10.01.08
High Speed 1 delivers a record year for Eurostar
2007 ticket sales of £599 million – up 15.5% on 2006
A record 8.26 million travellers carried in 2007 – up 5.1%
Faster journeys and environmental concerns drive growth
Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train service that links the UK and mainland Europe, saw record traveller numbers and record revenues from ticket sales in 2007.
Passenger numbers broke the eight million mark for the first time with 8.26 million travellers carried – an increase of 5.1% on the previous year. The launch of Eurostar services on High Speed 1 on 14 November boosted the number of travellers keen to experience 186 mph train services in Britain and the stunningly restored St Pancras International station. Between 14 November and 31 December Eurostar saw an 11% increase in passengers against the same period in 2006.
Ticket sales also reached a record level in 2007 - rising by 15.5% from £518 million in 2006 to £599 million. Increased traveller demand following the launch of faster services from St Pancras International saw ticket sales grow by a fifth (20%) during the period 14 November to 31 December.
The business travel market continued to perform strongly in 2007 with an 11.9% increase in the volume of business ticket sales. Since 2005, the volume of business ticket sales has grown 31.4%. Corporate travellers continue to switch to high-speed rail for short-haul travel between London and the Continent, to reduce their carbon footprint and to maximise productivity by taking advantage of a 10-minute check-in time and the unique work-friendly environment of Eurostar’s Business Premier class. Increasing numbers of businesses that want to help tackle climate change are being attracted by the fact that all Eurostar journeys are now carbon neutral – at no extra cost to travellers.
The move to St Pancras International has opened up high-speed rail services to millions more people across the UK. The new station, together with next door King’s Cross and nearby Euston, is linked to towns and cities both north and south of the capital, with connections to seven mainline services and six London Underground lines. Through tickets from just £67 return went on sale from 14 November, from 68 UK towns and cities to Paris, Disneyland Resort Paris, Brussels (as well as any station in Belgium) and 75 connecting destinations across France.
Growth in the international markets (those outside Eurostar’s core territories of the UK, France and Belgium) grew strongly during 2007 with ticket sales up by 20.2% against the previous year.
Eurostar’s punctuality continued at a very high level throughout the year with 91.5% of trains arriving on time or early in 2007. By contrast, the latest available 2007 UK arrival/departure punctuality figure for airlines competing on Eurostar’s routes is 68.8%.
Richard Brown, Chief Executive, Eurostar, said: “The launch of Eurostar services on High Speed 1 has begun a new era in short-haul travel between the UK and mainland Europe. The impact has been immediate: Eurostar’s faster services, shorter travel times and carbon neutral journeys are winning over more travellers from the short-haul airlines.
“We expect to see this growth continue throughout 2008 as the impact of the new through fares from across the UK drives growth in the number of travellers using Eurostar from towns and cities north and south of London.
“The UK is now truly part of Europe’s high-speed rail network and this country can be rightly proud of the huge achievement that the successful launch of High Speed 1 and St Pancras International represents.”
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