9 July 2026
London, 9th July 2026 - International high-speed rail is making the UK economy more competitive, more productive and better connected to Europe – with independent research published today showing the scale of this contribution for the first time, with Eurostar as its case study.
The report, titled Fast track to growth and produced by Public First, found Eurostar contributes £2 billion to the UK economy and supports approximately 23,000 jobs across the country each year – with the figures set to surge by over 40% and 70% respectively over the next decade as international rail enters a new era of expansion.
The research is the most comprehensive assessment of international high-speed rail's contribution to the UK to date. It shows Eurostar is not simply a transport operator but a piece of national infrastructure that boosts Britain’s economy, provides high-quality, high-pay jobs and builds deep cultural ties.
Looking ahead, the report found that by 2035 Eurostar's economic contribution is projected to rise to £2.8billion and 40,000 jobs. This is driven significantly by the company’s committed £1.7 billion investment in a fleet of new double-decker Celestia trains, with the first due to be in service in 2031. The expanded Eurostar fleet will enable new direct services from London to Frankfurt and Geneva – extending the UK’s ties with these two important trading partners.
For every direct job at Eurostar, an estimated 16 further jobs are supported across the wider UK economy in engineering, supply chains, hospitality and tourism. The economic activity Eurostar supports generates around £87,500 of gross value added per job, approximately 9% above the UK average, making it a driver of the high-productivity growth the UK Government has identified as a national priority.
The report also documents Eurostar's wider impact on UK competitiveness. The convenience of international rail generates an estimated 500,000 additional tourist visits to the UK each year – trips that would not otherwise have taken place – contributing £370 million in incremental spending on hotels, restaurants and attractions. A further 150,000 incremental business travellers arrive in the UK by rail annually, adding £115 million through the rise of blended work and leisure travel. Evidence in the report also shows travellers switching from plane to train for journeys to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and beyond.
Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO of Eurostar, said: “For Eurostar, travel is about much more than transport. Throughout history, better connections have created stronger economies, greater innovation and deeper understanding between people. Rail has a unique ability to bring cities closer together while offering a journey that is productive, comfortable and sustainable from city centre to city centre. Connection creates opportunity and growth.
“This research shows what Eurostar already delivers – and why international rail is worth investing in for the future. The UK now needs a bold vision to match the private investment on the table – more depot capacity, a bold expansion of St Pancras and a seamless border. Now is the time to act to ensure Britain plays a leading role in Europe’s high-speed rail future.”
Tim Leunig, Director at Public First, said: “We expected to find that Eurostar was good for the UK economy. What surprised us was how much of that value comes through competitiveness – more productive businesses, higher-quality jobs and connectivity that has made King's Cross one of Europe's leading investment destinations. The role of international rail in growing the UK economy is clear.”
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About Eurostar
With a fleet of 51 high‑speed trains, Eurostar operates the largest international high‑speed rail network in Western Europe, serving more than 20 destinations across Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
In 2025, Eurostar carried 20 million passengers.
To support its long‑term growth, Eurostar has placed an order of up to 50 Celestia double-decker trains with Alstom, which will be introduced as from May 2031.
Eurostar’s shareholding structure is as follows:
Summary of Fast track to growth: Boosting Britain through international high-speed rail
The Public First independent report has quantified the strategic importance and growing impact of Eurostar, particularly as the UK focuses on growth and enters a new era of international rail travel.
The report shows that as the UK reinforces its relationships with continental Europe, Eurostar is leading a fundamental shift in transport, developing sustainable connectivity across Europe and delivering substantial economic, productivity, and environmental benefits that will expand significantly over the next decade.
Key statistics
£2bn economic activity and 23,000 jobs
Eurostar supported almost £2bn of economic activity (GVA) in the UK in 2025 and 23,000 jobs
Eurostar’s direct economic footprint - valued at £213 million per year
Eurostar’s supply chain footprint - purchasing from over 650 businesses in the UK, the company’s supply chain impact adds £770 million per year
£2.8bn economic contribution and 40,000 jobs by 2035
By 2035, economic and jobs impact is expected to increase by over 40% and 70% respectively
Temple Mills depot
Eurostar plans to develop Temple Mills depot to maintain its new Celestia fleet, creating 350 new highly skilled jobs.
Previous development for the then-new fleet was circa £70 million (€80 million).
Productivity
Eurostar generated £339m in productivity benefits from uninterrupted work while travelling, saving the equivalent of 332,000 additional working days compared to air travel.
Taken together with the increased capacity delivered by the introduction of double-decker trains and higher frequencies on existing routes
Eurostar has the potential to deliver £420 million productivity benefits per year by 2035, or a cumulated £4.3 billion over the period from now to 2035.
Tourism
500,000 extra tourists a year that visited the UK due to Eurostar, generating £370m in additional spending
20 slot pairs freed
New direct routes from London to Geneva and Frankfurt could free up to 20 aviation slot pairs per day in London airports as short-haul flights are replaced by trains.
St Pancras
Around one in 20 businesses in the vicinity of St Pancras cited Eurostar as a factor in their decision to locate there, representing approximately 2,000 jobs in the area.
Celestia fleet & new routes
There will be significant investment in new routes and capacity. Eurostar is investing £1.7 billion (€2 billion) in up to 50 new Celestia trains, which will be the first double-deckers to operate on the UK network and offer around 20% more capacity.
This capacity will support the launch of new direct services from London to the key European hubs of Geneva and Frankfurt.
Sustainability
Eurostar provides a credible, low-carbon alternative, producing an average of 96% fewer emissions per journey than an equivalent flight.
The modal shift - the share of inbound passengers who would have otherwise travelled by plane - achieved in 2025 on core routes already saved over 233,000 tonnes CO2 emissions compared to flying, a figure set to grow as the network expands.
The savings associated with improved carbon efficiency from diverting travel from air to rail are estimated to be worth up to £83 million annually.