2007-06-21 Improvements on the way for passengers as Govia wins the West Midlands rail franchise (Govia)

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date 04 September 2007
source Eurostar
type Press release

--Fastest ever journey time of just 2 hours and 3 minutes

--Record set on the UK’s first high-speed line, High Speed 1, into Eurostar’s new London terminal at St Pancras International

Eurostar, the high-speed train operator that links the UK with the Continent, today (Wednesday 4 September) achieved the fastest ever journey time between the French and British capitals, with a record-breaking run of just 2 hours and 3 minutes.

The train left Gare du Nord station in Paris at 10.44 CET, arriving in St Pancras International at 11.47 BST (there is a one hour difference between the two time zones). It travelled at speeds of up to 200mph (320km/h) on the Ligne a Grande Vitesse across northern France and on the UK’s new high-speed line, High Speed 1.

The record was set 10 weeks’ ahead of the launch of services at St Pancras International on Wednesday 14 November. Eurostar will move to its new London terminal overnight, with services at Waterloo ending the previous evening. The move will cut at least 20 minutes off journey times between London, Paris and Brussels.

Richard Brown, Chief Executive of Eurostar, said: “Eurostar has today proved that our 186 mph trains are by far the quickest way of travelling between France and Britain. Paris and London have joined the ‘two-hour club’ and our great cities are now even closer together.

“Today’s record-breaking run shows that High Speed 1 unleashes Eurostar’s true capability to carry millions of travellers conveniently, comfortably and quickly between Britain and the continent.”

- ends -
Notes to Editors:
1. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking London Waterloo (until 13 November), London St Pancras (from 14 November) Ebbsfleet (from 19 November), Ashford, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps.
2. Eurostar will switch its London terminal from Waterloo International and begin services from St Pancras International on 14 November 2007. Journey times on High Speed 1, the UK’s first high-speed line, will be London – Paris 2h 15min; London – Brussels 1h 51min; and London - Lille 1h 20min.
3. A new station at Ebbsfleet International, just off junction 2 of the M25 near Dartford crossing and Bluewater shopping centre in north Kent, will open on 19 November. Journey times will be 10 minutes shorter than from St Pancras.

4. Eurostar is a founder member of Railteam, a partnership between Europe’s leading high-speed train operators that is developing simpler ways to book and travel on the fast-expanding, European high-speed rail network.
5. Eurostar and Eurotunnel are entirely separate companies. Eurostar operates high-speed passenger trains, while Eurotunnel operates a vehicle shuttle service and the Channel tunnel itself. Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s biggest customer.

6. To book tickets for Eurostar, or to find out more information, go to www.eurostar.com, call 08705 186 186 or contact your travel agent.

For more information:
Eurostar Press Office
+44 (0)20 7922 4494
press.office@eurostar.co.uk

Railhub Archive ::: 2007-09-04 EUR-001