Eurostar is looking to expand services from London to such cities
as Amsterdam and Geneva after announcing on Thursday it is to buy 10 faster
trains. The E320, to be built by Siemens subject to final terms, would be able
to travel at 320 kilometers, or 200 miles, per hour, compared with the 28
trains in the existing fleet that have a maximum speed of 300 kmh.
Eurostar said the new trains could reach Amsterdam in less than
four hours, and Geneva in five hours, while journey times to existing
destination Paris would be cut from two hours and 15 minutes to just over two hours.
The E320s will be introduced in 2014.
In addition to its higher speed, the other key advantage of the E320
is that it is interoperable, meaning it can operate across the European
high-speed rail network, despite varying power sources in each country. The new
trains also can carry 900 passengers, compared with a capacity of 750 seats on
the existing fleet.
The announcement from Eurostar raises the prospect of genuine
competition between European train operators, something that has been possible legally
since the European Union deregulated the cross-border high-speed rail network
at the beginning of 2010. German operator Deutsche Bahn said last month it
hopes to introduce a Frankfurt-London service in time for the 2012 Olympics. It
will run its first test train through the Channel Tunnel on Oct. 19.
"Over the last 16 years, Eurostar has revolutionized travel
between London, Paris and Brussels but our sights are now set on expanding our
business across Europe," said Eurostar chief executive Nicolas Petrovic. "The
transformation of Eurostar into a standalone business and the major capital
investment announced today is a mark of our growth ambitions for the future."
Eurostar also announced a complete overhaul and refurbishment of
its existing fleet, to include Wi-Fi connections, video on demand, music and
real-time travel and destination information. It said it would fund the £700
million cost of new trains and fleet overhaul privately through cash and bank
financing.
U.K. transport secretary Philip Hammond said he would look to
create links between the Channel Tunnel line and the domestic High Speed 2
line, for which he unveiled plans on Monday. The £33 billion High Speed 2 will
run from London to Birmingham and then fork, with one branch heading to
Manchester and the other to Leeds. The plan has all-party support but the
London-Birmingham section is unlikely to be ready before 2026.
Editor's note: A previous version of this report incorrectly stated Eurostar's trains reach a maximum speed of 200 kmh. The correct maximum speed is 300 kmh.