04.11.16
Eurostar reports Q3 recovery after Nice terrorist attack
Eurostar today reported a modest recovery in its Q3 reports with passenger numbers increasing year-on-year, indicating signs of improvement after a challenging dip in demand following the terrorist attack in Nice in July.
Influenced by the recent fall in pound sterling, the business also saw a greater number of passengers travelling from France to the UK during the October half-term holidays, with traffic up by 18% compared to last year.
However, Eurostar’s Q3 passenger numbers of 2.6 million were still down by 10% compared to last year’s posting of 2.9 million, with sales revenue 8% lower year-on-year at £184m.
Nicolas Petrovic, chief executive of Eurostar, said: “After a softening in demand over the summer, we saw an increase in travel from the continent to London during the half term holiday.
“With the weakening of the pound, the UK is proving to be an attractive destination. The outlook to the end of the year is encouraging with many travellers taking day trips to London to do their Christmas shopping.”
Despite these figures, Eurostar’s plans for a new direct route to Amsterdam are progressing well, with the first test phase of the new Eurostar e320 train on the Dutch network completed earlier this year. The next tests are scheduled for early 2017.
The route from London to Amsterdam is one of Europe’s largest international airline markets, used by over three million business and leisure passengers every year. Offering a journey time of under four hours, it is hoped that Eurostar’s new service will enhance the link between these two vital European hubs, offering a competitive alternative to plane travel.
“Over the coming months, we are making a major investment in our fleet, our service and our stations to equip our business for expansion,” Petrovic said. “The launch of our Amsterdam route at the end of next year marks a key milestone and represents a significant growth opportunity for the future.”
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