Eurostar has announced it is to spend £700 million redesigning its fleet and investing in ten new trains that could reduce London-Paris journey times.
The move, funded privately by the operator and cash and bank financing, will kick off next year and will see rolling stock receive a makeover by Italian designers Pininfarina plus the purchase of the new train sets.
The new Eurostar e3202 trains will be ‘interoperable’ meaning they can operate across the European high speed rail network, providing non-stop services between London and a number of European destinations.
The e3202 will be able to take 900 passengers plus luggage and will have a fifth more capacity than current Eurostar trains.
As the train will be able to travel at speeds up to 200mph, the trip between London and Paris could drop (to around the two hours mark, as could the London to Amsterdam journey (under four hours) and London to Geneva (about five hours).
by Dinah Hatch
