16 March 2016

Super Six Nations for Eurostar as thousands of passengers take the train to the game

Eurostar is gearing up to welcome thousands of English rugby fans this weekend, as they make their way to Paris in the hope of seeing their team achieve the Grand Slam in the Six Nations Rugby tournament.
 
Over 60,000 passengers are expected to travel with the high-speed rail operator this weekend  – an 11% rise in passenger numbers compared to the equivalent period in 2015*. Friday 18^th March is set to be the busiest day for travel from London to Paris with over 13,000 travelling – a 20% increase compared to the equivalent day last year. France play England at 21.00 (local time) on Saturday 19^th March in the Stade de France.

Mary Walsh, Director of Communications for Eurostar commented: “We look forward to welcoming rugby fans on board this weekend as they get ready for a very exciting finale in the French capital. With our new trains now equipped with free wifi and on board entertainment, there’s never been a better time to take the train to the game.” 

With increased seat capacity on the new e320 train, Eurostar is now offering its most competitive fares ever.  The combination of a  lead-in price of £29 one way to Paris/Brussels/Lille and fares from £37 to hundreds of destinations across France, Holland and Belgium, makes Eurostar the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to travel between the UK and mainland Europe.
 
For more information or to book Eurostar tickets visit www.eurostar.com or call the Eurostar contact centre on 08432 186 186.
 

Notes to Editors

• *Period from Friday 18 March 2016 – Sunday 20 March 2016 compared to Friday 20 March 2015 – Sunday 22 March 2015

 
About Eurostar

1. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps.
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.

 
For more information:
Eurostar Press Office 
020 7843 5500
press.office@eurostar.com