than its biggest existing trains. Some of the extra space would be taken up by stairs, but it would also be used for wheelchairs, bicycles, additional legroom and “surprises”, it said.
