Eurostar's new 200mph train will go from London and Paris in two hours


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Eurostar passengers travelling between London and Paris will soon have their journey time cut by 15 minutes, after the company unveiled a fleet of new high-speed trains.

By the end of next year, travellers will be able to make the 306-mile trip to Paris through the Channel Tunnel in just two hours, thanks to a 200mph state-of-the-art train.

Built by German firm Siemens and capable of carrying 900 passengers, the e320 trains will replace the current coach Class 373/1 trains which run at up to 186mph. 

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By the end of next year, travellers will be able to make the 306-mile trip from London to Paris in just two hours, thanks to a 200mph state-of-the-art Siemens e320 train

By the end of next year, travellers will be able to make the 306-mile trip from London to Paris in just two hours, thanks to a 200mph state-of-the-art Siemens e320 train

In a £550 million deal, Eurostar originally ordered 10 of the e320s - so called as they can travel at 320kph (200mph).

But at the launch at St Pancras station earlier today, the company announced it was ordering a further seven new trains.

The trains will go into service at the end of 2015.

The launch comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the start of Eurostar services in November 1994. 

There were just two trains a day when the service started, while there are now between 15-17 daily services to Paris.

Nicolas Petrovich, CEO of Eurostar, in the driver's cab of their new Siemens e320 train at St Pancras station in central London

Nicolas Petrovich, CEO of Eurostar, in the driver's cab of their new Siemens e320 train at St Pancras station in central London

The original London to Paris journey time when Eurostar started was two hours and 50 minutes.

That was cut to two hours and 35 minutes after the first section of high speed line was built in Kent in 1998, and then two hours and 15 min following completion of the high speed line in 2007. 

The new trains are described as being 'inter-operable', meaning they can run across diverse European signalling systems, and opening up the potential for a whole range of new direct services between the UK and European city centre destinations.

The e320s represent an increase in capacity of 20 per cent compared with the company's existing trains

The e320s represent an increase in capacity of 20 per cent compared with the company's existing trains

May 2015 will see the start of a new year-round Eurostar service to Provence, stopping at Lyon, Avignon and Marseille.

That will be followed at the end of 2016 by the launch of a route to Amsterdam with stops in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport along the way.

The e320s represent an increase in capacity of 20 per cent compared with the company's existing trains. 

The interiors of the new train have been created by Italian design house Pininfarina.

The interiors of the new train have been created by Italian design house Pininfarina. The e320s will be equipped with free wifi throughout and customers will enjoy bigger seats

The interiors of the new train have been created by Italian design house Pininfarina. The e320s will be equipped with free wifi throughout and customers will enjoy bigger seats

The e320s will be equipped with free wifi throughout and customers will enjoy more space per seat, each equipped with power points and a USB socket.

Work on the Channel Tunnel began in 1987, with boring starting on the British side in December, then two months later on the French side.

The number of passengers travelling on Eurostar's trains topped 10 million for the first time last year, giving it around an 80 percent share of the travel market between London and Paris, and London and Brussels. 

Chef Raymond Blanc who has designed the menu for business class passengers travelling on the newly launched Eurostar e320 train which was unveiled at St Pancras International Station in London this morning

Chef Raymond Blanc who has designed the menu for business class passengers travelling on the newly launched Eurostar e320 train which was unveiled at St Pancras International Station in London this morning

The number of passengers travelling on Eurostar's trains topped 10 million for the first time last year, giving it around an 80 percent share of the travel market between London and Paris, and London and Brussels

The number of passengers travelling on Eurostar's trains topped 10 million for the first time last year, giving it around an 80 percent share of the travel market between London and Paris, and London and Brussels

The launch comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the start of Eurostar services in November 1994

The launch comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the start of Eurostar services in November 1994

Eurostar chief executive Nicolas Petrovic said: 'Having had ten consecutive years of growth, we are seeing a record demand for our services and the addition of new trains to our fleet will be key to our growth ambitions.

'With just one year to go until our new e320 train comes into service, our passengers will soon see a complete transformation of our service.

'The combination of bold design, chic interiors and wifi connectivity will raise the bar, providing an unprecedented level of style and comfort for our customers.'

 



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