Eurostar unveils billion euro doubledecker trains for London routes set for 2031 arrival

Eurostar has announced a €2 billion investment in 50 new double-decker high-speed trains, manufactured by Alstom in France, with services earmarked to begin arriving at London St Pancras as early as 2031. The new Avelia Horizon trains—dubbed Eurostar Celestia—will mark the first appearance of double-decker passenger trains in both Britain and the Channel Tunnel, setting a new benchmark in cross-Channel connectivity.

These modern trains will boost capacity significantly, accommodating up to 1,080 passengers each—a 20 per cent increase over the current fleet, which houses 890. Eurostar’s move is a response to a surge in demand for international rail journeys, as environmentally conscious travellers and corporate clients turn to trains as a sustainable alternative to short-haul flights. Last year alone witnessed the Eurostar network carrying 19.5 million passengers, a figure forecast to climb to 25 million by 2030 and expected to surpass 30 million once the new trains are fully deployed by 2035.

The order comes as Eurostar continues its growth trajectory following the pandemic-triggered merger with Thalys, the operator of high-speed services across France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. The new rolling stock will supplement 17 existing Siemens-made e320 trains, and replace eight of the original Eurostar models alongside 26 inherited from Thalys, raising the total fleet strength to 67.

Gwendoline Cazenave, chief executive of Eurostar, hailed the development as a ‘milestone order’, noting its importance in realising the company’s plans for expanded services including direct routes from London to Frankfurt and Geneva. The Celestia trains will tackle complex homologation tests to ensure compatibility with the myriad signalling and operational regimes encountered between Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and eventually Switzerland.

Despite a six inch height increase compared to current units, the new trains will pose no issues for existing Channel Tunnel infrastructure, though months of rigorous trials will be conducted before commercial deployment. The trains will be maintained at Eurostar’s Temple Mills facility in east London, which itself is set for a €80 million expansion and an increase in staffing from 450 to 800, to cope with higher maintenance demands.

Eurostar’s ambitious expansion into higher capacity and new direct routes underscores the company’s confidence in rail’s renaissance within international transport. Attention now turns to how rail authorities and infrastructure providers will accommodate maintenance and stabling needs for potential new entrants eager to compete with Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel.