Eurostar set to invest in 50 new trains, which could hit the rails by 2030

International passenger rail operator Eurostar will invest in up to 50 new trains. The company wants to run 67 trains in total in the coming years, which is 16 more than the current capacity. The plan is for the first new trains to become operational at the start of 2030.

Both passengers and Eurostar staff will be involved in the design process. All new trains will run even more environmentally friendly than the current ones, the company said.

Last year, Eurostar recorded a turnover that exceeded 2 billion euros for the first time, an increase of 26 percent compared to the previous year. The sharp increase was mainly attributed to rising passenger figures following the coronavirus pandemic.

Passenger volume increased by 22 percent to almost 19 million ticketed travelers. Operating profit rose by 8 percent to 423 million euros.

Last year, the Thalys trains, which ran between Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris, among other cities, continued under the Eurostar brand following the companies’ merger. Eurostar has been connecting Amsterdam and London since 2018.

Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said she was satisfied with the results achieved last year. “Just seven months after the launch of the new Eurostar, we are well on our way, breaking records for passenger numbers and revenue in 2023.”

Eurostar currently operates in five countries: the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Germany. Last year, the number of travelers on the line between Amsterdam and London increased the most, by 38 percent. The number of passengers between London and Brussels increased by 33 percent, and those between London and Paris by 25 percent.