THE Eurostar is getting a major upgrade with up to 50 new double-decker trains.
Eurostar has revealed a €2billion (£1.7billion) investment in double-decker trains that would become the first ever to operate through the Channel Tunnel and on the UK network.
So far, the operator has confirmed it will have 30 double-decker trains, but could add a further 20 in the future.
The new fleet, built by the Alstom Group, will be called Eurostar Celestia.
The trains will each measure 200 metres long, and will be used across the five countries Eurostar currently operates in – the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
They are also set to be used for new destinations such as Geneva in Switzerland and Frankfurt in Germany.
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On board each train, there will be around 540 seats – a 20 per cent increase compared to the number of seats on the Eurostar’s current trains.
Though if running in a 400 metre formation, as trains do currently through the Channel Tunnel, then there will be around 1,080 seats per service.
According to the operator, Eurostar Celestia will also have a “bespoke design to capture the unique, premium experience Eurostar customers expect”.
The name of the new fleet was decided by Eurostar staff and is derived from the Latin word ‘caelestis’, which means ‘heavenly’.
“It evokes the stars and the essence of travel, perfectly capturing the spirit of a company that links a constellation of cities across Europe,” Eurostar added.
The decision follows Eurostar’s aim of handling 30million passengers each year in the future.
The first trains are expected to join Eurostar’s fleet in January 2031, with services launching in May 2031.
The operator plans to launch six trains initially, which will run alongside Eurostar’s current fleet of 17 e320s.
In total, the fleet will grow to 67 trains – 30 per cent more than runs today.
The entire fleet would also be maintained at the Temple Mills depot in London, which would undergo an €80million (£69.6million) redevelopment to create space for the new trains.
In addition, 350 new jobs would be created at the depot.
The trains will be an all-electric fleet too, making them more sustainable.
Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO, Eurostar said: “We’re particularly proud to bring double-decker trains to the UK for the very first time.
“Customers can expect a very special new train with Eurostar Celestia, which will offer exceptional comfort, a unique Eurostar experience and new surprises to be revealed.
“This is a golden age for international sustainable travel – and Eurostar is leading the race.”
Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO of Alstom, said: “This new-generation train, designed to meet the demands of international very high-speed traffic, embodies our vision of sustainable and competitive European mobility.”
The announcement comes as the Office of Rail and Road is set to meet on October 31 to make a decision on whether space should be created for a competitor operator at Temple Mills, such as Virgin or Gemini.
Recently, Virgin also announced that if it were to get approval to run cross-channel services, it would launch routes from two huge cities in the north.
And in other train news, the UK capital is set to welcome new £700million train line linking west and north of the city.