EUROSTAR TO RUN DOUBLE-DECKER TRAINS FROM 2031- The rail operator announced it had signed a £1.7bn deal
Eurostar from 2031 is set to start running double-decker trains through the Channel Tunnel to meet growing demand for international rail travel from the UK.
The rail operator announced it had signed a £1.7bn deal for at least 30 – and up to 50 – new trains from the manufacturer Alstom.
The double-deckers will start operating from 2031, with each able to carry more than 1,000 passengers.
Eurostar said the Celestia trains, the first high-speed double-deckers 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.
The announcement comes as the UK regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, is preparing to announce a critical decision on whether Eurostar should make space at Temple Mills for a competitor.
