Eurostar to order 50 new trains in expansion race

Eurostar hopes to serve 30 million passengers a year Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

Eurostar to order 50 new trains as rail tunnel operator Channel Train aims to serve more than 30 million passengers a year.

The investment will increase the fleet size by 16 trains, or 30 percent, once older models are phased out. The first trains are expected to enter service in the early 2030s.

Bosses are set to put the contract out to tender, a decision expected to spark a bitter battle for the job between Alstom's French business and Germany's Siemens.

Having launched its fleet service based on Alstom's TGV model, Eurostar has decided to switch to a rival the Velaro Express model created by Siemens 10 years ago, which allowed the German company to enter the French high-speed technology market for the first time.

Alstom responded with a lawsuit alleging that Velaro models would violate safety regulations during evacuation procedures in the Channel Tunnel. The claim was dismissed and Alstom dropped the claim in 2012.

With Eurostar planning to retain all of its Siemens trains in the coming years while retiring the last of its Alstom models, the German manufacturer may have an advantage. A Eurostar spokesman said the company was «very open to presentations and many discussions.»

Gwendoline Cazenave, chief executive of Eurostar, said: «The investment in 50 new trains will increase capacity and give customers something truly special , offering cutting-edge capabilities in terms of comfort, accessibility and sustainability.»

Customers and staff will be consulted during the design process, and the trains will be required to reduce energy consumption compared to the current fleet. The trains will operate in the five countries currently served by Eurostar and beyond.

Eurostar outlined its expansion plans after reporting annual revenue topped €2bn (£1.7bn) for the first time last year and passenger numbers has grown to almost 19 million. Last month the company also refinanced debt worth €964 million.

The future Eurostar fleet will consist of 67 trains, including trains from the future order and 17 Velaro trains.

Recent members of the company Initial fleet Eurostar's Alstom trains, based on the TGV, will be withdrawn from service, as will a further 26 trains from the French manufacturer acquired through a merger with Thalys, which flies from Paris to Brussels.