4 April 2019

Eurostar celebrates first anniversary of high-speed services to Amsterdam

 
Eurostar, the high-speed passenger rail service linking the UK with mainland Europe, is celebrating its first year of direct services from London to the Netherlands. Since launching in April 2018, over quarter of a million people have travelled from London to Amsterdam, the equivalent of more than 1,000 plane loads.¹  
 
With a Eurostar journey from between the capital cities resulting in 80% less carbon per passenger than a flight, over 13,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been saved to date by passengers choosing high-speed rail over plane².  This is the equivalent to the amount of CO2 that would be emitted from 1,000 average houses in a year, or to taking 2,549 cars off the road for a year³.
 
Eurostar will introduce a third daily service from 11^th June 2019, in direct response to consumer demand. This will increase capacity on the route to the equivalent of 12 flights per day⁴, further boosting carbon savings.
 
Since the new service began, Eurostar travellers have also embraced many of the Dutch specialities served on board, enjoying over 10,000 apple turnovers, nearly 3,000 portions of Gouda cheese, over 5,600 locally produced chocolates, and over 2,000 Stroopwafel.
 
The high-speed rail service has transformed the connection between London and the Netherlands, taking passengers from the heart of London to the centre of Rotterdam in just 3h01, and Amsterdam in 3h41 with highly competitive fares from £35 one way.
 
Mike Cooper, Chief Executive, Eurostar, said: “Our new service linking London with the Netherlands has got off to a great start, with sales beyond our expectations. We look forward to offering both business and leisure travellers more choice and flexibility with a higher frequency of services coming this year.”
 
For more information or to book Eurostar tickets visit www.eurostar.com or call the Eurostar contact centre on 08432 186 186.
   
¹Based on an A320 with 220 passengers.
²Calculations carried out for Eurostar by Paul Watkiss Associates in 2017, based on DEFRA methodology
³Source: http://www.yousustain.com/footprint/howmuchco2?co2=13000000+kg
⁴Based on Eurostar e320 carrying 450 passengers per train to and from Amsterdam (half a train) across three services a day, compared to an A320 aeroplane carrying 220 passengers.
 
For more information:
Eurostar Press Office 
020 7843 5500
press.office@eurostar.co.uk
 

1. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon, the French Alps, Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
2. The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph.  Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 150 million passengers between London and the Continent.  Following their refurbishment these trains will continue to form a core part of the Eurostar fleet. The new e320 will carry around 900 passengers at speeds of up to 320kph.
3. Eurostar was established in 1994 as a partnership between three railway companies: SNCF, SNCB and LCR (London and Continental Railways). On 1 September 2010, Eurostar became a single, unified corporate entity owned by three shareholders: SNCF, SNCB and LCR. LCR’s holding was transferred to the Treasury in 2014, and sold by the UK government to a consortium comprising Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec (CDPQ) and Hermes Infrastructure on 28th May 2015.
4. Eurostar is a founder member of Railteam, a partnership between Europe’s leading high-speed train operators that is developing simpler ways to book and travel on the fast-expanding, European high-speed rail network.
5. Eurostar and Eurotunnel are entirely separate companies.  Eurostar operates high-speed passenger trains, while Eurotunnel operates vehicle shuttle services and the Channel Tunnel itself. Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s biggest customer.